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Astronomy Lesson :: Terraforming [ a brief introduction ]
The sun has long set and the light of the full moon is juxtaposed against the dotted canvas that is the night sky. Although the moon's glow is brilliant, one's eye cannot help but be drawn to a few other luminescent dots in the sky. Are they stars or planets? Only those that know how to distinguish between the two will be able to tell you that answer.
Stepping into the Astronomy classroom, you are hit with what feels like a brick wall of icy cold air that burns your face and causes your teeth to chatter. Rest assured that as cold as it may feel, there is no chance for you to get frostbite or catch a cold. As you make your way towards the semicircle of desks - the usual formation for Astronomy lessons to help create a more intimate setting - you may have to battle the occasional dust devil or terrestrial tornado along the way. These are relatively harmless and more of an annoyance than anything else as they carry NO risk of sweeping even the smallest of first years high into the air. Just be sure to hold on to your belongings. The air itself was tainted in unpleasant waves of stench reminiscent of someone setting off a series of dung bombs every few minutes. But perhaps the strangest of all is the manner in which you move about within the classroom. You feel much lighter on your feet and your usual steps cause you to lift higher up into the air than usual. Not too much that you will knock your head against the ceiling, but enough that you could potentially jump double your own height - perhaps even a little bit MORE than that if you really tried.
When you do finally arrive at your desk you find a little souvenir waiting for you. The blackboard, positioned across from the semicircle of desks, has the following instructions written upon it:
Quote:
The space blanket is yours to use should conditions prove to be too cold for you.
Take out a quill and write your FULL name and year on the piece of parchment provided.
Once you have done so, give it a tap with your wand.
The parchment, enchanted by the professor himself, will turn into a sturdy wood name plaque when you do so. Don’t worry, even the first years and those not skilled with magic will be able to manage this little trick.
Speaking of the professor, you can find him leaning against his desk with his trusty pet rock by his side, his own space blanket utilized in a peculiar but perhaps not unexpected manner and his own head protected by a Bubble Head Charm.
Did you remember to use the lint roller on the small table outside of the classroom? It was there next to the sign that reads, "Not to be used as a brush for your hair" and has the signature of a former student in the bottom right corner.
So come on in and find a seat, class will begin shortly.
⌦Lesson Progression
▸ question 1 :: why do we study astronomy?
▸ question 2 :: what can be done to make the classroom a more comfortable environment?
▸ question 3 :: should the human race terraform Mars? Why or why not?
▸ main activity :: "SPACE GLOBIALS"
Class will officially begin in approximately 14 hours from the time of this post.
This lesson has officially started! Please do not announce your character arriving late and just pretend like they have been in class all along. You are free to jump in any time and should use the lesson progression links to keep up.
~ Mrs. Steve Harrington ~ It be like that sometimes.
Rachel looked over at Haddie once more as the temperature dipped. She was relieved (and was sure her best friend was as well) that Professor Flamsteed had graciously done this as well as get rid of that horrible odor and the mini tornado- like things. The girl removed her blanket then folded it neatly to put on the edge of her desk.
Quill poised to take notes, Rachel listened attentively to their Professor. Yes, she had read a few articles about hopes of making Mars habitable for humans. "I think we should continue trying to make it habitable for humans,'' she offered, her right hand in the air. "Even if we may not be able to experience living there, future generations most certainly could.'' Her brown eyes fixed on the Gryffindor boy (was he an unruly one as well? Torrance) with interest. Plants on Mars? Wow. She looked to Flamsteed for confirmation or denial on this subject.
Haddie sighed in relief as the temperature rose. And that the smell, and gravity and tornado thing had also been fixed. But mostly that the cold was, because the cold was unbearable, to the point it made the rest less noticeable. But now that the Teach had explained it was part of the lesson, she had to admit it was pretty clever.
Shrugging off the first of her blankets -but not the second just yet- Haddie piped up. "But what about the lack of a strong magnetic field to protect the planet and keep an atmosphere? Isn't Mars' core, like, solid and no longer producing a field strong enough to protect it from the sun's radiation, and that's why its atmosphere burned away so long ago?" How did terraforming fix that?
How did she know that? Oh right, the 17 hours of space documentaries her parents made her watch as punishment for the Griffith Park field trip thing. She glanced at Rachel and shrugged.
Hiss!Roar!Growl!Caw! | Hermione's Double | The Little Three | Alecate
Text Cut: sweetpinkpixie
Quote:
Originally Posted by sweetpinkpixie
"In theory, what you all just did now with your suggestions is precisely what planetary engineering is all about. More specifically, what terraforming is - the science of transforming a planet to support human life. I simply took a few liberties with the simulation to ensure that no one was at any real risk." Because, as he had already confirmed, he was NOT in fact trying to kill anyone. Simply illustrate a fact or two. "The term itself was first coined in science fiction back in 1942 in a story written by Jack Williamson, but has since then gained momentum in the scientific community. So much so that NASA has held various terraforming conferences and debates over the last century. Of the eight planets in our solar system, Mars is thought to be the most likely candidate to be turned into another Earth and, in fact, the methodology necessary to do so may humanity's technological capabilities. However, as is explained on page 579 of your textbook, there are some very large obstacles in the way of achieving this." He paused for a moment to move back to the middle of the semi circle of desks. "The process would take centuries to achieve and we only saw out first manned orbit to Mars in the early 2040's, so even before a plan could be put in place there is a dispute among scientific minds as to whether or not we, the human race, should terraform Mars at all. What are your thoughts on the subject? Colonization, terraforming, or none of the above? You may refer to your textbooks for further information should the need arise."
There was no right or wrong answer, he was merely curious what the future generation felt when approached with this topic.
So her answer wasn't ALL the way correct, but it wasn't wrong either. Ariadne was starting to think Astronomy might be one of her toughest subjects. You had to REALLY think outside the box in this class, and that was pretty hard if you hadn't been in space and seen things for yourself. This was only her first year and her first class, though. She still had time! The good news is that the smell and the freezing cold temperature had been charmed back to normal. Maybe THAT would wake up her brain cells!
Terraforming. Ariadne had never even heard the term before. Either way, the professor sure liked to talk! She got the gist of things, though, AND she had an idea! It was an open debate, but she raised her hand anyway. "But we still haven't figured out if there really is life on other planets or not. What if there really is? And what if the ones who live there need a certain temperature to survive?" she pointed out. "We could be wiping out this whole different civilization that we don't even know about."
BUT...if there really was no other living beings on any other planets, then yeah. She was game for whatever. It WOULD make a really long spaceship ride to go visit relatives on other planets, though.
curly haired prefect - "sometimes I get angry!" - 30/90 - *chicken emoji* - probably @ Disney - I speak dog
Hmmm, did she really want to have humans on MARS? Scarlett's first answer was no. She had read enough history books to know that just from humans taking land on THIS planet that wasn't theirs, problems almost always ensued. She could hardly imagine if they took a PLANET.
She raised her hand. "I don't like it, Professor. It's not ours to take - we should focus on taking care of our own planet here before we think about trying to take over another. We can't just go around messing up the ecosystem in any planet we feel like!" she told him. If they were going to have too many people for this Earth to take care of, well, they should make a space station or something. Not just glob onto the next hospitable thing.
