Arecibo wrecked!


To add to the list of 2020’s casualties, the radio telescope at Arecibo has been severely damaged — a cable snapped and ripped a 100-foot hole in it.

Let’s hope our government sends some money to Puerto Rico for both the hurricane damage to the island, and to repair this instrument. Given our history, it’s more likely that Trump will suggest we cover the hole with paper towels.

Comments

  1. quotetheunquote says

    Oh, no! I have visited the Arecibo observatory (there’s a good visitor’s centre/overlook thingy off to one side). It (was) quite an awe-inspiring sight (and site).

    But I suspect you’re right, given the current administration’s priorities, it will probably be “paper towels” all the way down…

  2. llyris says

    Isnt it more likely that he will say it’s not his fault, and then say it was deliberate because the Democrats were going to use it to rig the election, and then say this was supposed to happen- see, he fixed it and it works much better now for it’s intended purpose, whatever that might be.

  3. wzrd1 says

    Trump would most likely fill in the hole with a toxic landfill and call it a win-win situation.
    Sad, it was one of the largest radiotelescopes for quite some time and was still in use.

  4. daved says

    @5 Trump doesn’t believe in win-win; he thinks everything is a zero-sum game and there’s always a winner and a loser. This is one more reason why he is an idiot. However, I think, given the whole “Goldeneye” thing, that Spectre is behind the damage.

  5. xohjoh2n says

    I’m pretty sure the damage was caused when Pierce Brosnan dropped Sean Bean on it.

  6. shoeguy says

    I thought I read that we had just done a multi million dollar refurbishment of the antenna. Perhaps that was just a bid request.

  7. jrkrideau says

    Let’s hope our government sends some money to Puerto Rico for both the hurricane damage to the island, and to repair this instrument.

    Well it was a good laugh.

    Cause :Currently I believe the GOP is blaming Chinese hackers while the Democrats are sure Putin did . A few dissenters are holding out for an Iranian commando attack from their new base in the grocery store in Venezuela.