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Canada Defiles an Astronomical Treasure
fanboy.com — Charles Thomas Bolton was THE first man to discover a black hole. His thanks for 37 years of research? Well he's just been kicked out his observatory by the University of Toronto who sold off the observatory he was was working in to greedy real estate interests: An act that ranks with the sacking of the library of Alexandria.
michaelpinto- 723 diggs
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- Kanele, on 07/06/2008, -5/+14sick
- Ribbys, on 07/06/2008, -3/+78Poor headline. University of Toronto is doing this.
- xShifty, on 07/08/2008, -12/+0Canada: The country everyone loves to hate.
- shawnanigans, on 07/08/2008, -0/+9Toronto: The city everyone in Canada loves to hate.
- kanuk20, on 07/08/2008, -0/+1I really hope your Canadian. If you are the comment is forgiven.
- Jeffler, on 07/08/2008, -0/+1AT LEAST WE HAVE THE MAPLE LEA-
*****. 1967.
/cries - MrNexus, on 07/08/2008, -0/+4I think you meant the US.
- NSoklofske, on 07/08/2008, -0/+6Indeed. I'm somewhat offended at the headline, to tell you the truth.
That said, it's pretty inconsiderate to provide him with only 10 days' notice. At the same time, I'm sure it wouldn't be difficult for him to find more work with that on his resume, and it's not like the university's taking the money for profit; they're using it for further astronomical research by the sounds of it. - ohmahgawd, on 07/08/2008, -5/+2Canada found the cure for cancer a while back, but was ignored. If you're dying from cancer, then don't blame Canada. It's too bad we're ignored, aside from our comedy, which tends to start from us making fun of ourselves....
- urbandistrict, on 07/08/2008, -0/+1How did you go from the sciences to comedy?
It's not the product, it's how you package it.
"speaking of *****, we're also pretty good at telling jokes"
or
"Canada's many accomplishments often go ignored, even such great things as a cure for cancer and solidified evidence of the existence of black holes in our universe." - HaoTian, on 07/08/2008, -1/+1It was ignored because what they discovered could not make big pharma any money. No money = no research = no tests/trials = no public release. A real shame, too... it will be interesting to see where that research goes, but it will have to happen with public funds.
- urbandistrict, on 07/08/2008, -0/+1How did you go from the sciences to comedy?
- kanuk20, on 07/08/2008, -1/+1Agreed and not surprized. I've only met assholes when ever I've visited UoT.
- giveer, on 07/08/2008, -0/+1Well, it must be because you were with the visiting tour group from the National Spelling Vocational School - UofT's well known rival.
I'd consider re-examining your personality if you think every single person you've met out of a group of 51,000 people from all over the world (and that's just one campus) is an *****. - knight2001, on 07/08/2008, -0/+0Hummmm.... Wouldn't happen to be from UofT would you giveer?
I have to admit every person I have met who went to UofT has been a stuck up, snobbish, know it all, butt monkey. Though I am sure there must be some that are more down to earth and friendly. Granted I haven't met any yet. They're out there though... Just like bigfoot and Nessie.
- giveer, on 07/08/2008, -0/+1Well, it must be because you were with the visiting tour group from the National Spelling Vocational School - UofT's well known rival.
- carnold, on 07/08/2008, -1/+1This just in.... Canada shot JFK
- bnguitarman, on 07/08/2008, -0/+0Agreed... poor headline. Canada isn't doing it, the University is!
- MooNinja, on 07/08/2008, -0/+2Welcome to what America has been going through since Digg Day1. Oh some private corporation, that has bases in many nations is doing something evil, lets label it America!
- xShifty, on 07/08/2008, -12/+0Canada: The country everyone loves to hate.
- WilliamAdama, on 07/06/2008, -5/+11:'( I'm glad I didn't go there now, that's horrible.
- relic180, on 07/07/2008, -10/+7I was always of the understanding that the library of Alexandria was full of porn.
- trispear, on 07/08/2008, -0/+6Only in the back room, behind a curtain. Those heiroglyphs could get really XXX.