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Lookin' like a true survivor_________________________________feelin' like a little kid
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Moving to Mars? Wow. That sounded cool though....
But she didn't think it was a good idea. Wasn't that Earth such a perfect place for human? "I dunno, Professor. Part of me said that it's gonna be cool if we could move to Mars. But my twin brother said that the Earth is a perfect place since it's not too far or too close to the sun." Because, if they lived too close to the sun, they're gonna die of melting or burning. But if they lived too far, they're gonna die of hypothermia.
She wanted to bring the water issue but.. Hey, wizards can conjure water from their wand!
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a real experience with the friendliest people around you.
Mel listened to what everyone was saying and raised her little eyebrows as she heard what they were doing….teraforming? That sounded AMAZING! Looking around at the other students she just huffed and continued breathing the smelly air…raising her hand she looked around.
“The one thing I’m really curious about is that we know our magical abilities work on earth – would they work on a newly teraformed planet? Is at all possibly that our abilities are directly related to the magnetosphere here on earth and the liquid metal core?” She asked as she had just looked up the words in her textbook. “If it does work I’d say it could be an interesting experiment but I would say developing Mars and colonizing it we should at least try and do so in as much of an energy conscious way as possible…we don’t want to rip a hole in their ozone layer do we?” She asked cautiously.
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IF YOU MAKE HER ____________
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Even thought Flamsteed did not take Olly up on his offer to light a fire, he was pleased that the man did raise the temperature of the room. Olly was able to un-burrito himself from his blanket and set it on the top of his desk in front of him. "Professor, can I keep this blanket?" Or...all of them? They seemed like they would be good blankets to make a fort out of.
As for the information, Olly tried his best to pay attention. He did not, in fact, open his book. Because what was the point of reading some information if Flamsteed was just going to talk about it? As for the question, he had to think about it for a bit before answering. "Personally, I don't really want to go to Mars. But if other people want to, uh, terrerform it, I guess they should be able to as long as they do it in a way that is not harmful to the planetary environment." Like Global warming. Given the chance, they should not go and destroy every planet in the solar system.
Well, one thing Hugo could definitely appreciate right now would be his bed because the cold only made him want to be asleep. This time he didn't raised his hand and just listened what the others had to say.
Next, Flamsteed started explaining terraforming. He wrote down that word because he has never heard of it before. Maybe he could impress someone with a extended vocabulary. Ehem. Hugo thought for a bit about the question the professor just said. He raised his hand, "It would be awesome to live somewhere else that isn't the earth but I don't know, it's kind of hard to picture another "earth". It would take years to have everything we have here, in Mars" made sense, right? Yes.
♥s her SS family l Wifey is MINE | Naughty Niffler l Whittysaur l #awkwardturtle<#
Aaaah, much better...
As the temperature of the classroom returned to normal, Esme discarded the space blanket. If she kept it on she would begin to feel a little TOO warm for her tastes.
Professor Flamsteed was starting to sound pretty long-winded and that was a shame because up until this point she had been able to follow everything that he was saying. Frown. She would just open her textbook to the page that he had indicated and see if it made more sense to her...
Okay.
Terraforming Mars...
She bit her lip and thought about the matter before raising her hand. "I think it's worth a shot. I mean if we can help another planet to support life why not go for it! With all the crap humanity is doing to the Earth we would have somewhere else to go and a fresh start. If we don't get our act together and fix our planet, that is." Just saying. Fixing Earth was the most important thing.
Samantha was quite happy when the professor started to fix all the things that were wrong with the room. She no longer felt like an ice lolly, and it no longer smelled bad. And apparently it wasn't the boys, which was quite a surprise. She was also glad that he left the extra bouncyness in the room.
Oh, terraforming? She was pretty sure they had talked about in in one of those space movies that Em liked to watch. She was pretty sure it wasn't Star Wars, but maybe one of the other ones? Maybe it was the one with the space cowboys, or the one with the pointy eared b... er aliens. But there was something else she had seen. "Oh, OH!" She said excitedly and waived her hand in the air, which caused her to move a bit in her seat, thanks to gravity. "Professor, I think its a bad idea." She nodded emphatically. "At least for Mars. I saw this really old video, documentary thing that had to be from when you said they went to Mars, and almost all the people died. The water was poison, well not poison, but it turned the people into these space monsters. It was really bad, just touching the water caused people to be monsters. And like Torrance said, they grew plants, but eating the plants caused it too." She continued to nod. Yep, she knew what she was talking about. It paid off to have a sister who liked space things. This class was going to be easy.
__________________
So many things are possible
just as long as you don't know they're impossible
dream until your • dreams come true ~ Human pygmy puff
Janelle listened as her classmates shared their thoughts. It was interesting to see which student focused on which issue. Personally, she found the cold to be the most unbearable problem, but clearly that was not true for everyone.
As Professor Flamsteed began to speak again, Janelle paid close attention. She knew that a question would be coming soon. When he made the room start to feel more normal, she was relieved. She eventually took of her space blanket, once she started to warm up again. And then the question. It was an interesting one and at first Janelle wasn't sure what she thought. After a moment, her thoughts became more clear and she raised hand to give her opinion.
"I think that studying Mars is a good thing. It is important to learn all that we can about the planet. Maybe that knowledge can help us deal with things here on Earth. But........I'm not so sure that terraforming is the way to go. Who's to say that we have the right to change the way things are on a planet that is not our own? And do we really need to live there? Studying, yes. Terraforming and colonizing? I don't think so."
__________________
Days of Potter 2023:___________________________ Which Bertie Botts Flavour Are You? You are Salt!
½ EagleBrain ♥ Creeperdoodle ♥ Raven Dor ♥ Berry ♥ ½ Team House Elf
One of the things he disliked about Astronomy, was the way in which Professor Flamsteed harped on about things with scientific terms as if he was supposed to understand it. He didn't. Dates and things just went straight in one ear, and out the other. The only thing he managed to take away from what was being said, was something about living on Mars.
Terraforming.
Huh.
Things.
As it was, he actually DID have an opinion on the matter, and so he raised his hand to share his nugget of wisdom with the class. "I think it's best if humans look and don't touch. We've ruined the Earth in many ways, so we shouldn't have the right to do the same to another planet. We should leave things as they are, in their natural state." Like forests. Wild, natural forests. Weren't they glorious? The ones without paths or rows of neatly planted trees. Mmm. He thought so.
"In theory, what you all just did now with your suggestions is precisely what planetary engineering is all about. More specifically, what terraforming is - the science of transforming a planet to support human life. I simply took a few liberties with the simulation to ensure that no one was at any real risk." Because, as he had already confirmed, he was NOT in fact trying to kill anyone. Simply illustrate a fact or two. "The term itself was first coined in science fiction back in 1942 in a story written by Jack Williamson, but has since then gained momentum in the scientific community. So much so that NASA has held various terraforming conferences and debates over the last century. Of the eight planets in our solar system, Mars is thought to be the most likely candidate to be turned into another Earth and, in fact, the methodology necessary to do so may humanity's technological capabilities. However, as is explained on page 579 of your textbook, there are some very large obstacles in the way of achieving this." He paused for a moment to move back to the middle of the semi circle of desks. "The process would take centuries to achieve and we only saw out first manned orbit to Mars in the early 2040's, so even before a plan could be put in place there is a dispute among scientific minds as to whether or not we, the human race, should terraform Mars at all. What are your thoughts on the subject? Colonization, terraforming, or none of the above? You may refer to your textbooks for further information should the need arise."
