Should We Continue to Drill Oil?

[Dr. Javelin]

Responding to Javelin's post, (the one about the inventions), I don't think we stopped inventing. In fact, I think our technology is advancing exponentially. That is, it starts slowly, but it explodes later. Just look at video gaming. Before, it was games like Pong. Now? Games like Super Mario Galaxy. Same thing with movies. Before, they had no sound. Now? You can make futuristic scenes look real with advanced CGI.

Our technology in coupterized things certainly is, no doubt of that.

But instead of pushing the boundaries of the real world we've instead decided to create our own technological world where we can do anything...in a computer.

It's not a bad thing exactly, but greatly inferior to pushing the bounds of physics and exploring the real world, making advancements in science...

 

[Daniel Dyce]

Responding to Javelin's post, (the one about the inventions), I don't think we stopped inventing. In fact, I think our technology is advancing exponentially. That is, it starts slowly, but it explodes later. Just look at video gaming. Before, it was games like Pong. Now? Games like Super Mario Galaxy. Same thing with movies. Before, they had no sound. Now? You can make futuristic scenes look real with advanced CGI.

Our technology in coupterized things certainly is, no doubt of that.

But instead of pushing the boundaries of the real world we've instead decided to create our own technological world where we can do anything...in a computer.

It's not a bad thing exactly, but greatly inferior to pushing the bounds of physics and exploring the real world, making advancements in science...

JACK QUICK LET'S MAKE A REAL BLACK HOLE IT'S BRILLIANT

 

[Dr. Javelin]

That depends on what we intend to do with the black hole.

If you pay attention to black hole theory they create a dip in the spacetime continum, and it's feasibly possible that you could "travel" forward in time by simply moving into the radius of a black hole but not past the event horizon. Your time would move much more slowly than the time outside the effects, and it would appear to the traveller that they have indeed travelled forward in time, when in reality they simply slowed their passage through it.

 

[Daniel Dyce]

That depends on what we intend to do with the black hole.

If you pay attention to black hole theory they create a dip in the spacetime continum, and it's feasibly possible that you could "travel" forward in time by simply moving into the radius of a black hole but not past the event horizon. Your time would move much more slowly than the time outside the effects, and it would appear to the traveller that they have indeed travelled forward in time, when in reality they simply slowed their passage through it.

I was planning on throwing oranges in the black hole

 

[LeftyGreenMario]

Yup, we have black-hole generating machines. Also, we're developing airplanes such as the DreamLiner, I believe it's called. Also, stuff like geothermal energy is relatively recent, so it needs time to grow.

How about cars? Cars used to be simplistic and have low mpgs. Now, they have higher mpgs GPS, etc., and maybe in the future, cars can be programmed to drive themselves.

In Aeronautics, we have made several discoveries, such as dark matter, dark energy, and we're even sending a spacecraft to Pluto. Back then, it's unheard of.

How about the String Theory? The concept of time? How many Big bangs were there? Back then, these concepts would be unthinkable.

 

[Daniel Dyce]

Science at some point will either
A: Find God
B: Prove God doesn't exist
And I can't decide which will do more harm

 

[Gumball Machine]

How about cars? Cars used to be simplistic and have low mpgs. Now, they have higher mpgs GPS, etc., and maybe in the future, cars can be programmed to drive themselves.

That seems kind of dangerous. If cars drove themselves, they'd be vulnerable to computer viruses and hackers which would lead to more car accidents.

 

[Dr. Javelin]

How about the String Theory? The concept of time? How many Big bangs were there? Back then, these concepts would be unthinkable.

If you believe in those. The effect of entropy pretty much renders the posibility of Earth ever evolving from a cosmic event null.

What's entropy, you ask? The natural progression of things to a state of more disorder. It's the same principle that causes salad to mix; the tomatoes don't all stay grouped together, if you get what I'm saying.

(also, I suppose we are developing such technology, but it just isn't as grandiose.)

 

[Ray Trace]

How about cars? Cars used to be simplistic and have low mpgs. Now, they have higher mpgs GPS, etc., and maybe in the future, cars can be programmed to drive themselves.

That seems kind of dangerous. If cars drove themselves, they'd be vulnerable to computer viruses and hackers which would lead to more car accidents.

Not really. The car itself has to download the virus. I doubt you would download anything onto the car computer. It's like saying the Wii could get infected with a virus.

 

[Dr. Javelin]

But the car does have to download traffic info, and if a clever hacker placed a virus there, the car would unwittingly download it and get infected.

It's like if a hacker placed a virus in Nintendo's latest update for the Wii, your Wii would get infected.

 

[LeftyGreenMario]

^^My point is that our technology is growing and that scientists have been proposing theories that would be totally outrageous back then. Stuff like black-hole generating machines would be nonexistent back then.

 

[Ray Trace]

But the car does have to download traffic info, and if a clever hacker placed a virus there, the car would unwittingly download it and get infected.

It's like if a hacker placed a virus in Nintendo's latest update for the Wii, your Wii would get infected.

Oh I see. I guess it's not such a great idea after all, especially since there's almost no way to guarantee yourself save from hackers at all

 

[Dr. Javelin]

But the car does have to download traffic info, and if a clever hacker placed a virus there, the car would unwittingly download it and get infected.

It's like if a hacker placed a virus in Nintendo's latest update for the Wii, your Wii would get infected.

Oh I see. I guess it's not such a great idea after all, especially since there's almost no way to guarantee yourself save from hackers at all

Believing yourself safe from viruses is one of the best ways to get infected by them.

It's like walking around saying "I don't get sick often, so I believe I am realtively safe from viruses". You drop all your reventive actions you might normally take to avoid germs and presto, somehow you end up sick.

