Right and I obviously didn't know this thanks for illustrating this new and exciting fact.
Obviously climbing a mountain is much more trivial then going to the moon. Additionally, climbing everest is now a really touristy activity that basically anyone can do... But this wasn't always the case. Everest use to be a huge unattainable challenge and finally reaching the summit was a historical achievement. Now summitting everest has been commercialized to the point where any man can do it. But the cultural artifact still exists in a way. It still holds the reputation of being a milestone for humanity... the difference now is for ONLY 50k you can achieve this milestone too! (tm)
Ultimately I wait for the day when tourism to the moon becomes so commercialized, disgusting, cheap and fake that someone literally comes to HN and asks the question:
What's the reward for going to another planet?
and to this I respond:
What's the reward for going to another star?
and some other snarky commenter says:
There is a significant difference in nearly every thinkable aspect between an astronaut conquering another star and a tourist going to visit some planet.
And I'll retort:
Right and I obviously didn't know this thanks for illustrating this new and exciting fact.
Obviously going to another planet is much more trivial then going to alpha centuari. Additionally, going to another planet is now a really touristy activity that basically anyone can do... But this wasn't always the case. Visiting other planets use to be a huge unattainable challenge and finally reaching another one was a historical achievement. Now going to another planet has been commercialized to the point where any man can do it. But the cultural artifact still exists in a way. It still holds the reputation of being a milestone for humanity... the difference now is for ONLY 50k you can achieve this milestone too! (tm)
Ultimately I wait for the day when light speed travel to other stars becomes so commercialized, disgusting, cheap and fake that someone literally comes to HN and asks the question:
> Right and I obviously didn't know this thanks for illustrating this new and exciting fact.
There is no reason to be that sarcastic, obviously we are talking about different things. You are talking about the historical achievement that climbing Mt. Everest was. I am not disputing that. What I am asking is whether there is any reward in climbing this mountain today.
If you didn't catch it... My answer is, yes. The historical significance of summiting Mt. Everest will never go away. That is in itself the reward. That's why people visit famous places and iconic landmarks for vacation. This will always overshadow some internet article criticizing it as a tourist trap.
Also See:
Great wall of china, Pyramids of Giza, etc, etc.
Those use to be the reasons the first summitters of everest use to give for their reasoning. But we both know, you can just send a probe. We both know that these are not the main reasons why we sent a man to the moon.
