Things That Give you Hope for the Human Race

beanyb · 24-04-2010 10:35PM

Yesterday, I was walking down Stephen's Green, just by the department of foreign affairs. This guy on a bike dropped something, and didnt realise it. Some man that saw whatever it was fall, got out of his car (he was stopped at lights) and ran after the guy on the bike to give it back to him.

It made me smile, because it would have been so much easier for him to just sit in his car and not do anything.

Wibbs · 24-04-2010 10:35PM

Mmcd wrote: »

Well the results could be of more benefit than the moon landing and there isnt too many complaining about that.

Possibly but I doubt it. Yes it will increase our knowledge of the nature of reality and that's bloody brilliant, but unless we explore the higher practical reality and actually get out there and spread ourselves beyond this island earth, that knowledge will die with us. So the moon landing that showed it could be done 40 years ago must be built on.

I watched them leaving for the last time when I was a kid and we've not returned and ATM I cant see us going back in my lifetime.

Seifer · 24-04-2010 10:38PM

Novella wrote: »

Today, I got stuck in an elevator. I was going to the car park under my apartment block and the door jammed so I couldn't get out. I was stuck in there for about two hours and while I was waiting for someone to come who could open the door, a guy, a complete stranger, sat on the floor on the other side and talked to me.

Did it work?

yoshytoshy · 24-04-2010 10:40PM

Wibbs wrote: »

I watched them leaving for the last time when I was a kid and we've not returned and ATM I cant see us going back in my lifetime.

I thought obama wants to go to mars ?

opinion guy · 24-04-2010 10:48PM

Mmcd wrote: »

Well the results could be of more benefit than the moon landing and there isnt too many complaining about that.

Michaelrsh wrote: »

O finding out what cause everything to have mass is soooo important to humanity that we'll spend billions of tax payers money to find it.

Ah this old chestnut.

Well first off this:

Michaelrsh wrote: »

Well actually they found large quantities of helium-3 on the moon that could help fuel nuclear fusion (when its invented) in the future which could in turn help solve humanity's energy shortages. There isn't much of this particular chemical on Earth though and people would have to mine on the moon in order to effectively sustain nuclear fusion.

I fail to see, however, how finding dark matter or finding the Higg's particle would benefit humanity at all. It's only pure knowledge and comparable to stamp collecting in my opinion.

I mostly think along these lines. I think when you are dealing with limited resources, as we are, you have to priortise. There are far too many real world problems needed solving with those same resources. It almost seems immoral to me to spend SOOOO much money on something that doens't have practical applications within a realiseable timescale. I do think space research is money well spent however - cause its practical.

Wibbs wrote: »

I watched them leaving for the last time when I was a kid and we've not returned and ATM I cant see us going back in my lifetime.

Old man Wibbsy.....:p

mysons · 24-04-2010 10:50PM

Shop assistants that don't throw the change on the counter after you had them the money and then say NEXT.
People that do say hello or good morning to each other and people that have a smile on their face as if to say FCUK the world I,m happy.

Wibbs · 24-04-2010 10:52PM

OK my last post was a bit OT, so things that give me hope in humanity and tied into the last vid for

continuity reasons....

Horribly clever, focused and trained to within an inch of their lives blokes, buzz cut hairstyles and very straight laced, doing good science, in an incredibly dangerous environment, while acting like a pair of bloody loo laas. I love when one goes I like to skip and the other guy all macho goes "not me boy"

Check out the vid where another crew are driving the moon buggy for the first time and one of them starts egging on the other guy to try stepping the back out on the turns. Class

Humans. Not bad for a bunch of monkeys who got lucky.

Michaelrsh · 24-04-2010 11:08PM

opinion guy wrote: »

I mostly think along these lines. I think when you are dealing with limited resources, as we are, you have to priortise. There are far too many real world problems needed solving with those same resources. It almost seems immoral to me to spend SOOOO much money on something that doens't have practical applications within a realiseable timescale. I do think space research is money well spent however - cause its practical.

