Save The Last Great Telescope

[@carlapeyton6520]

My Dad was the 1st technician ever hired at the Observatory. He worked for Dr. Findlay.

[@WhuDhat]

Yeah... Yeah..Well my dad could kick your dads butt, so ha! In all seriousness that is very cool, that's something that you could tell your grandchildren's, grandchildren to take pride in, who knows maybe well be closer to the stars by then..

[@shelleyprice7344]

I grew up there

[@JOBoarder27]

I snowboard at the nearby ski resort (Snowshoe mountain) every winter, and I hear people complaining about the lack of cell phone service. While it may seem like an inconvenience, especially when you're trying to tell your friends the room number you're staying in at your hotel, it is for the best. The advancement of scientific ideas and theories is worth spending a night in your car at the top of a frigid mountain (which a friend of mine had to do).

[@thelasthallow]

+JOBoarder27 your comment doesnt mean shit since there are already better more advanced telescopes in use today than the ones in that po-dunk town.

[@garrettdodson6110]

lol if you want ski and use a cell phone then simply Go somewhere else to ski. If you know you’re traveling to green banks and you k ow what the rules are then you have no right to complain. Easy peasy, go to Aspen or Vale.

[@dundonrl]

@@thelasthallow Lets see, you say that in 2015 there were better more advanced radio telescopes than the GBT, that was only 15 years old at the time (it was completed in August 2000) Even today in 2021, it's STILL the largest steerable telescope in the world!

[@RideSBBitch]

While attending James Madison University in VA Snow Shoe was a great escape. The constant switchbacks are a blast to drive and the drop of cell service on 33W makes you really appreciate your surroundings. It's pretty cool to hear some insight to what goes on at GBT and why we're turned off to our world and tuning in to others.

[@electrictroy2010]

Nobody forced those residents to move to that town. They could have easily picked a different place to build their home, but they specifically CHOSE to reside in a radio-free zone. They only have themselves to blame. (Also the aurora borealis creates too much radio noise for this telescope to work up north) .

[@veritas41photo]

I am proud to be a West By Gawd Virginia native. I count this telescope as a great feature of my home state. Keep it working!

[@ajk496]

The NRAO complex has a visitor center near the entrance. From there, visitors can ride one of their buses out to the Green Bank telescope. I've done that twice. Even though there's a fence keeping you more than 200 feet from the base of the telescope, it's still incredible standing that close to such a massive structure. They say that the West Virginia University football stadium could fit inside that dish.

[@SovietBearBoxing]

This was by far one of the most fascinating documentaries you have done Vice. Anything on outer space and the human progression keep em coming. Thank you

[@Mugsi]

"Why do we need to progress as a species?" So we don't have to deal with people like you.

[@jaketimbers6004]

Well said.

[@Blazzedtrail]

Why would you want to get rid of such beautiful instruments

[@Leggs013]

Great place to See!

[@rootsofone]

I noticed the low phone reception at snowshoe wv on a ski trip, was told it was this satelite. Many thanks to those who deticate their passion to the exploration of space, lot to l

[@zolpicrazed]

The radio quiet zone is a special place. Long live the zone.

[@NigelGriff]

Breaking it down will provide plenty of salvage metal, maintaining it would cost a huge amount, and new projects are actually useful.

[@mjkirk12]

(to happosai27) All molecules (two or more joined atoms) with energy above 0 Kelvin vibrate and rotate. This vibration and rotation gives off radio and infrared light waves in a unique pattern - a sort of molecular "fingerprint". This pattern is the same on earth as in space. By matching the spectrum (fingerprint) of radio telescope data to the known spectrum of molecules on earth, radio astronomers can demonstrate the existence of these same molecules in space.

[@Rubmaster]

So true what he said at the end. The big bang is not the first existence of it all. Nothing can't create something. We are so fixated on that something has to end. I believe in the number of infinite.

[@walterbailey1266]

My wife and I enjoyed our 1st visit ever to West Virginia and to your great Observatory, hope to visit again. We stayed at the Snow Shoe resort 2 thumbs up as well. We were there visiting a great friend from long ago. We were treated to the Cass train ride up the mountain, another 2 thumbs up.

