Tenderlysharp

In regard to Darkreaver's responses about his art. If you haven't made art in 3 years, the question that seems relevant to me is 'Why haven't you been inspired to make work since these last pieces?' Your curiosity about rules of Aesthetics seems to be based more on an urge in you now to make art that has relevance to your current state of mind. You seem to be wondering where to go from the last place you left off. Do you think that Objectivist rules of Aesthetics will expand or confine your personal art style? In regard to We the Living In making art there is a power to influence the audience. It seems that Ayn made the decision to kill Kira with the full intention of causing pain in the reaction of the reader. Why? What was her ultimate intention in causing such a situation to happen in her story? Any Rand had no lack of controversy in her works. She understood that the intensity and contrast of repulsion had motive power to it. Such a shock to the system has staying power, affecting people on deeper levels. Taking the emotions on a ride like that will attach stronger memory connections to the point of the story. Putting the reader in mortal fear of their own ability to loose everything they value. The reaction against such a situation is shown strongly in DragonMaci's position. That feeling may be exactly what she wants you to feel, because she sees a value in making you feel so intensely. It depends on what you see as ultimate success. Is the happy ending of a Fictional story truly a success? It does not necessarily guarantee that the reader will be as determined to succeed in their own endeavors. If you know the hero will win from the beginning won't you question on some level if the hero was ever in any real danger at all? Just because your characters are guaranteed a happy ending doesn't mean that you are. You could die in a car crash tomorrow, or a terrorist bombing. In a way happy endings can offer a false sense of security. Ayn's own life was filled with real people who had succumbed to the death of their sense of life. She said that it was as close to an autobiography as she would ever come to writing. Kira's death can be seen as an homage to the tragedy of all of the people and potentials Ayn Rand saw perish first hand due to the circumstances of communism. It also symbolizes to me a reflection of what would have happened to Ayn if she hadn't escaped. Is Kira's death any less tragic than the death of Ayn's friends and family? Every day of Ayn's life seems to be a heroic claim to her sense of life, the very fact that she was able to publish her story from this side of the iron curtain is a testament to the success of the book. In a way she had to kill Kira, because she could never be that girl trapped in Russia again.

This is a great thread for the exploration of history, and new technology. I used to think space elevators were more science fiction, than actual science. It is interesting to me now to do some research online to see how practical they can become.

If the cost of space tourism were considered an investment rather than an indulgence it would bear more weight in the minds of potential ticket buyers. There are some objections to the term Space 'Tourism', as though it alludes to a superfluous experience. The Russian Space Agency has been successful in charging $20 million for personal flights, Virgin Galactic is beginning with $200,000 in 2009 and planning to bring the cost down to $100,000 in subsequent years. When Virgin Galactic's most likely competitors (including Rocketplane Kistler, Space Adventures, and Benson Space Company) jump into the fray prices should continue to drop. The influence of the view from space on the minds of those who are already reserving their tickets will depend on their personal beliefs. It has been described as an awe inspiring and consciousness expanding encounter by those who have experienced it. I believe such an experience has a lasting lifelong influence on the hearts and minds of individuals. Creatively it stands as a symbol of achievement and an expansion of the scope and possibility of existence. This kind of experience fuels a great deal of motive power in the lives of those who experience it, and also in the minds of those who can only imagine it. The kind of people who are willing and able to pay already understand (and profit) from the pull of attraction space travel offers. The future of private space travel depends on the duration of successful flights, with safe landings, to influence the number of willing participants.

I am interested in the current practical aspects of space travel. In order for a person to want to move into space, they have to believe space is where they will find the fulfillment of their values. It seems fantastical that less than 600 years ago humans thought it was impossible to cross the ocean. The journey was hard, and the survival rate precarious, but there was something worth risking. Europe wasn't entirely uninhabitable, but the idea was strong in every person on those boats that humanity was on its way to a better place. There is an inspired aerospace engineer named Robert Zubrin working to get us to Mars sooner. Here is a link where you can watch a trailer for a documentary based on his research. http://www.themarsunderground.com/ There is also a page about him on Wikipedia. The human mind seems to be attracted to having a spectacle, a sense of the 'larger than life' feeling that space seems to offer. Private enterprises could do well to analyze what elements attract people to space, and offer such things to the market place. http://www.virgingalactic.com/ is a good place to start. If a person could visit an observatory on the moon, or an orbiting space station it could give them a look at the universe that is impossible to see through our atmosphere. An entire space experience could be crafted around the visit, the way cruises and vacations are packaged. Lots of attention could be attracted if there were some kind of bio-dome up there for newly invented sports that were impossible to coordinate on earth's gravity, as well as some kind of creative gymnastic dance group like Cirque du Soleil to marvel at. Writers, inventors, engineers, and other celebrities could have special exhibitions of their works in space faring resorts. Maybe research can be conducted into possible health boons found in zero gravity, or surgeries that can only be accomplished there. A lot can be done here on earth to inspire future generations of scientists and investors. Planetarium shows are one example, which are often sadly disappointing, not living up to the entertainment standards of today's children. The life expectancy is getting longer with each generation. It may have a lot to do with higher standards of food and water, but I believe it has a great deal to do with quality the of inspiration and information available to us today, giving us more to live for, and a greater scope to live up to.