Whoa that was kind of a lot of information. Ollie jotted it all down...mostly...y'know, key notes, like, 'Airey is mean sometimes' and 'Bet Martians are brown nosers.' Nothing too terribly informational.
Now that the next question was asked, however, Oliver decided maybe he could answer this one with a good answer. And then he could win 100 POINTS FOR SLYTHERIN. Or just one. One would be cool too........ Really he'd be fine if the whole brown nosing thing never came up again. Yup.
The boy looked at his useless notes and tried to think about everything the professor had just said. The only thing he came up with was pretty basic...but definitely good enough for him.
Raising his hand, Ollie said, "Why can't we just stay on Earth? I know it's dying and all, but that doesn't mean we should go off and kill another planet. That's stupid." What were they gonna do? Move down the line of planets and end up on Pluto and actually consider it a planet again? Because Ollie highly doubted Pluto would gladly let them live on it. Plus it was small and cold. "I think we all need to figure out how to fix Earth and the atmosphere and stuff and maybe once we do that, we can consider moving to Mars....if it's necessary." But, like, it wouldn't be because they'd have Earth, so...yeah.
Gaze flickering back to Airey Flamsteed, Daxton narrowed his eyes in what might have been an unmistakable glare to anyone who knew him well enough - admittedly, that list was very short.
Soon it became clear that the smell was gone, but Daxton was reluctant to leave the safety of the untainted air, however warm, inside the blanket. Problem was that soon the classroom was no longer cold, and after barely any time at all it was far too warm. Daxton so much preferred the cold, and adjusting back to room temperature was, frankly, horrible. He wrestled with the space blanket all bunched on on his lap and over his face, now an oppressive hindrance, and flung it impatiently off to the side, finally breathing the moderately fresher air.
After that point, Daxton merely sat silently, elbow on the desk and head propped up by his hand. While his classmates offered ideas and opinions about terraforming, he whiled away the minutes and sudden surge of boredom by writing his own thoughts in his notebook, using a writing system he had made up, the key to which could only be found in his head, so nobody could go snooping and read it. As for his thoughts, they were mainly disdainful. Humanity was disgusting, and generally undesirable. If Daxton really was a part of the human race, and there was a chance, he resented it all the more. The thought of humans colonising Mars - colonising anywhere in space, space which Daxton had personally and privately claimed as belonging to him, and him alone - was terrifying. First Mars. Then the next planet. Sooner or later, humankind would be sprawled across the galaxy, then taking over and polluting the entire universe with its very existence. It was not destroying the planets that Daxton cared so much about, but his general detestation of humans in general, and his desire to keep them contained and well away from the wonder that was the universe. His universe.
After writing a full page of neat and perfectly scripted but unintelligible (to anyone but himself) words, Daxton stopped and set down his pen. He gave it a gentle nudge, then another, making it spin round and round on the desk as his eyes tracked its progress, brain ticking away all the while. It may have looked to anyone as though he was thinking deeply about the matter at hand, but he was not, because he had formed his thoughts on the matter long before now. No, Daxton was not thinking about terraforming, but of what Airey Flamsteed had said about how they would soon be utilising the gravity issues in the classroom. That did not sound like an activity Daxton would find fun, and so he was thinking on whether or not it might be time to feign some kind of physical ailment to get out of the classroom.
__________________
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Tia nodded politely at the congratulations about the badge, but then went off into her note-taking frenzy. Well for the first question it was more just listening and observing because she knew why Astronomy was taught from first year, she just wanted to see what others had to say on the subject.
Then Flamsteed went off to discuss the climate in the room and making it more comfortable. She had to refrain from laughing at David Truebridge, suggesting to take away the professor's wand, since it was obviously magic. But as the lesson continued on, Tia realized something. The freezing conditions in here were on purpose; they were supposed to be reminiscent of the climate on Mars. At least that what Tia assumed by the climate; he was engineering the classroom to be similar to that of the neighboring planet.
Tia raised her hand, after hearing much of the class wishing to colonize Mars, "I don't think we should be colonizing Mars, because while it is fascinating to learn about the climates of other planets, if we were meant to be elsewhere besides Earth, then don't you think we'd already be there? Humans, whether magical or mundane, require certain things in order to be sustained and if Mars doesn't provide those basic necessities, then we shouldn't be messing with Mother Nature's intentions and changing the atmospheric pressures and levels because it changes not just the pressures of that area, but surrounding areas, potentially making Earth inhabitable."
__________________
___________________You should take your littlefinger and just point it in the mirror. ________________________________________Baby, maybe you're the problem✯
"STELLAR," he exclaimed, bending at the knees as though he were about to leap upon the Slytherin's desk. He, however, ceased his movements right there as he recalled just HOW much it would project him into the air and right now simply was not the time for that. That would come later. Heh. "Take 5 points for your response, Miss Valke."
------------------------------
"Now, I can't help but notice you are all experiencing mild discomfort," he mused with a cheeky little grin. He was quite content over here with his Bubble Head Charm and space blanket suit. Heh. "Are the conditions in the classroom not hospitable? How could conditions in the classroom be adjusted to make it a more comfortable environment? Please only say one thing each."
When she heard STELLAR aimed at her and watched the suited professors motions, she was honestly afraid that he was going to jump in her direction. Oh no, please don't. He might send George the rock flying....she would just jump into Henric's seat for protection. Sorry George. Thankfully, he stopped his weird movement and.................gave her 5 points? Yay! Her last point experiences had been their removal for being.....well a form of rebellious she supposed....if that is really what you wanted to call it. At least her studying had paid off!
As for the question.....well.....she heard all of the answers that she would have given so she sat still and listened.
SPOILER!!: Henric
Quote:
Originally Posted by Symphora
Henric blinked in amazement. Woah....woaaah! Where were all of her new found confidence came from?! Her answers were...absolutely spectacular! She even got herself five points from Admiral Flamsteed too! As expected of bis brilliant girlfriend, way to go llia and gave her two thumbs up. His teeth was chattering now, his blanket pulled over his head for extra coverage. He was too cold to answer the first question.*sigh*
Henric raised his hands,"Admiral s-sir...is it possible if we c-could just let the sunrays come in...a little heat generated w-would be nice too," he suggested as he tried to stop his mouth from shivering. Naturally, the side of his body leaned closer to llia. Hehe. Prince George, her petrock seemed to relish the comfort of the warm blanket. Eyeing her rock a little, he pulled his blanket closer to his body even more.
Ilia caught the thumbs up he gave her and smiled a bit. She liked when he was proud of her after all. Henric leaned closer in her direction and did her best not to grin. She was in class , no pda on school grounds....all that stuff. As for his shivering though, she plucked her pet rock off of the blanket package and set him in her robes. The now unoccupied blanket she unfolded and set on her boyfriend. There! She didn't think it would do all that much, but hey it was worth a shot. Hailing from the north, England normally felt warm to her, so this temperature just reminded her of winter in Norway. The smell of the room was offending her far more than the cold was. Would someone get that gas under control already?
