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 Replies: 40 / Views: 5,870 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3294 Posts |
In 1964, that gallon of gasoline cost 40c, but those 4 dimes today would set you back $8, while a gallon of gas is only running around $3-4
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3294 Posts |
Also, how is mining asteroids going to be remotely cost effective? It costs thousands of dollars per pound to get stuff into orbit, probably double that to get to an asteroid. Then thousands to send the mined stuff back to earth. Unless you know of asteroids that are pure gold, I don't see how it would pay off.
Also, even if the asteroids were pure gold, you would crash the price bringing much metal back, and there is a rather high risk of your spacecraft having a problem and failing. No, unless someone figures out a much cheaper way to fuel space vehicles and get them into space, space mining is going to be a pipe dream.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2589 Posts |
There are a couple entities out there that have been gathering investment for developing asteroid mining, even one of the co-founders of google has dumped money into one such project. http://www.space.com/15395-asteroid...sources.htmlThe biggest hindrance isn't actually getting mining equipment into orbit, its actually getting it back to earth that's the bigger problem but there are other private companies working on that problem as well. Rhodium, Osmium and other ultra rare metals are likely the first to be mined in space. And certain classifications of asteroids are nearly all metal. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3670 Posts |
Seems like someone posted not long back on that proposed Google project, an seems like big names like James Cameron were on board....
I heard today on a bit of a different subject that BP has bought a new machine which separates oil from water, and one of the main figures involved to get it all started was Kevin Costner....
Apparently one of the Baldwin brothers sold his stock to early an missed the boat an now is suing the rest. Costner was quoted as saying something like it was a shame and a frivolous suit...
My point, is it is interesting that some of these guys who have gotten rich in Hollywood, are now looking to do bigger things with their profits....
Does this mean Sean Penn should be appointed as the USA ambassadors to foreign affairs lol. I don't think so, but others like Cameron may end up making a big difference with their capitol before it is all said an done....
And lastly, to think humans are not gonna find a way to get those precious medal back to Earth cost effectively one day (esp the real rare ones), obvious have underestimated the determination of a species that never fails to amaze me with its ability to create war an pain, but also show amazing abilities for engineering an scientific genius. Such as Hitler an the Nazis on the evil end, but also has an amazing ability to create fantastic contraptions/inventions which also never fail to boggle my mind....
Humans share the same determination as an army of ants whose home you smash with your foot, only to come right back an rebuild it not long after....
Watch the time lapse computer generated video of the new trade center going up, and you will see humans will find a way to overcome any barriers put before them....
Even if that means building a tower into space complete with an elevator to send the PMs back down to Earth, lol....
Edited by Silverhawk74
06/04/2012 11:58 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1554 Posts |
You could buy a pack of cucumber seeds and a pack of tomato seeds and grow them this summer and realize a very huge profit. Do this every year and it would mean thousands.!.! Plus, you don't have to store the Copper, Silver, etc., just eat or sell.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3294 Posts |
silverhawk: I don't doubt the feats of human genius and engineering. My degree is in aerospace engineering. The problem is all in the cost. To get anything in orbit, it needs to be accelerated to 8km/s. Same thing when you want to bring it back down from orbit, only air does a lot of the work for you there (at the cost of needing a lot of heat protection). I have no doubt that if they wanted to, a company with a lot of money could go to an asteroid and start mining it, but what I would not expect is that they would even come close to profitability. I mean purely from a scientific standpoint, you can get gold out of sea water, but that is not profitable, so nobody does it.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
862 Posts |
we can leave asteroids mining problems to the future, and start selling asteroids gold ETF now
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3294 Posts |
Good idea! I am going to write to the UN to see if I can buy mining rights on 7 Iris. Bet I can get them for a song, and maybe they would be worth a lot to someone later.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3670 Posts |
Being an aerospace engineer is a most interesting field to say the least, an no doubt your insight is dead on accurate on this subject Nod. Right now there is no way to do it in a practical economical sense, I am just saying as smart is humans are, perhaps someone or group will figure out a way of getting it back cheaper then what we can right now in this point of time....
When humans really want to accomplish something, an the right minds an money all get on the same page, amazing things can occur that many would have not thought possible before....
Plus the chance to find the real rare metals, perhaps some so rare in the universe that they have not even found their way into our atmosphere in the Earths 4 billion or so years of existence....
Meaning who knows what we may find out there on those rocks, maybe something bigger then any element or metal.....
Edited by Silverhawk74
06/05/2012 6:33 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3670 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1454 Posts |
I see your point, Hawk. Never underestimate human ingenuity. Our neolithic ancestors built the pyramids before they discovered the wheel, a feat that probably was considered an insurmountable challenge by many cognoscenti at the time. I'd never denigrate anyone with a degree, I'm proud of my own, but scientists and engineers from the establishment have mocked and looked upon maverick inventors with disdain time and time again when presented with a concept that would create a paradigmatic shift, describing in great detail how some invention or other would be quite impossible... right up until the moment it's patented, mass produced, and marketed for public consumption.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3294 Posts |
True, and I will admit there is a lot I don't know with regards to the leading edge physics. Perhaps a great fuel source in space will be discovered which will greatly reduce costs, or we will get that cold fusion thing to work giving us a ton of near free electricity, and a coil gun launcher would become feasible on a massive scale.
Personally, I want the teleporters from Star Trek. Sure would make moving my washer and dryer to the basement a lot more convenient :)
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3670 Posts |
Amen Nod, how handy would the transporters be. Eliminate car wrecks an highways, as there would be no need to travel anymore via car, minus the enjoyment of it....
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1454 Posts |
Nod,
I'm watching the cold fusion debate with alacrity. The work with LENR, and even the e-Cat, would be an epic breakthrough that would change virtually everything if they ever come to fruition. Is there is anything substantial in the field? More intellectual men that myself will have to answer that.
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Valued Member
United States
425 Posts |
Quote: "At $14 a kilogram when spot value is a little over $7 seems to be a huge premium. Like paying $3000 for a krugerrand
Although they are awesome wouldnt copper pennies or scrap wire be a much cheaper way to invest in copper?"
I don't understand, paying double the spot price for copper because it is in a brick form? Please explain!
Earlier this year I asked what to do with some scrap copper I could pick up with some hard work involved. Mmerlinn gave me great advise. Stock pile copper until Easter, then the price will drop. Then wait a while and buy Silver when it drops.
So Mmerlinn, where is the bottom for Silver?
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Replies: 40 / Views: 5,870 |
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Posted 06/04/2012 10:23 pm
