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xkcd #3225: Satellite Pollution
(imgs.xkcd.com)
xkcd #3225: Satellite Pollution
Title text:
We're working to make sure the images are as up-to-date and accurate as possible, with a minimum number of sponsored galaxies.
Transcript:
Transcript will show once it’s been added to explainxkcd.com
Source: https://xkcd.com/3225/
Who would've thought that astronomy as a science only had like 500 years window to the clear sky... That any advanced enough civilization would as quickly and enthusiastically blot out their own skies for short term gains...
Not any advanced enough civilization.
Though a civilization based on capitalism where the greediest fucks get to hoard wealth and resources and get away with doing what ever they want? Yes.
Wouldn’t it be wild to find out that the galaxy is teeming with advanced intelligent life but they want nothing to do with us because literally all of them are peaceful?
Would be the least surprising thing, out of all the advanced civilizations actually existing options.
it's bigger than that.
humans looked to the skies and saw gods, and now? most people haven't seen the stars anymore. we, humans have killed those gods and removed the stars from the skies.
Even in recent movies, when people look at the stars, they are mostly not there anymore.
Don't forget "set the atmosphere on fire to put them up there"
ground based astronomy
Advancing astronomy would require more orbital telescopes anyway, which solve a bunch of problems, like atmospheric distortion.
The actual problem is, that we currently fund short term gains (sattelites for communication and navigation) more than we fund long-term societal gains (sattelites for orbital research).
Ah, but you're falling for the delusion that capitalism is inevitable...
An actually advanced society would fund science more effectively and actually have loads of orbital telescopes.