SPOILER!!: Professor
Quote:
Originally Posted by sweetpinkpixie
[FONT="Georgia]
"In theory, what you all just did now with your suggestions is precisely what planetary engineering is all about. More specifically, what terraforming is - the science of transforming a planet to support human life. I simply took a few liberties with the simulation to ensure that no one was at any real risk." Because, as he had already confirmed, he was NOT in fact trying to kill anyone. Simply illustrate a fact or two. "The term itself was first coined in science fiction back in 1942 in a story written by Jack Williamson, but has since then gained momentum in the scientific community. So much so that NASA has held various terraforming conferences and debates over the last century. Of the eight planets in our solar system, Mars is thought to be the most likely candidate to be turned into another Earth and, in fact, the methodology necessary to do so may humanity's technological capabilities. However, as is explained on page 579 of your textbook, there are some very large obstacles in the way of achieving this." He paused for a moment to move back to the middle of the semi circle of desks. "The process would take centuries to achieve and we only saw out first manned orbit to Mars in the early 2040's, so even before a plan could be put in place there is a dispute among scientific minds as to whether or not we, the human race, should terraform Mars at all. What are your thoughts on the subject? Colonization, terraforming, or none of the above? You may refer to your textbooks for further information should the need arise."
There was no right or wrong answer, he was merely curious what the future generation felt when approached with this topic.
OOC: this will be the final question before we get into the main activity. Please feel free to engage with each other and debate, you do not need to wait for me to post again. Instructions for the main activity will be posted approximately 20 hours from the time of this post.
Early 2040's is an arbitrary time period I selected as "in theory" such a mission MAY be possible by the 2030's according to current predictions. I've just fluffed a bit
[/FONT]
Her thoughts were answered as she felt the room grow warmer, the stench subsided, and the little dust tornados died down. Much more pleasant........and now hopefully Henric wouldn't be chattering his sentences. As for his question , she mused it over. Ilia was not familiar with muggle science fiction other than what Henric had shown her and was rather in the dark about it. She knew that there was 'War Stars' or something like that, and 'Star Trekking' but what it was actually all about other than the random episodes she had seen, she didn't have much of a clue. Although he threatened to change her ignorance of it come summer.
The entire idea of completely changing another world and subduing it though........"I don't think I would believe it to be right to deform and subdue another planet to our whims. There is nothing wrong with the one we have, other than we need to try and fix what past generations have blindly broken. Mars is what it is, why does it need changed to suit us? We do not need to allow our population to expand so far that we must change other worlds simply to support our species. There is potentially so much to study, why should we destroy that by attempting to change it rather than understand it?" The sixteen year old supposed she felt that way about more than just 'terraforming' another planet but, it was certainly how she felt.
She went silent and leaned more towards Henric as she watched. No need to run her mouth more and lose the points that she had just won back.
Professor Pink | Mrs. Bruce Wayne | I'm on a Goat | Glitterpuff | Dumbledore's Defense Squad | BHB
Quote:
Originally Posted by sweetpinkpixie
................Ravenclaws.
Sweet solstice.
Clearing his throat at the first part of Mr. David's answer, the astronomer DID take the latter half into consideration and looked over in the direction the second year indicated...
"Not to worry, Mr. David. What goes up must come down," he mused. After all, gravity in the classroom was still very much present. Just at one third capacity as per usual.
Still, to be absolutely sure, he did bound over and grab Miss Kettleburn by the leg to gently drag her back down to her seat.
Well, good. Char would be returning to her seat now safely. Why did Davie feel like he always had to look out for the Kettleburns' safety? Silly Gryffindors. He smiled kindly, approvingly almost at the professor, even though the man hadn't made any couches appear. Hmmph. Maybe he was more of an ottoman and armchair kind of guy...
Quote:
Originally Posted by sweetpinkpixie
Which really was the perfect lead in to the next portion of the lesson.
"In theory, what you all just did now with your suggestions is precisely what planetary engineering is all about. More specifically, what terraforming is - the science of transforming a planet to support human life. I simply took a few liberties with the simulation to ensure that no one was at any real risk." Because, as he had already confirmed, he was NOT in fact trying to kill anyone. Simply illustrate a fact or two. "The term itself was first coined in science fiction back in 1942 in a story written by Jack Williamson, but has since then gained momentum in the scientific community. So much so that NASA has held various terraforming conferences and debates over the last century. Of the eight planets in our solar system, Mars is thought to be the most likely candidate to be turned into another Earth and, in fact, the methodology necessary to do so may humanity's technological capabilities. However, as is explained on page 579 of your textbook, there are some very large obstacles in the way of achieving this." He paused for a moment to move back to the middle of the semi circle of desks. "The process would take centuries to achieve and we only saw out first manned orbit to Mars in the early 2040's, so even before a plan could be put in place there is a dispute among scientific minds as to whether or not we, the human race, should terraform Mars at all. What are your thoughts on the subject? Colonization, terraforming, or none of the above? You may refer to your textbooks for further information should the need arise."
There was no right or wrong answer, he was merely curious what the future generation felt when approached with this topic.
Still, terraforming? Was that what this was really about? Fascinating stuff, but debatable stuff to be sure.
"I have to say, we should NOT waste valuable time, energy, and resources in ruining another planet. Terraforming is a highly unethical process, particularly since so much of the universe is still unknown to us." They had all just used the unknown to answer Airey's first question in class, after all. "I think that time and energy and galleons should be used to save this planet, or to find a healthier way for humankind to survive." What about living IN SPACE? LITERALLY? IN SPACE? WITH SNAILS AND SPACE HELMETS?
Davie tapped his chin, a new gesture he'd started to make him appear wise beyond his twelve years. "Can I ask how wizards factor into one's plans for or against terraforming, sir? Will we be using magic to transform the surface of the classroom the way you made it look like Mars up in here?" Oops, spoilers, sweetie???
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yeah, there's one thing about me that you should know________________________________ __________________________________________that I can't help from speaking my mind
The professor had heard him! Jaemin looked at him, a little wide-eyed as the classroom warmed up and stopped being stinky. How was his hearing so good when he did that sonic screamy thingy? Surely the downside of that would be deafening himself a bit... but apparently not. Jaemin made a note to never mumble things in this professor's presence... he'd still hear them.
He wondered if the man could hear thoughts, too. Maybe if he thought loud enough... he'd have to test that out some other time though. Right now, there was class stuff to think about.
Oh. Oh wait. Noooooope. Nope. Jaemin shook his head a bit at the next question, letting the blanket drop from his face but not unwrapping himself. It was nice and cozy in his little blanket burrito.
"Doing experiments and stuff in a little tiny part of Mars might be okay..." a little plant plot, you know? "But turrfur-" waaaaaait for it, he'd get there "-er, terr-a-forming Mars might hurt it... we don't know how all its stuff works, right? If we change stuff for humans, it might throw off the um... the system thingy. It's not like Earth, and we know how Earth works but we still messed it all up."
"Sure why not? As long as there aren't aliens living there, why not?" But Kitty had another question for Professor Flamsteed. "Is it possible to terra form Mars? I mean, is that something the Ministry of Magic is thinking about doing?" Also, did the Ministry of Magic ever send spaceships out into outer space? Kitty knew the Muggles did it, but she didn't know about the wizarding world.