[@h3526]

Everyone: using WiFi inside the zone The green bank: am a a joke to you

[@returnroquentin]

Immortal Douglas Adams' quote "The universe is huge." Bartlett's material

[@andrewjbeckner]

Our family cabin is about 5 miles north of the GBT. It is a vital part of the local economy, and a major part of our state's pride, to say nothing of its valuable contributions to scientific inquiry. Save the GBT, indeed.

[@motorhead_jt21]

Drove through there once during a snowstorm, and had to stop because it got too rough. I remember asking a local why there was no cell service lol.

[@electrictroy2010]

Diesel engines don't have spark plugs, but they still have other radio-generating components like fuel injectors .

[@anomalousclouds]

I have also been cell-less for roughly 2-3 years - I have an old school corded phone attached to my land line if anyone wants to get in touch with me at home, and I generally use payphones while out and about - y'know, like nearly everyone did 15+ years ago. The "Antarctica" reaction to your comment speaks volumes about how attached people are to their mobiles today. I don't want to worry about answering the damn phone every second of my waking hours, it is a social tether I'd rather not have.

[@squishycommander]

I have seen this telescope in person. We need to save it!

[@thearcane2]

This video was much better then some of their other ones...

[@Griff0n-0794]

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin recalled what happened when they tried to set up the flag: “It took both of us to set it up and it was nearly a public relations disaster, “ he wrote, “ a small telescoping arm was attached to the flagpole to keep the flag extended and perpendicular. As hard as we tried, the telescope wouldn't fully extend. Thus the flag which should have been flat had its own permanent wave”

[@articulatebonehead]

spruce knob would be a good place to be planted. its beautiful out there. beats the GBR river trail, plus- no people!

[@OfficialGalaxite]

Amazing... The radio telescope can detect wave signals from the edge of our own galaxy O.O

[@AlexLashko]

You actually do have a point. Humans have to first to figure out how to get along with each other before exploring other planets. Competitive society can never be unified.

[@tom3167]

Space exploration is how we will progress in technology and as a race. No question about it.

[@HolowatyVlogs]

We just lost Arecibo. 😞

[@cgr_politica]

Who is here after the Arecibo Observatory collapsed?

[@wondledonkey]

This is magical. I love science.

[@mrgiles12345]

That is an incredibly elaborate costly and detailed defense against WiFi, it makes me wonder if the satellite is more beneficial to the government than there letting on.

[@darnelldingler]

You dont get rid of your current equipment until you have the new one in place.

[@xerxes876]

There are several things the government says you can and cannot do in your own him. And until provisions such as the NDAA and Patriot act are removed, we cannot even begin to say we even had any liberties to begin with.

[@BenNixBradley]

1300 mi/sq ? I mean. 13000 is .. a real large area. am I wrong?

[@JOBoarder27]

It is actually 13000 square miles, but what the video incorrectly mentioned was the lack of all services in the area. Only near the observatory is there a total radio silence. Outside of that, any radio signals are simply required to be directed a focused. I can attest that about 45 minutes away from the observatory you can get a good cell phone 3G signal.

[@Le_Petomane]

What a strange Douglas Adams quote to use and paraphrase? To the effect of saying the universe is big. The quote is "Space is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind- bogglingly big it is"

[@jacknight6]

people aren't forced to live there they have massive houses on huge blocks of land they could easily sell and move if they wanted cell phones. They knew what they were getting into when they moved there they have no right to complain.

[@SandMonkeVR-GT]

Have you guys not seen the dish is parks new South whales??

[@jcptoyotataco]

This and snowshoe are literally in the middle of freaking nowhere

[@johnb1391]

I agree that it shouldn't force the townsfolk to give up certain items (i.e. cell phones), and that if it must have radio silence, it should be moved to a more unpopulated area (like somwhere in Canada, if the Canadian government agreed to help the group out). However, the government has the power to do these things, just like they can take away your property, provided it's for a good reason and includes compensation (this is known as eminent domain). Is that right? Well that's another issue...

[@qweqweqqweq6798]

people have thrived for thousands of years without cars as well, that doesn't mean much because times change. have a good day sir

[@Nickwithneighbors]

Can i move there and leave my phone here?