- craighoxton, on 07/08/2008, -0/+3"One in the Sphinx; One in the stink"
- jburka, on 07/07/2008, -3/+67This is crap. The Dunlop observatory used to be well outside the lights of Toronto and at that point was useful for astronomy students. It is now obsolete and is in the middle of a light-rich suburbia. Get the whole story before feeling too sorry for this fellow. It isn't like he's being fired. U of T shares many good astronomy facilities in good research locations. Let's be realistic when you can sell the site for millions and use the profits productively for faculty and students. If the profits weren't used for this, then you would have something to complain about!
- davidrools, on 07/08/2008, -0/+5And no doubt he'll be able to find a research position elsewhere if he's at all as sharp as he once was.
- SuperMoses, on 07/08/2008, -2/+6They didn't want it to continue doing research.
"Fortunately, Dr. Bolton and the Richmond Hill Naturalists are attempting to take over the site and turn it into a public park, where people could have the opportunity to enjoy the scenery, the deer that wander through the woods, plus experience the rare opportunity to look through a large astronomical instrument. They just need the funds to do it.
The sad part of this story is how Canadian science is not celebrated in this country. Most of our best brains are unknown to the public and now we have a case where one of our academic institutions isn’t interested in preserving the site of its own historic accomplishment.
Let’s hope common sense prevails."
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/quirks-blog/2008/04/b ...- urbandistrict, on 07/08/2008, -0/+2Not sure why someone would digg you down...
I think it would be better served as a public educational site. It's already built and functional- a rare opportunity.
Barcelona is a prime example of a modernized city yet holding to it's public assets and historical landmarks.
- urbandistrict, on 07/08/2008, -0/+2Not sure why someone would digg you down...
- falstaff, on 07/08/2008, -0/+2At least this is posted at the right domain. "Fanboy" is, if anything, an understatement. Seriously, comparing this to Alexandria? No knowledge is lost, no architectural wonder is being destroyed. It's a barely useful telescope, that has one huge discovery under its belt. If people really cared about the progress of knowledge, they'd have no problem reallocating resources to more useful endeavors.
- bmdubya, on 07/07/2008, -4/+10That is a very touching photo. It shows how much people like him (and myself) admire space and studying it. Yet the general public only gives a ***** about themselves and what other people think about them. So they don't care about advancing the study of space, which I think is one area that could evolve humanity greatly.
- legendxx, on 07/08/2008, -1/+2Actually, it shows a dude sitting on the ground.
- AndeyM, on 07/08/2008, -0/+2lol, you are awful... but i find that funny...
- legendxx, on 07/08/2008, -1/+2Actually, it shows a dude sitting on the ground.
- Redraf, on 07/08/2008, -2/+32It's hardly all of Canada doing this, its one University.
- strictnein, on 07/08/2008, -1/+5No, every single Canadian is taking part in this. Along with all of your damn geese.
- da_bradler, on 07/08/2008, -0/+2you should have read the story it ends with Stephen Harper taking a ***** in a pile of moon dust.
- supermanred, on 07/08/2008, -0/+1...which George Bush then snorts.
- SonicRift, on 07/08/2008, -0/+2I think it's the other way around.
- supermanred, on 07/08/2008, -0/+1...which George Bush then snorts.
- moo113, on 07/08/2008, -3/+15So one governing board of the UofT is all of Canada? Buried as inaccurate.
- znicket, on 07/08/2008, -5/+10Ah come on! The guy has to move to a newer observatory - hardly heartbreaking.
Things change, neighborhoods change. Mr. Bolton simply has to move on. - sexydarin, on 07/08/2008, -4/+2He found madonna?
- chamberlanderic, on 07/08/2008, -6/+8Toronto is evil, everybody outside Toronto knows that ;)
- giveer, on 07/08/2008, -0/+2...especially the people who have never been there. :)
- SonicRift, on 07/08/2008, -1/+2and everyone living outside the GTA is a hick.
- krogothwolf, on 07/08/2008, -1/+1Of course we are, thats why we are 100 times more friendlier then GTA people.