Made of Awesome | Ern-la the Best-wa | TZ's Apogee
Planetary engineering? Muggle stuff, to be sure, and hard scientific Muggle stuff. Did the professor think they were all Ravenclaws or something? Dot tucked her blanket across her lap now that the classroom was warming up, letting the shiny side distract her from being overly cross with the professor. It was just a conversation topic. He was just doing his best and hadn't yelled at anyone yet.
So she was willing to play along. Dot raised her hand. "What gives us the right to colonize at all? If we can't take care of our own planet, why should we be allowed to go plowing through the galaxy mucking up other planets? Mars isn't broken. It's probably lovely and perfect as it is. All of time and space conspired to make it that dusty, cold, whirlwindy red dot in our sky. I don't think it's very fair of us to think we're better than all of time and space. We can't even compost properly most of the time."
Then, with a small flick of his wand, the enchantments in place to make the room feel like an invisible snow storm was in place were removed. Gradually, the temperature began to rise and soon the blankets were no longer necessary.
--------------
Nodding his head, the professor gave another flick of the wand to banish the horrendous odor that had plagued the classroom until that moment.
--------------
"Consider them gone," he chuckled, giving the room another wave of his wand to make it so.
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"ALMOST!" he declared with some more of his infamous dramatic pointing towards the young man whose answer he just so happened to have heard as he made his way around the semicircle of desks. "But not Neptune. Mars."
Which really was the perfect lead in to the next portion of the lesson.
"In theory, what you all just did now with your suggestions is precisely what planetary engineering is all about. More specifically, what terraforming is - the science of transforming a planet to support human life. I simply took a few liberties with the simulation to ensure that no one was at any real risk." Because, as he had already confirmed, he was NOT in fact trying to kill anyone. Simply illustrate a fact or two. "The term itself was first coined in science fiction back in 1942 in a story written by Jack Williamson, but has since then gained momentum in the scientific community. So much so that NASA has held various terraforming conferences and debates over the last century. Of the eight planets in our solar system, Mars is thought to be the most likely candidate to be turned into another Earth and, in fact, the methodology necessary to do so may humanity's technological capabilities. However, as is explained on page 579 of your textbook, there are some very large obstacles in the way of achieving this." He paused for a moment to move back to the middle of the semi circle of desks. "The process would take centuries to achieve and we only saw out first manned orbit to Mars in the early 2040's, so even before a plan could be put in place there is a dispute among scientific minds as to whether or not we, the human race, should terraform Mars at all. What are your thoughts on the subject? Colonization, terraforming, or none of the above? You may refer to your textbooks for further information should the need arise."
There was no right or wrong answer, he was merely curious what the future generation felt when approached with this topic.
When Airey relaxed the enchantments and took away the freezing cold temperatures, the odor, and the dust devils, Callum was hesitant, but he eventually unwrapped himself from his space blanket cocoon and let it drape over the back of his chair instead. It was nice to be able to breathe clearly again, even though he had gotten slightly accustomed to the smell before, but it was much better this way. He was listening carefully and observing his classmates with his big blue eyes filled with curiosity until one particular statement that came out of Airey's mouth made him freeze.
Not Neptune. Mars.
Mars.
Just like he had speculated.
A smile taking over his features, Callum sat back in his chair, grinning away in a mixture of smugness and satisfaction, and he wanted to SHOUT FROM THE ROOFTOPS of his cleverness - well, no, okay, he did not care for such an outburst, but he wanted the professor to know. Or... well... maybe it had been obvious to everyone else except the one student who thought it was Neptune, but he had identified the simulated atmosphere right, and he was only a first year in his very first astronomy class at Hogwarts! And as much as Callum wanted Airey to know this, the opportunity clearly did not present itself for him to share, so he merely sat in his chair, looking like he might burst from it with elation.
The topic at hand was also an interesting one, but Callum had nothing to offer to it. He was just grinning away puppy-like, looking far too happy with himself and to be in this class. Was this what the whole year was going to be like? Was this what all seven years were going to be like? So much to learn, so much hands-on fun, so much... everything he always dreamed it would be?
He was overwhelmed. There was so much cool science, so many cool discussions going on, and he just... wanted to metaphorically give it all a hug. He loved this. All of this.
Ability is nothing without Opportunity | | Creativity is Intelligence having FUN
Oh so the Astro tower isnt always like this? Well scratch this off the gnarly classroom list.
Tenacius started to ease up as the Professor started making the classroom habitable again. He flipped the pages on his textbook but turned his head up sharply on the word Terraforming. He gave a whoop showing his approval, but then his besties pointed out a few very crucial things.
"I think potatoes can grow on Mars…" he added to what Tory said."So at least we can always have french fries and hash browns." he beamned. "But yeah something about Martian water is funky, other than the fact that its hard to find. But yeah like what Mel said-- how do we know if our magic can work there? Moving stuff around is easy with magic, but have you seen Muggles trying to move a couch? Its hilarious! But what if we're just like that on Mars? We'd be just like the Muggles-- worse even, since we're not used to doing things without magic."
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++Tenacius ++🐦++ Salander++🐦++ Deo ++🐦++ Vickers ++🐦++ Huxley ++🐦+ Aquila++ Yeah thats what crazy is, when its broken you say theres nothing to fix++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++And you pray that everything will be okay, while you're making all the same mistakes
Wizarding World RPG Admin Minister for Magic Alley Proprietor
Leprechaun
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: The Paths
Posts: 40,270
Hogwarts RPG Name: Briallen Ashburry-Hawthorne
Gryffindor
Second Year
Hogwarts RPG Name: Nyle Harden
Hufflepuff
Third Year
Hogwarts RPG Name: Iris Harden
Ravenclaw
Third Year
Hogwarts RPG Name: Calliope Barrington
Slytherin
Second Year
Hogwarts RPG Name: Diamond Marchbanks
Gryffindor
Seventh Year
Ministry Department Head:
Charles Hollingberry
Minister's Office
Ministry Department Head:
Airey Flamsteed
Mysteries
Diagon Alley Proprietor:
Zachaël Lufkin
Owl Post
x12 x12
astronomizzle ♧ gryffinDORK | & the rest is drag ♣ #badluckDerf
Quote:
Originally Posted by Roselyn
... "We should totally do it!" he said after eagerly thrusting his hand into the air. "My gram says there are too many people on earth, so we should totally go live on Mars. Leg room and all that. Personal space boundaries."Space boundaries. Getit? "Unless, Mars has already been claimed by... someone else..."
Or something else.
Aliens existed. Totally.
"So, you would argue that 'more leg room' is reason enough?" Airey questioned the boy, his tone uncomfortably neutral.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SpiritWolfe Malfoy
... "I think it's at least worth testing out. If we're able to fully live there without any major faults from the land then it should at least be given a chance" she answered, hand raised into the air. Surely many many things would have to be tested a number of times and it would likely be a very long time before this could ever happen but why shouldn't it?
"Given a chance," he nodded slowly. Seemed the Slytherin agreed with feeding humanity's curiosity. Intriguing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Meizzner
...
"It sounds cool but like you said we would be dead by the time anything is achieved. But why not. If scientists can make Mars habitable to humans then why not at least try"
He would not be alive to see the results.