[@skyhop]

What I wouldn't give to see cellphones done away with all together. Just one many shackles humanity needs to shake off.

[@carlapeyton6520]

He did not lose his hair, I cant remember there ever being any radioactive materials used at the time that would have lead to that. Dad was an electronics technician so he build the machines. That was in the late 1950s-early 60s. I suppose that radioactive materials might possibly be used in later times but nothing like that was employed at that time.

[@Unhitable1]

We are a spec of dust in the cosmos. The odds of us finding anything is next to nothing. But there still is that small chance.

[@trje246]

We really need a telescope on the moon, looking back at earth - searching for intelligent life

[@mynaimrie]

🤣🤣🤣🤣👽

[@tempjohn1111]

Videos like this are why I sub Vice.

[@sniper6081]

We had liberties before the NDAA and the Patriot act. They are inherent with our being. Government doesn't decide who has rights and what rights you have. They aren't something that can be invented.

[@cameronwick]

Vice you are SO awesome. What a sick video!

[@airlinena]

Looks and sounds like you interviewed the maintenance guy in a broom closet

[@gsboss]

i love how eclectic vice is

[@RauCompany]

Carl Sagan wanted to use it to look for alien life. It's a useful piece of searching equipment, don't let it go :(

[@kungfusushi]

that escalated bro, escalated rather quickly

[@KalElKryptonsFinest]

As much as I love antiques, I think the land resources required for this telescope would be better suited to a less developed area, maybe the hinterlands of Canada.

[@ghostfacekilla6074]

i wonder how its doing now

[@hippyharrison]

Wait, so they can detect molecules from millions of miles away using a radio telescope? Holy fuck. That's awesome.

[@Desert2GardenLV]

"The universe is huge"~ Douglas 'Resident Genius' Adams

[@theinfiniteblackvoid234]

Most people don't know the earth is huge........

[@drln1]

13000 square miles is different to 13000 miles square. the area they describe would be equivalent to a square with sides about 114 miles long.

[@doggo_s19]

Not really, google Square Kilometre Array. "The Square Kilometre Array is a radio telescope in development in Australia and South Africa which will have a total collecting area of approximately one square kilometre.It will operate over a wide range of frequencies and its size will make it 50 times more sensitive than any other radio instrument. It will require very high performance central computing engines and long-haul links with a capacity greater than the current global Internet traffic."

[@MarkWoodChannel]

Well let's hope there's intelligent life out there, there certainly isn't any on this planet.

[@garrettjohnston1585]

Mark Wood lmao that’s so true

[@nightlightabcd]

Does the lack of intelligent on this planet start with you?

[@sniper6081]

Yes, because after all government comes first. Nevermind the fact that they're probably stuck paying mortgages and don't have any buyers. The priority of government is always greater than the people's, especially when it comes to private property rights, right?

[@the666not666]

Ok so at 3:25 you can see a new power meter don't all of them have a wireless transmitter/receiver built in to them?I know the ones where I live all do!

[@KeyWhip]

I live near here D: A documentary in WV? There are people that know west Virginia is a state? We as a people feel so... honored :'D

[@sniper6081]

Yes, because the priorities of that telescope matter more than the people that live there and if the government should decide to do something they have no say in they should step out of the way, because things that are more important than people are about to happen. You also assume that the telescope was there first. You have no idea how many of those people lived there before the government moved. They're also probably paying off mortgages so they can't leave.

[@JAydUBr6]

I haven't owned a cell phone in over 3 years. It's awesome.

[@vanillastien]

I envy every living soul there. Also, this thing has been around longer then your I-phone, laptop, or I-pad. So it has the rights to the silence.

[@findmeifyoucan]

A possibility for parallel universe is that each big bang is like a bubble in a soda, and the liquid is the intense energy creating the universes. Endless big bangs = parallel universe. Who knows.

[@jonathanturbide2232]

From Sasha Grey to the world's largest fully steerable radio telescope ! lol

[@sealrk19]

its already built, keep using it. it's only 2012. Take it down after we have some badass telescope or something

[@vegtamvanderveg]

I would LOVE TO LIVE THERE!!