Let's take mine on the moon for resources such as helium-3. The value of the helium-3 in term of how it can be used for future nuclear fusion reactors could well surpass the cost of sending miners to and from the moon in the future. This would be practical space exploration. In fact this is not actually science fiction. The development of nuclear fusion reactor is probably 30 years away (scientists are in the process of developing it). Watch the following video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2xChmfLlMo

part 2 here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eem7hDeREsY&feature=related

opinion guy · 25-04-2010 12:11AM

Michaelrsh wrote: »

Let's take mine on the moon for resources such as helium-3. The value of the helium-3 in term of how it can be used for future nuclear fusion reactors could well surpass the cost of sending miners to and from the moon in the future. This would be practical space exploration. In fact this is not actually science fiction. The development of nuclear fusion reactor is probably 30 years away (scientists are in the process of developing it). Watch the following video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2xChmfLlMo

part 2 here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eem7hDeREsY&feature=related

Have to say Michaelrsh, i was referrring to your comments on the CERN stuff. I don't really know anything about the Helium3 business!

Duggy747 · 25-04-2010 12:20AM

Face it, we'd be doomed if it wasn't for the cogs in the overall machine like the scientists and astronauts mentioned.

jill_valentine · 25-04-2010 12:20AM

A customer thanked me, and I really believed she was grateful. It happens very rarely, and it damn near made my day.

A young girl in a dodgy tracksuit with a buggy told some half-witted loudmouth on the Luas - very politely but firmly - not to be such a racist tool because she didn't want kids growing up having to listen to that kind of bullsh*t. I felt both guilty for misjudging her so severely and well-impressed.

Michaelrsh · 25-04-2010 12:22AM

opinion guy wrote: »

Have to say Michaelrsh, i was referrring to your comments on the CERN stuff. I don't really know anything about the Helium3 business!

OK, but I just noted an air of sarcasm when you said;

I do think space research is money well spent however - cause its practical.

--LOS-- · 25-04-2010 12:45AM

Things that give hope for the human race......

cryogenic preservation

.....yes.

0verblood · 25-04-2010 12:54AM

Atheists.

opinion guy · 25-04-2010 12:59AM

Michaelrsh wrote: »

OK, but I just noted an air of sarcasm when you said;

Oh no no no!!!! I was serious about that!!! I've even been to Cape Canaveral!

Ninja edit: Oh no!!! When I am being sarcastic people aren't getting it and when I'm not people think I am !!!! ARGHGGHHGGH

Reganio 2 · 25-04-2010 01:02AM

Seifer wrote: »

Did it work?

You really have to admire that kind of bravery, she could have been an absoloute munter. That's respect, that guy gives me hope for the human race.

Poor Uncle Tom · 25-04-2010 10:47AM

biko wrote: »

If you/someone drops something and someone else bothers to bend down and pick it up.

Like soap, in a shower, in a prison, say....:D

Son Of A Vidic · 25-04-2010 04:21PM

Nothing particularly gives me hope! We are speeding towards mastery of stupidity at an incredible speed. Kids now speak in text and spell in text, with their ability to read or write diminishing. School exams and degrees are being dumbed down, to cater for a generation with the attention span of a Goldfish. We will always however, excel at mastering amazing new ways to annihilate our fellow humans. The US military has a generation of 'warriors' reared on First Person Shooters, who seem to think taking out civilians in Iraq is like one big COD2 Modern Warfare add on. Human life has become worthless, it's like one fcuking voyeur party. Some poor soul jumps of a bridge or of a roof and some souless cnut has the video phone out and uploads it in an hour.
Yip that's it, I've searched my brain and nothing is jumping out at me - were fcuked.

