IFA DIRECTOR INSISTS ON STRONG HILO ASTRONOMY PROG

[ericlp]

http://www.hamakuasprings.com/2016/08/st...y-program/

Interesting. Think how much more of a demand would become if we built TMT?

[Guest]

Local manufacturing too. Working on it !!!

+++ There are several industries where we can always 'beat' China right here as well. I will say "legal" as a kick off in order to keep recent stalkers out of my shadow.

Hawaii Proud.

[opihikao]

Mahalo, EricP, for the link. It is very interesting that several great programs have evolved since the TMT standoff. NOTHING prior, but now, all these wonderful opportunities have arisen.

Sure hope the keiki do reap the benefits, or a portion thereof. Not just the chosen few.

Since the TMT debacle, the "commitment" to all these wonderful opportunities have risen to the surface. Good. When the first telescope was built (ages ago), promises were made and not kept (many telescopes later, promises still not kept).

Reading the documents provided over the course of 40-50 years, it is interesting (at best) to see the evolution of the Astronomy Program here in Hawai'i. Sometimes it is too little to late.

The natives are indeed restless.

JMO.

[pahoated]

There are thousands of jobs from the observatories on Mauna Kea. The downer is that only a few hundred of those jobs are on Hawaii island, mostly around Waimea and Hilo, virtually zilch to do with Puna.

The UHH only has a BS Astronomy. This is by plan. The students that want to go on to an MS and PhD are expected to transfer to UHH Manoa. The reality is UHH is not big enough or have enough students to have more than a BS in Astronomy. It's good this new director at least recognizes Hawaii island exists.

The observatories are just data acquisition stations now. The data cataloging, data processing, data analysis, are all going on elsewhere, distributed to thousands of astronomers and physicists all over the planet. Those are the thousands of jobs that Mauna Kea is providing. The state isn't smart enough to figure they should be getting a small microtransaction fee for the data being exported from this island.

*Japanese tourist on bus through Pahoa, "Is this still America?*

[TomK]

"The observatories are just data acquisition stations now. The data cataloging, data processing, data analysis, are all going on elsewhere, distributed to thousands of astronomers and physicists all over the planet. Those are the thousands of jobs that Mauna Kea is providing. The state isn't smart enough to figure they should be getting a small microtransaction fee for the data being exported from this island."

I don't know why you keep harping on about data reduction and analysis being done elsewhere. That has always been the case and applies to astronomical observatories around the world and those in space. As for a local tax on knowledge, I don't think that'll help promote science or business in the state.

[Guest]

I can see Ted's point. Wouldn't one say info coming from here is indeed an endemic commodity ?