[@MaXG65]

Who said the moon doesn't have an atmosphere? That has been known since the late 1940's. I wouldn't call it "air" but it would be enough to create a slight wake effect as someone walked by.

[@TehChiken]

Amazing video!

[@johnb1391]

There's theories/hypothesises in quantum physics about that. ;D One such theory is that our universe is like a bubble surrounded by many other bubbles/universes, and that the clash of two universes will either result in: A) The destruction of those universes. B) The creation of a new universe. That's what some quantum physicists believe the Big Bang originated from.

[@smooshierad]

That is very unfortunate, although, it's not like you can just PULL Out of a war. Even if you gradually end it throughout that period there will still be a large budget. If you're a country like the United States, even if you pull out of the war, your still in debt. It's basically like having a shopping addiction, kicking the addiction, then realizing you've abandoned most of your bills. You have to pay those off. In a perfect world maybe a nation will have enough to fund a space budget.

[@iFRAGART]

i always thought that too that their was something before the big bang

[@xerxes876]

In the grand scheme of things, Those people( The whining residents) should either compromise or leave. Astronomy is far more important then them having a cell phone or computer.

[@TheRetiredVeteran]

This is such a great idea. I wish they would do this to my area. There are so many people texting while driving you never know who is going to run you off the road.

[@jeebersjumpincryst]

lol, yeah i have done times with no cellphone and its so freeing-the only inconvenience was for other ppl lol. radio and microwaves are non ionising, and cell phone energy and intensity is barely enough to cause detectable heating effects. i personally can think of many many other far more serious health dangers to worry about. hats off to owning yr own business at 25 btw! :)

[@MrStickyPete]

Beautiful area

[@karitakon]

Dave Choe saved this interview from boredom

[@buzzerbill4018]

looks like those people are going to get cellphones and microwave ovens soon

[@JohnAdorjan]

Sadly, they decommissioned these radio telescopes November 18, 2019. Demolition to begin March 1, 2020.

[@MichaelRMcCoy]

John, can you provide any evidence to substantiate your claim -- specifically regarding the demolition of the telescope?

[@StormsandSaugeye]

No they didn't. The Green bank telescope is currently operational and is being regularly used.

[@freddakiko]

unfortunately the apex predator of that planet will be more suited to the planet than we are, assuming it is as technologically advanced as we are.

[@Xercept]

Sounds a pretty good program, why cancelled it? Because of deficit?

[@bakerco502]

It's amusing that 4:20 into the video he mentions Douglas Adams. 42 :D

[@profsat5]

Strap a old i phone to it,then there's no way no hell anybody would touch it.

[@bonjovirocks24]

That telescope hasn’t found jack

[@tomwhitaker1426]

If more money was invested in science that would still create many good jobs, who says we need a massive chunk of the Earth's population working as military personal when they could be oceanographers, agriculturists, astronomers, cancer researchers, engineers etc...

[@andygb8912]

Aliens know about earth, but they don't want to come here. I dont blame them

[@amandalaci8212]

I love that place.

[@ohmmeters]

People in this town are feeling good, just as all of us did 20 years ago...

[@carlapeyton6520]

The telescopes were not sophisticated like they are now. I was a little kid so I dont know the exact workings but the Little Big Horn was the first telescope and it basically looked like a huge Horn of Plenty. Then there was the 300 ft(I think...not positive) They were state of the art of the time but nothing like the telescope that is in Green Bank now

[@bioman8908]

They weren't all built in the 60s. The big one was dedicated in 2000.

[@IrresistibleWitch]

the world's largest fully steerable radio telescope and the world's largest land-based movable structure.

[@durhnali]

at 1:50 are those spark plugs or sonic screw drivers?

[@ThePeanutwarrior]

im 15 actually and i never missed out on anything trust me

[@sniper6081]

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[@hungry4danish]

Was this 'outside committee' made up of scientists or just people that crunch numbers? And also did they order divesting these publicly owned telescope with the nefarious purpose to be able to privatize them?

[@howycwap]

she really does sound like her. and its wierd that its the same topic as contact

[@ddddoris]

what about the radio signals from the planes that fly over?? Mate?