 

[LeftyGreenMario]

Holy cow, we're getting off-topic.

However, my point stands. We should continue drilling oil, but we should not use it as an excuse for not developing alternate energy sources.

 

[Dr. Javelin]

However, my point stands. We should continue drilling oil, but we should not use it as an excuse for not developing alternate energy sources.

Yeah, pretty much my opinion.

As long as we are heading in the direction of freedom from oil, then we're good.

 

[Post-Damage Invincibility]

Alternative energy the technology for it is not there yet so drill baby drill drill drill. I want gas to be one dollar a gallon again. I don't work, but I am amazed that people who do don't revolt against the gas prices. If everyone refused to buy gas (how would people get around carpool?) then they would be forced to do whatever is needed to get it. Why after all that trouble with Iraq we didn't even take a bit of their oil? How fucking stupid.

 

[Scarecrow von Steuben]

We don't really have much of a choice but to keep drilling oil, until an alternative source of energy can be found. This is a non-issue. We literally have no other choice. All we can do is try to find an alternative source of energy as quickly as possible.

What was the point of this thread other than obvious flamebait? This is a very controversial topic with a very obvious solution that's still going to get everybody riled up, with the result that we'll all start fighting over something that we all mostly agree on.

 

[NintendoQueen814]

We don't really have much of a choice but to keep drilling oil, until an alternative source of energy can be found. This is a non-issue. We literally have no other choice. All we can do is try to find an alternative source of energy as quickly as possible.

What was the point of this thread other than obvious flamebait? This is a very controversial topic with a very obvious solution that's still going to get everybody riled up, with the result that we'll all start fighting over something that we all mostly agree on.

If you read my original post, you'd see that the point of this thread is I need to write a one page commentary on this matter, and I wanted to see everyone's opinions and such before I went and wrote my paper. I understand that there is some flaming going on. But arguing is healthy when it comes to controversial topics, and I don't see anyone flaming anyone--just ARGUING like a normal human being would. Just be mature about it.


Plus, don't get mad at me for making this topic...there is an Election thread and an Abortion thread on here.

 

[Pokemon DP]

What was the point of this thread other than obvious flamebait? This is a very controversial topic with a very obvious solution that's still going to get everybody riled up, with the result that we'll all start fighting over something that we all mostly agree on.

oi scarecrow, I've been trying not to say anything but you do this a lot. When you decide to post in a thread like this and act like you know the answer, please actually read the entire thread and especially the original post so you have the proper context for what you're responding to. Thank you.

Nintendoqueen made this for a paper she's writing on the subject, which I think is a bit bizarre but not unreasonable. Not like she wanted the thread to become what it did.

 

[Kyoko Sakura]

An honest, but depressing answer: humanity doesn't have as much reason to invent things now as we did fifty, sixty years ago.

No. NO. Don't forget the infamous mid 19th century quote "everything that can be invented has been invented." And this was before the invention of the television. There's no telling how far technology might continue to go.

What was the point of this thread other than obvious flamebait?

What was the point of barging into a peaceful 4-page thread to accuse it of flamebaiting other than obvious trollbait?

 

[NintendoQueen814]

What was the point of this thread other than obvious flamebait? This is a very controversial topic with a very obvious solution that's still going to get everybody riled up, with the result that we'll all start fighting over something that we all mostly agree on.

oi scarecrow, I've been trying not to say anything but you do this a lot. When you decide to post in a thread like this and act like you know the answer, please actually read the entire thread and especially the original post so you have the proper context for what you're responding to. Thank you.

Nintendoqueen made this for a paper she's writing on the subject, which I think is a bit bizarre but not unreasonable. Not like she wanted the thread to become what it did.

It's for Environmental Science class. My professor gave us this writing prompt to do.

And I understand people will argue. It's nice to see different points of view on this subject.

 

[Mario4Ever]

Responding to Javelin's post, (the one about the inventions), I don't think we stopped inventing. In fact, I think our technology is advancing exponentially. That is, it starts slowly, but it explodes later. Just look at video gaming. Before, it was games like Pong. Now? Games like Super Mario Galaxy. Same thing with movies. Before, they had no sound. Now? You can make futuristic scenes look real with advanced CGI.

Our technology in coupterized things certainly is, no doubt of that.

But instead of pushing the boundaries of the real world we've instead decided to create our own technological world where we can do anything...in a computer.

It's not a bad thing exactly, but greatly inferior to pushing the bounds of physics and exploring the real world, making advancements in science...

The Matrix is on the horizon.

 

[Scarecrow von Steuben]

oi scarecrow, I've been trying not to say anything but you do this a lot. When you decide to post in a thread like this and act like you know the answer, please actually read the entire thread and especially the original post so you have the proper context for what you're responding to. Thank you.

I did read her post; I wasn't sure why she was coming to us for the answer to such a controversial issue that was bound to start a fight.

I apologize for being so arrogant about it, though. Didn't realize I acted like that so often- I'll be a bit more self-conscious next time.

 

[banjonator1]

Idea: Kill thousands of people and stuff them underground until they turn into oil.

Seriously, we do need to drill for oil. I realized I'm biased, coming from a Gulf state. But not just in Gulf states! In Alaska and Texas, too! (I realize TX is a Gulf State, but most of their drilling isn't offshore.) I also realize I'm going to be targeted saying that I'm poisoning the planet. I've said before, go wild on alternative energy! We need to find something besides oil! But for now, it's all we got. And again, I reiterate, it hosts many, MANY, jobs.

 

[Toad Eightyfive]

To the original question, I say yes to drilling for coastal oil, but keep it very closely regulated. I don't want us biting off more than we can chew given our resources.