- vinceislegend, on 07/08/2008, -4/+4Oh. This isn't Terrance and Phillip at all.
- Rewebbed, on 07/08/2008, -15/+2Canada? And in other news "The United States kills 32 in VA"
Burried out of respect for CTB
(poors out liquor on the floor)
(cat licks up liquor)- Rewebbed, on 07/08/2008, -1/+1Ok so VA was a bad example. All apologies. But you can't blame a country for something a liberated institute decides to do immorally while staying within the law. its not Canada's fault. Maybe not even the University. One thing for certain is that it most likely had to do with budget cuts.
- SolidBones, on 07/08/2008, -0/+1We don't care about your cat.
- LinuxGalore, on 07/08/2008, -3/+8So an astronomical observatory that is hardly functional for the task due to city lights is being sold by U of T and the funds raised are being used for more functional projects. If they didn't sell it one could question the faculty for not doing their jobs. As for comparing this to the sacking of the "OLD" library of Alexandria (I say "OLD" because there is a new library of Alexander that is actually way bigger in existence in Egypt) I find that way of base because the library of Alexandria was still functional when it was destroyed.
- urbandistrict, on 07/08/2008, -0/+3"Look guys it doesn't work...let's just scrap it."
http://www.ualberta.ca/~aizen/events/Philadelphia/ ... - sporg, on 07/08/2008, -0/+2The new library of Alexandria can not replace all the books/records lost when the original was destroyed. I'm sure this observatory was still useful for some research. Giving someone ten days to vacate a facility they have been using for decades is callous no matter how you look at it. I can not say I am surprised though as most universities are run like businesses these days and not like centers of learning.
- urbandistrict, on 07/08/2008, -0/+3"Look guys it doesn't work...let's just scrap it."
- seaner, on 07/08/2008, -5/+6Blame Canada????? It's a single university in a single province in a single city of Canada.
- nevetando, on 07/08/2008, -4/+8Uh, seems to me like they are selling off outdated equipment and real estate in order to invest in new equipment and real estate... exactly why am I crying a river?
Isn't that called progress? don't you need that in science?- urbandistrict, on 07/08/2008, -0/+1Luckily we have nevetando as a resource to think things thoroughly through for a full 15 seconds and give us his analysis.
I think we now know why the American divorce rate is so high. We live in a microwave throw-away society.
We should turn the Alamo into a parking lot.
- urbandistrict, on 07/08/2008, -0/+1Luckily we have nevetando as a resource to think things thoroughly through for a full 15 seconds and give us his analysis.
- Dromeciomimus, on 07/08/2008, -3/+7The U of T administration does not represent over thirty million people.
- spartan777, on 07/08/2008, -2/+21also, this does not compare to the sacking of the Library of Alexandria, no information is lost with this U of T deal, however sad it may be.
submitter is full of *****.- Zuwxiv, on 07/08/2008, -0/+17The loss of much of the Library of Alexandria was a loss of thousands of years of human history and culture, and most likely the greatest single loss in one event that humanity has ever suffered.
To compare it to one sad story is a grave disrespect to history. This does not compare at all.
Seriously, diggers - can you at least try to be a bit realistic? "Greedy real-estate interests?" - urbandistrict, on 07/08/2008, -1/+1Umm, it was an obvious exaggeration. (well at least to some people)
People do tend to exaggerate....ALL THE TIME (see?)
- Zuwxiv, on 07/08/2008, -0/+17The loss of much of the Library of Alexandria was a loss of thousands of years of human history and culture, and most likely the greatest single loss in one event that humanity has ever suffered.
- LiarGame, on 07/08/2008, -1/+9to the author: What's wrong with you?
- luet, on 07/08/2008, -3/+3It really sucks... david dunlop observatory was THE observatory to go to. It will be gone soon. : (
There are no other observatories... - studdenfadden, on 07/08/2008, -2/+4If he is 65 then how could he have worked there for 73 years?
"So why is one of the best astronomers in the world — a grown man who is 65 years old — crying on the steps of his observatory? After 73 years the University of Toronto sent Bolton..."- Taiyoryu, on 07/08/2008, -0/+3Typo. I think they meant "37 years" as referenced later in the article.