As did Mr. Barrington, it seemed. Airey merely nodded his head towards the Slytherin and moved on to the next hand in silence.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DJ ExpelliarMOOSE
... "Didn't some Astronaut grow plants on Mars though?" Yeah, wasn't there like an old documentary about it...or a movie based on a true story about a book that it came from?
"Seeing as we have yet to land on Mars, no astronaut has grown anything on the planet itself," he corrected the first year. "However, plants have been successfully grown, harvested, and consumed in space for quiet some time now. The first officially consumed plants, however, were not until August 2015 as all previous specimens were sent back to Earth for examination. Red romaine lettuce, for the record."
Something to think about when they sat down to their next meal and saw the very same lettuce on their plates. He would see to it that the house elves included it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by FearlessLeader19
... "I think we should continue trying to make it habitable for humans,'' she offered, her right hand in the air. "Even if we may not be able to experience living there, future generations most certainly could.'' Her brown eyes fixed on the Gryffindor boy (was he an unruly one as well? Torrance) with interest. Plants on Mars? Wow. She looked to Flamsteed for confirmation or denial on this subject.
"That is certainly one argument," he nodded to the first year. "Future generations."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Callie
...
Shrugging off the first of her blankets -but not the second just yet- Haddie piped up. "But what about the lack of a strong magnetic field to protect the planet and keep an atmosphere? Isn't Mars' core, like, solid and no longer producing a field strong enough to protect it from the sun's radiation, and that's why its atmosphere burned away so long ago?" How did terraforming fix that?
...
"Precisely," he nodded, with some dramatic pointing...naturally. "That is one of the daunting problems as we as a race do not know how to do that yet. It is theorized that if we were able to liquefy Mars' core then that would then create a magnetosphere in the same manner the Earth's core does by all those liquid metals sloshing around as the planet rotates. So, if you or anyone else has any suggestions for that...be sure to let NASA know. Excellent inquiry, Miss Denaker. Take 3 points."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Anna Banana
... "But we still haven't figured out if there really is life on other planets or not. What if there really is? And what if the ones who live there need a certain temperature to survive?" she pointed out. "We could be wiping out this whole different civilization that we don't even know about."
...
"You have touched on a topic that many against any sort of terraforming movement stand upon," he nodded to the first year. "And life on the red planet is still something we are seeking confirmation of."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lissy Longbottom
...
She raised her hand. "I don't like it, Professor. It's not ours to take - we should focus on taking care of our own planet here before we think about trying to take over another. We can't just go around messing up the ecosystem in any planet we feel like!" she told him. If they were going to have too many people for this Earth to take care of, well, they should make a space station or something. Not just glob onto the next hospitable thing.
That was....an incredibly Hufflepuff answer. Which really should not have FOUND surprising considering that it WAS coming from a Hufflepuff.
And yet he chuckled.
And moved on.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RandomRaven
...
But she didn't think it was a good idea. Wasn't that Earth such a perfect place for human? "I dunno, Professor. Part of me said that it's gonna be cool if we could move to Mars. But my twin brother said that the Earth is a perfect place since it's not too far or too close to the sun." Because, if they lived too close to the sun, they're gonna die of melting or burning. But if they lived too far, they're gonna die of hypothermia.
...
"Valid points to consider, Miss Burton," he nodded, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with her stance on the matter.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Optimist
...
“The one thing I’m really curious about is that we know our magical abilities work on earth – would they work on a newly teraformed planet? Is at all possibly that our abilities are directly related to the magnetosphere here on earth and the liquid metal core?” She asked as she had just looked up the words in her textbook. “If it does work I’d say it could be an interesting experiment but I would say developing Mars and colonizing it we should at least try and do so in as much of an energy conscious way as possible…we don’t want to rip a hole in their ozone layer do we?” She asked cautiously.
The professor was very impressed with the first year's intuition and his brows lifted to form surprised wrinkles across his forehead. "Very impressive, Miss Johanson," he applauded. "Your questions are among those that are still in the theorizing stages of magical astronomers, but there is reason to believe that there is a connection. We already know certain astrological conditions can influence the gathering of ingredients, the brewing of potions or the performance of some magical spells...but we are still trying to piece together why exactly that is and there are many who believe that the magnetosphere to be a key piece of that puzzle. Stellar insight, take 3 points."
Quote:
Originally Posted by littledhampir
Even thought Flamsteed did not take Olly up on his offer to light a fire, he was pleased that the man did raise the temperature of the room. Olly was able to un-burrito himself from his blanket and set it on the top of his desk in front of him. "Professor, can I keep this blanket?" Or...all of them? They seemed like they would be good blankets to make a fort out of.
As for the information, Olly tried his best to pay attention. He did not, in fact, open his book. Because what was the point of reading some information if Flamsteed was just going to talk about it? As for the question, he had to think about it for a bit before answering. "Personally, I don't really want to go to Mars. But if other people want to, uh, terrerform it, I guess they should be able to as long as they do it in a way that is not harmful to the planetary environment." Like Global warming. Given the chance, they should not go and destroy every planet in the solar system.
"Certainly," he nodded to the young man. Consider them a gift for putting up with the man antics.
The Slytherin's answer, however, elicited an amused chuckle.
Quote:
Originally Posted by WeasleyGirl
...
"It would be awesome to live somewhere else that isn't the earth but I don't know, it's kind of hard to picture another "earth". It would take years to have everything we have here, in Mars" made sense, right? Yes.
"It would indeed," he concurred with the prefect. "But is time enough of a reason to say no?"
He was neither agreeing nor disagreeing, simply trying to make the young man think more deeply into his opinions.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Squishy
... "I think it's worth a shot. I mean if we can help another planet to support life why not go for it! With all the crap humanity is doing to the Earth we would have somewhere else to go and a fresh start. If we don't get our act together and fix our planet, that is." Just saying. Fixing Earth was the most important thing.
Hopefully no one would mess it up.
Help. Second chances. Fresh start. Another endearingly Hufflepuff answer.
"Interesting, Miss Darcy," he nodded.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Yourenodaisy
... "Oh, OH!" She said excitedly and waived her hand in the air, which caused her to move a bit in her seat, thanks to gravity. "Professor, I think its a bad idea." She nodded emphatically. "At least for Mars. I saw this really old video, documentary thing that had to be from when you said they went to Mars, and almost all the people died. The water was poison, well not poison, but it turned the people into these space monsters. It was really bad, just touching the water caused people to be monsters. And like Torrance said, they grew plants, but eating the plants caused it too." She continued to nod. Yep, she knew what she was talking about. It paid off to have a sister who liked space things. This class was going to be easy.
Documentary?
Sweet solstice not another Gryffindor going down this path.
"There is no real scientific evidence of the Waters of Mars doing any such thing," he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Do not confuse science fiction for fact, even if time traveling Doctors are a fascinating notion."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Daydreamer11
... "I think that studying Mars is a good thing. It is important to learn all that we can about the planet. Maybe that knowledge can help us deal with things here on Earth. But........I'm not so sure that terraforming is the way to go. Who's to say that we have the right to change the way things are on a planet that is not our own? And do we really need to live there? Studying, yes. Terraforming and colonizing? I don't think so."