Mmcd · 25-04-2010 04:24PM

medicman2009 wrote: »

Nothing particularly gives me hope! We are speeding towards mastery of stupidity at an incredible speed. Kids now speak in text and spell in text, with their ability to read or write diminishing. School exams and degrees are being dumbed down, to cater for a generation with the attention span of a Goldfish. We will always however, excel at mastering amazing new ways to annihilate our fellow humans. The US military has a generation of 'warriors' reared on First Person Shooters, who seem to think taking out civilians in Iraq is like one big COD2 Modern Warfare add on. Human life has become worthless, it's like one fcuking voyeur party. Some poor soul jumps of a bridge or of a roof and some souless cnut has the video phone out and uploads it in an hour.
Yip that's it, I've searched my brain and nothing is jumping out at me - were fcuked.

At least we have optimism anyway!

Wibbs · 25-04-2010 04:33PM

medicman2009 wrote: »

Nothing particularly gives me hope! We are speeding towards mastery of stupidity at an incredible speed. Kids now speak in text and spell in text, with their ability to read or write diminishing. School exams and degrees are being dumbed down, to cater for a generation with the attention span of a Goldfish. We will always however, excel at mastering amazing new ways to annihilate our fellow humans. The US military has a generation of 'warriors' reared on First Person Shooters, who seem to think taking out civilians in Iraq is like one big COD2 Modern Warfare add on. Human life has become worthless, it's like one fcuking voyeur party. Some poor soul jumps of a bridge or of a roof and some souless cnut has the video phone out and uploads it in an hour.
Yip that's it, I've searched my brain and nothing is jumping out at me - were fcuked.

Ancient Greek commentators were saying much the same. "the kids these days, lawlessness increasing, more aggresion, was better in my day/the past etc etc" Little actually changes. Which makes me neutral on the hope front

Though throughout history there is usually a group of people, often unnoticed that change things. For good and bad.

jill_valentine · 25-04-2010 05:37PM

It's funny to hear people whine about the standard of human society now. Like, sure, we use txt speak now... but then again, we haven't had a World War in ages.

You know, perspective.

epgc3fyqirnbsx · 25-04-2010 06:53PM

A couple of weeks back I was driving in the car and was nearly out of petrol. Of course I forgot my wallet but pulled up to a little country petrol station and scraped up all the coins i could, the princley sum of €1.86. The old attendaant was out at this stage so I asked him for €1.86 and he asked me had I forgotten my wallet, to which i said i had, then he kept filling to €20.
He didn't know me from Adam, just said 'Sure you'll be back again sometime'.

opinion guy · 25-04-2010 07:14PM

Matilda Wonderful Fir wrote: »

A couple of weeks back I was driving in the car and was nearly out of petrol. Of course I forgot my wallet but pulled up to a little country petrol station and scraped up all the coins i could, the princley sum of €1.86. The old attendaant was out at this stage so I asked him for €1.86 and he asked me had I forgotten my wallet, to which i said i had, then he kept filling to €20.
He didn't know me from Adam, just said 'Sure you'll be back again sometime'.

Legend! Tell me what garage it is and if i'm near it I'll make a pointof spending money there!

Donkey Oaty · 25-04-2010 07:19PM

Wibbs wrote: »

Though throughout history there is usually a group of people, often unnoticed that change things. For good and bad.

Shhh! Don't be drawing attention to us.

epgc3fyqirnbsx · 25-04-2010 07:30PM

opinion guy wrote: »

Legend! Tell me what garage it is and if i'm near it I'll make a pointof spending money there!

Its about a mile outside of Westport on the Leenaune rd so it's probably on everyones route!

Misty Chaos · 25-04-2010 07:32PM

I remember getting a taxi to college there one morning as I was running late and the guy was extremely professional in his job, knew where he was going and even stopping the counter after accidentally going a longer way when we were near by the destination.

Needless to say, I gave him a tip we got there.

UpCork · 25-04-2010 07:39PM

During the week when I was listening to Liveline (please don't judge me, sometimes being in the office on my own is boring!!), a lady called in to say that the flight disruptions meant that she going to miss her flight to Stockholm, resulting in her missing her much needed radiation treatment. A lady, a total stranger, rang in and offered to take a few days off work to drive her the whole way to Stockholm and back. I thought it was such a lovely thing to do.

Things That Give you Hope for the Human Race

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