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This is from my point of view, I find the Maunakea observatories, TMT included, to be spectacularly beautiful and high art. I mean this both in their individual form and design and in the context of their location on the mountain top and in their intention.
For my purposes in life I have long considered a simple definition of art itself as anything executed to an advanced degree. Art can be found in painting, dance, architecture, music, language, performance, science and any human endeavor.
So I suggest that an inked pattern on tapa, the shape of a Corvette, the lines of a canoe, the moai of Rapa Nui (which the observatories resemble) and the magnificent observatories all share something in common which should be appreciated and encouraged. They are all the manifestations of the creative spirit of man.
The observatories of Maunakea are all high art in my eyes in situ, in intention, in fact, in purpose and in execution.
Aloha,
Assume the best and ask questions.
Punaweb moderator
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The intersection of art, science, and intellect.
Cheers,
Kirt
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Hats off to human brilliance, both past and present.
Hope we can more deeply explore the cosmos from fantastic Hawaii Island!
Otoh, boo steel on steel rail, boo Hu Honua. Building new polluting things in the 21st century is not pono.
The TMT is not a source of pollution - and is a source of potential new knowledge.
What's not to love? It won't interfere with religious practicing, if that's your thing.
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"The observatories of Maunakea are all high art in my eyes in situ, in intention, in fact, in purpose and in execution."
"Thank you Rob, Kirt and lisa."
"Hats off to human brilliance, both past and present."
"The intersection of art, science, and intellect."
RIGHT??? what arrogance...remove the rubble/decommissioned scopes from the summit...pono
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The CSO has been decommissioned and is currently going through the lengthy EIS process before it is removed. The UH educational telescope will soon be going through the same process although it was never actually commissioned. There are no other decommissioned telescopes or rubble.
ETA clarity on the UH telescope.
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"RIGHT??? what arrogance...remove the rubble/decommissioned scopes from the summit...pono"
No, Frank. Arrogance is when a minority within a minority think they have the right to dictate to everyone else. I experience beauty and inspiration every time I look up there and see those gleaming domes.
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remove the rubble
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
I agree with Rob’s observation.
I see the domes on my early walks several times a week. I find them aesthetically pleasing and more than that, inspiring. What other group, organization, or business on Big Island functions so remarkably well day in and day out?
"I'm at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right - have fun." - Keanu Reeves
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They really do remind me of Rapa Nui. Someone there got an idea and enlisted the whole island for generations. At huge expense and labor they constructed the moai and lined them up looking at the horizon.... looking for what we can't be sure. Now our horizon is deep space... and in scientific inquiry we can't be sure what we are looking for either.
Assume the best and ask questions.
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Science is the pinnacle of our culture, the evolution of our many religions into one verifiable truth, and the key to our ascent into the immortal (through AI or uploading of consciousness). Science is the sacred light that guides us out of our primitive darkness. To see that light shining on Mauna Kea fills my soul every day. The observatories are temples to human curiosity and a connection to the stars from which our very bodies are made. Creating a new one is religious expression of our belief in ourselves.