Airey nodded his head appreciatively to the Ravenclaw for sharing her opinion, but that was all. The moral dilemma of terraforming was certainly one of the favored arguments out there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hera
... "I think it's best if humans look and don't touch. We've ruined the Earth in many ways, so we shouldn't have the right to do the same to another planet. We should leave things as they are, in their natural state." Like forests. Wild, natural forests. Weren't they glorious? The ones without paths or rows of neatly planted trees. Mmm. He thought so.
As was this argument.
"Many will agree with your thoughts, Mr. Zeke," he nodded.
Quote:
Originally Posted by itsgisselx3
...
Raising his hand, Ollie said, "Why can't we just stay on Earth? I know it's dying and all, but that doesn't mean we should go off and kill another planet. That's stupid." What were they gonna do? Move down the line of planets and end up on Pluto and actually consider it a planet again? Because Ollie highly doubted Pluto would gladly let them live on it. Plus it was small and cold. "I think we all need to figure out how to fix Earth and the atmosphere and stuff and maybe once we do that, we can consider moving to Mars....if it's necessary." But, like, it wouldn't be because they'd have Earth, so...yeah.
"And many will agree with your sentiments as well," he nodded. Whether or not the man was included in that was still a mystery as he remained quite stoic.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Felixir
Gaze flickering back to Airey Flamsteed, Daxton narrowed his eyes in what might have been an unmistakable glare to anyone who knew him well enough - admittedly, that list was very short.
...
Short as the list may be, Airey caught it. Although he had no reaction. At least not one that the Ravenclaw would notice. The man was quite pleased with himself, however.
Quote:
Originally Posted by PhoenixRising
...
Tia raised her hand, after hearing much of the class wishing to colonize Mars, "I don't think we should be colonizing Mars, because while it is fascinating to learn about the climates of other planets, if we were meant to be elsewhere besides Earth, then don't you think we'd already be there? Humans, whether magical or mundane, require certain things in order to be sustained and if Mars doesn't provide those basic necessities, then we shouldn't be messing with Mother Nature's intentions and changing the atmospheric pressures and levels because it changes not just the pressures of that area, but surrounding areas, potentially making Earth inhabitable."
The professor merely bowed his head as the Head Girl spoke. Her Ravenclaw spiraling was highly illogical, however, but he kept such opinions to himself for now since the entire point of the discussion was just to share views.
And it was not as though she were quoting science fiction as fact.
Turn into monsters after drinking water on Mars indeed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by VRSCIKA
... "I don't think I would believe it to be right to deform and subdue another planet to our whims. There is nothing wrong with the one we have, other than we need to try and fix what past generations have blindly broken. Mars is what it is, why does it need changed to suit us? We do not need to allow our population to expand so far that we must change other worlds simply to support our species. There is potentially so much to study, why should we destroy that by attempting to change it rather than understand it?" The sixteen year old supposed she felt that way about more than just 'terraforming' another planet but, it was certainly how she felt.
Seemed to be the majority of students were in line with this train of thought. While Airey was never really one to base decisions purely on a moral compass, however. Although there were parts of her argument that tug on his own scientific curiosity.
"Thank you, Miss Valke," he nodded before moving on to the next raised hand.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BanaBatGirl
... "I have to say, we should NOT waste valuable time, energy, and resources in ruining another planet. Terraforming is a highly unethical process, particularly since so much of the universe is still unknown to us." They had all just used the unknown to answer Airey's first question in class, after all. "I think that time and energy and galleons should be used to save this planet, or to find a healthier way for humankind to survive." What about living IN SPACE? LITERALLY? IN SPACE? WITH SNAILS AND SPACE HELMETS?
Davie tapped his chin, a new gesture he'd started to make him appear wise beyond his twelve years. "Can I ask how wizards factor into one's plans for or against terraforming, sir? Will we be using magic to transform the surface of the classroom the way you made it look like Mars up in here?" Oops, spoilers, sweetie???
And there was the more Ravenclaw answer he had been expecting more to jump on. The practical implications of allotting resources to the cause. Although ethics still came into the picture, as they always did and often times should.
His question, however, caused the astronomer's brows wiggle just a tad. "There will be no alterations done to any classrooms," he winked. "But you will have a better answer in regards to wizarding involvement - specifically those that you all will implement on our joint field trip - in some later Herbology lessons this term."
So, until then, sit back and enjoy the ride, Mr. David.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ameh
...
"Doing experiments and stuff in a little tiny part of Mars might be okay..." a little plant plot, you know? "But turrfur-" waaaaaait for it, he'd get there "-er, terr-a-forming Mars might hurt it... we don't know how all its stuff works, right? If we change stuff for humans, it might throw off the um... the system thingy. It's not like Earth, and we know how Earth works but we still messed it all up."
Poor Earth.
The professor nodded at Mr. Song, thanking him silently for his thoughts. Although he did noticeably cringe at the word....thingy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Goblinfrog
"Sure why not? As long as there aren't aliens living there, why not?" But Kitty had another question for Professor Flamsteed. "Is it possible to terra form Mars? I mean, is that something the Ministry of Magic is thinking about doing?" Also, did the Ministry of Magic ever send spaceships out into outer space? Kitty knew the Muggles did it, but she didn't know about the wizarding world.
"It is not a possibility right now given the current limitations on technology and scientific advancement. The Ministry of Magic itself does not have its own civilian space program nor does it have a department specifically set up to study aeronautics and aerospace research in the same manner in which muggles do, so the Ministry's involvement in the research being done on potentially terraforming Mars is very limited at this stage and not even on its agenda. Until muggles make their final decision, that is. You are welcome to write the current Minister with personal inquiries if you'd like, however."
As Astronomer Royal, however, he had a bit more involvement but only because he was playing both the magical and the mundane field in his line of work.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cassirin
...
So she was willing to play along. Dot raised her hand. "What gives us the right to colonize at all? If we can't take care of our own planet, why should we be allowed to go plowing through the galaxy mucking up other planets? Mars isn't broken. It's probably lovely and perfect as it is. All of time and space conspired to make it that dusty, cold, whirlwindy red dot in our sky. I don't think it's very fair of us to think we're better than all of time and space. We can't even compost properly most of the time."
"Quite the spirited response," he nodded at the prefect. Again, it seemed to be the majority of the class, however slim, agreed with this notion.
Quote:
Originally Posted by feeheeheeny
...
He was overwhelmed. There was so much cool science, so many cool discussions going on, and he just... wanted to metaphorically give it all a hug. He loved this. All of this.
No hugging. Please. Metaphorically or not.
Airey's blue gaze fell on the first year, an approving nod heading Mr. Kettleburn's direction for his attentive listening.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steelsheen
... "I think potatoes can grow on Mars…" he added to what Tory said."So at least we can always have french fries and hash browns." he beamned. "But yeah something about Martian water is funky, other than the fact that its hard to find. But yeah like what Mel said-- how do we know if our magic can work there? Moving stuff around is easy with magic, but have you seen Muggles trying to move a couch? Its hilarious! But what if we're just like that on Mars? We'd be just like the Muggles-- worse even, since we're not used to doing things without magic."
"Research has been done by NASA and the Peru-based International Potato Centre on cultivating potatoes in Mars-like conditions here on Earth and these attempts have lead to some successful results. No human feces were used, however." Just to clear up THAT notion that perhaps some students were latching on to with their 'documentaries'.
