5 ms·

This may be the wrong take-away, but the Air Force shooting your balloon down would be a massive source of pride for the science clubs I remember from my youth.

This may be the wrong take-away, but the Air Force shooting your balloon down would be a massive source of pride for the science clubs I remember from my youth. We would have had that on a t-shirt within a week.

blamazon 4y ago
I would be right away dialing my congresspersons to demand an appropriate victory marking[1] be placed on the relevant aircraft. It would make for a great photo op someday when all this is just a historical footnote. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_marking https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_marking
- dylan604 4y ago
  I nominate this as the Victory Marking: https://mellywilliams.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/red-balloon.jpg https://mellywilliams.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/red-balloo...
  - askvictor 4y ago
    I propose the Banksy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girl_with_Balloon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girl_with_Balloon
    - dylan604 4y ago
      seems too complicated with copyright
NDizzle 4y ago
Yep. Float around and find out.
WillPostForFood 4y ago
Pride for club and a little shame for the government.
- dylan604 4y ago
  God. Country. Corp. Unit. Balloon.
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
par 4y ago
Yes, but that was a different America. Post 9/11, post housing crisis, post global terrorism, post decline into late stage capitalism is changing the narrative substantially. Everyone is constantly on guard these days. But I agree with and love the sentiment.
deleted 4y ago
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- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
thepasswordis 4y ago
I feel like this sort of spirit is now completely gone. If your science experiment gets shot down, my expectation is you're going to get labelled a terrorist and thrown into a prison cell.
- krisoft 4y ago
  > you're going to get labelled a terrorist and thrown into a prison cell You are making up things.
  - thepasswordis 4y ago
    Making up that this is how I feel or what I would be worried about?
    - krisoft 4y ago
      I’m sorry. I completely believe that this is how you feel. On the other hand I see no evidence to show that there is any reason these guys will be prosecuted. I suspect that maybe you feel this way because this is the context you are hearing about pico balloons the first? The people who launched the balloon first studied the law, and then designed a balloon to colour inside the law. For them the question: “is this even legal?” did not just come up today. They started with the question “what is legal to do with balloons” and went from there. And it is not like they launched and bam got shot down immediately. That very balloon has already circumnavigated the planet multiple times. Imagine if you live on a desert planet and the first time you hear the concept of “swimming” through some horror story where someone drowns. Because of the context you would be appaled and would think only crazy daredevils would try such a thing. Maybe you would be of the opinion that anyone who provides facilities for swimming surely must go to prison prompt. On the other hand if you grown up in a coastal or river-side community and spent many days with your friends swimming on beaches then you know that while drowning is a danger, most people return safely from a swim.
- jollyllama 4y ago
  Yeah, if I were the guy who launched it, I wouldn't say anything.

blamazon 4y ago

I would be right away dialing my congresspersons to demand an appropriate victory marking[1] be placed on the relevant aircraft. It would make for a great photo op someday when all this is just a historical footnote. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_marking https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_marking

dylan604 4y ago
I nominate this as the Victory Marking: https://mellywilliams.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/red-balloon.jpg https://mellywilliams.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/red-balloo...
- askvictor 4y ago
  I propose the Banksy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girl_with_Balloon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girl_with_Balloon
  - dylan604 4y ago
    seems too complicated with copyright

NDizzle 4y ago

Yep. Float around and find out.

WillPostForFood 4y ago

Pride for club and a little shame for the government.

dylan604 4y ago
God. Country. Corp. Unit. Balloon.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]

par 4y ago

Yes, but that was a different America. Post 9/11, post housing crisis, post global terrorism, post decline into late stage capitalism is changing the narrative substantially. Everyone is constantly on guard these days. But I agree with and love the sentiment.

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]

thepasswordis 4y ago

I feel like this sort of spirit is now completely gone. If your science experiment gets shot down, my expectation is you're going to get labelled a terrorist and thrown into a prison cell.

krisoft 4y ago
> you're going to get labelled a terrorist and thrown into a prison cell You are making up things.
- thepasswordis 4y ago
  Making up that this is how I feel or what I would be worried about?
  - krisoft 4y ago
    I’m sorry. I completely believe that this is how you feel. On the other hand I see no evidence to show that there is any reason these guys will be prosecuted. I suspect that maybe you feel this way because this is the context you are hearing about pico balloons the first? The people who launched the balloon first studied the law, and then designed a balloon to colour inside the law. For them the question: “is this even legal?” did not just come up today. They started with the question “what is legal to do with balloons” and went from there. And it is not like they launched and bam got shot down immediately. That very balloon has already circumnavigated the planet multiple times. Imagine if you live on a desert planet and the first time you hear the concept of “swimming” through some horror story where someone drowns. Because of the context you would be appaled and would think only crazy daredevils would try such a thing. Maybe you would be of the opinion that anyone who provides facilities for swimming surely must go to prison prompt. On the other hand if you grown up in a coastal or river-side community and spent many days with your friends swimming on beaches then you know that while drowning is a danger, most people return safely from a swim.
jollyllama 4y ago
Yeah, if I were the guy who launched it, I wouldn't say anything.