And no. No zombie creating water. He was going to simply bypass that part of the Gryffindor's answer...even if the zombie notion had not actually been implied.
--------------------
Checking his sundial watch, Airey figured it was time to move along. "As you can see, the decision as to whether or not we should terraform Mars - or any other celestial body for that matter - is one of diverse opinions. Humanity, as a whole, has been imagining how to create a new Earth as long as we’ve known that ours was dying. The primary debate at present, and one that several of you touched upon in your reflections, is whether or not humanity uses its resources to terraform another planet or to use those resources to fix our own planet. Just some more food for thought as we put this discussion aside for now and move on to something a bit more lively."
And speaking of food - or rather a reminder of a certain food fight from the previous night - it was time to put a bit more fun back into the evening and take a short break from all the scientific talk. The astronomer, while riveting by the topic at hand, could tell that minds were wilting and not quite fully back in an academic setting. His own thoughts quite distracted as well.
“Seeing as this is your first evening of classes here at Hogwarts,” he continued, giving his wand a bit of a flick to move his desk and the blackboard out of the way. “...and perhaps still need to burn off all of that nervous energy lingering from yesterday, I have opted to bypass the more technical aspects of terraforming in favor of capitalizing on experiencing what it's like to move around in one third of Earth's gravity felt on Mars with a little game we shall call....Space Globials."
Was that actually a word? Of course not. But there was no turning back now.
With another wave of his wand, the astronomer revealed five platforms floating above their heads that had previously been disillusioned. Thankfully, Miss Kettleburn had not accidentally hit any of them during her premature departure from her seat. In the center was a large platform holding an impressive ball pyramid made from bludger sized balls in white. In each corner of the room were smaller platforms in each house's color bearing its mascot.
"In this game, you will work as a team with your house to collect as many of balls as you can and keep them on your house's designated platform. To do this all you need to do is jump up and grab one from the center and then jump up to place it on your house's platform. The balls have been charmed to change color accordingly as well as stack themselves into a pyramid shape. You may steal balls from other houses as well by passing it to a teammate. But be warned, other houses - including the very one you are stealing from - may intercept your efforts and add to their own collection. When time is called, the house with the most balls in their platform wins."
Get it? Got it? GOOD!
"Now, push your desks off to the side and take your positions," he instructed, giving everyone a few moments to proceed. "Ready? Set. ENGAGE!"
OOC instructions:
there is large pyramid of white bludger sized balls in the middle of the classroom resting on a platform.
the number of balls is set and I will post informing you all when there are no longer any balls on the central platform.
one third gravity means that your character has the potential to jump up to 9 feet in the air depending on how much gusto they put into it.
the object is to, initially, leap up to grab one of the bludger sized balls from the platform and bring it back to your house’s platform.
balls will turn your house’s color while on your platform
you CAN steal balls from other house’s platform to bring back to your own and may begin stealing before the number of balls in the middle has reached 0
Stealing requires 1 post taking a ball from another house’s pile and 1 post passing it to a housemate (total of 2 posts minimum; no double posts)
Stealing attempts may be interrupted by members of the house under attack. However, the outcome of said blocking attempt may not be RP’d by the defending house. Be realistic with your RPing and remember that no one is invincible.
If a housemate catches the pass, the ball is that house’s to keep and add to their platform.
Passes may be intercepted. If a pass is intercepted by another house, the ball is that house’s to keep.
Please quote and title your posts appropriately. This helps me keep track of how many balls are where as well as helps your fellow RPers figure out what all is going on and where/how to get involved.
Taking from the middle (there is no blocking/stealing/passing necessary here!)
Stealing Attempt! (ex. Stealing Attempt from [Hogwarts House name])
Pass Attempt! the second post required when stealing from another house (ex. Stealing Attempt from [Hogwarts House name]! Pass Attempt!)
Defending Attempt! (quote the person you are defending against)
Pass Interception! (quote the person you are intercepting a pass from)
Catch! (quote the person you are catching a pass from)
Please also note that given the high pace energy of RP activities there is always the chance of someone posting the same actions as you intended before you (especially with interceptions). Make sure you preview before you post!
This activity will be open for at least 48 hours from the time of this post to give everyone plenty of time to participate
Minimum of 5 posts to get full credit. Extra credit possible for outstanding RPing.
Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaave fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun!
Please feel free to VM or PM me with any questions or ask them IC to Professor Flamsteed.
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When you're stuck in a moment and your spark has been stolen .................................................. ........... this is our time to own it, so own it..................................... baby we were born withfire and gold in our eyes
Last edited by sweetpinkpixie; 01-14-2016 at 09:28 PM.
DID HE JUST SAY VERY IMPRESSIVE? Could he tell Professor Draper that she was IMPRESSIVE she hoped he would…maybe THAT would get her into good standing with the Care of Magical Creatures Professor? She hoped Professor Flamsteed would do this…but she wouldn’t ever bring THAT up. Never.
No one knew.
No one at all.
“Thank you Professor,” she grinned and looked over to Tory, Ace, and Mel because she was getting points for their house wasn’t she? SHE was going to get them out of this deficit with her SKILL. Mel was ready for this assignment when it was given.
It was like capture the flag. It was HER game…”good luck” she called out before moving from her desk and folding her blanket up before sticking it into the back of her pocket…maybe she could use it later to hide among the crowd of people and confuse them as she had so many times in games of tag. The little first year began to run toward the pile before jumping into the air and SHE WAS FLOATING THIS WAS SOOOOO UTTERLY AWESOME. She almost missed it as her hands reached out and grabbed onto one of the white balls.
“THIS FEELS AWESOME” she squealed as she finally landed near the Gryffindor platform and placed the ball on the center watching it turn red before running off again.
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IT'S NOT AN ACT OF LOVE __________________________________________________ ___________ ____________
IF YOU MAKE HER ____________
♥s her SS family l Wifey is MINE | Naughty Niffler l Whittysaur l #awkwardturtle<#
Interesting?
Was that...a good thing? Or a bad thing?
Esme decided to go with the former; it didn't look like Professor Flamsteed was mocking her or displeased with her answer. It was just a really Hufflepuff thought - but then that was the House she HAD been sorted into. Imagine that.
As she listened to her classmates and the Professor, she continued to take notes. This was the less fun part of lessons, but she did see the importance of it and found that it could be quite interesting when not long-winded. He was making sense again! And talking about the activity! How fun.
Getting up from her seat, Esme pushed her desk and chair off to the side. It was time for her to start helping Hufflepuff claim some white balls. Ravenclaw had an advantage in numbers, but Badgers weren't called hardworking for nothing; even if they didn't WIN they could make this close.
After taking a deep breath, she pumped her legs and gave the biggest jump that she had in her. Shooting up into the sky, she grabbed the first white ball that she could get her hands on. Nobody had better steal it because it was HERS for her House.
She had claimed it.
Reaching the corner of the room with the yellow platform, Esme gave another high jump into the air and brought the ball down, watching as it turned yellow. That's how it's done!
Astronomy Lesson :: Terraforming [ a brief introduction ] 
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Yeah thats what crazy is, when its broken you say theres nothing to fix++++++++++++++++++++