- paradigmxx, on 07/08/2008, -1/+8The University of Toronto has a sub-par administration with crooked thinking - then again, so do many Ontario Universities such as Western.
- urbandistrict, on 07/08/2008, -0/+1Dugg! I was beginning to feel I was alone in thinking this.
- dysan, on 07/08/2008, -1/+2This is crappy. I used to do observations there as an undergrad, and I knew this man. It is just not right to do such a thing.
Now where, and who are they going to get to teach real observing to the general public and the students? - clafleche, on 07/08/2008, -0/+1that sucks, but he is hardly a "real life hero."
- SpectreFire, on 07/08/2008, -4/+4UoT sucks.
- giveer, on 07/08/2008, -0/+1....so deep, I got a semi.
- shig, on 07/08/2008, -0/+9"An act that ranks with the sacking of the library of Alexandria."
Columbus would have sailed to the moon with the knowledge contained there. It's nothing like sacking THAT library. Perhaps one of the smaller inner-city libraries... It's just a bad analogy. - ebcreasoner, on 07/08/2008, -1/+2Oh quit bitching. I'm sure someone will take him in.
- fearlessfx, on 07/08/2008, -2/+6Over-react much? So this guy has to move to a new observatory, its not like the UofT administration murdered the man in his sleep. I agree that this is somewhat unfortunate, as this person is clearly a scientific genius and they could pay him a bit more respect, but on a scale of 10 from no big deal to complete travesty, i'd rank this about a 4. The ***** going down in Iraq would be about a 8, darfur a 9, and Roger's iphone dataplan would probably be a 10.
- Jeffler, on 07/08/2008, -0/+1And Bell's internet throttling an 11...cause it goes up to 11.
- haterofps3, on 07/08/2008, -7/+4As a Proud Canadian who finds something to love in every corner of my great country.
***** Toronto!
***** Place Sucks!- giveer, on 07/08/2008, -0/+2..hmm... and yet, toronto has the attitude problem, correct?
Just checking.- krogothwolf, on 07/08/2008, -0/+1Of Course, don't you realize that their attitude problem makes us have an attitude problem, which causes their attitude problem to increase, thus causing ours to increase which in turn makes their attitude even worse, and that makes ours even worse......
- giveer, on 07/08/2008, -0/+2..hmm... and yet, toronto has the attitude problem, correct?
- GTKashi, on 07/08/2008, -3/+2This is silly. Sacking Alexandria forced civilization's advancement to stagnate for centuries. Selling off a single observatory just doesn't scale well against that sort of epic failure.
Canada, if you want someone to help stagnate civilization for centuries the right way, suggest it to our US government. If you can convince them there's profit in it they'll be on that so fast your teeth will spin.- urbandistrict, on 07/08/2008, -1/+1Dugg, great comment. LOL
- cheezintern, on 07/08/2008, -4/+1I expect this to happen here in Bush America, but Canada? They're supposed to pro-science and exploration.
- digggthat, on 07/08/2008, -4/+1UW > UofT
- nullcodes, on 07/08/2008, -1/+1While it's not fair to compare this to the monumental loss that was caused by the destruction of the Library of Alexandria .. it's still pretty screwed up.
The greatness of all civilizations ran in parallel with their understanding of astronomy. Whether you're talking about Ancient Greece, Egypt, Mayans or ancient China or modern times.
Heck I'll bet the understanding of astronomy could probably be used to rank civilizations (1. understood seasons 2. could predict planetary motion to X accuracy etc.) - whitecranberry, on 07/08/2008, -0/+3UofT not CANADA ... Terrible Title.
TO UofT .. As an ex-Torontonian, your treatment of this gentlemen and his contribution to the field is simply SHAMEFUL. This is unacceptable period. You do not send a 10 day notice via email to a guy who has put in 35 years, and I don't give a rats ass who or what.
I expect the public backlash from this will ensure that karma hits your ass hard. I most certainly will be passing this story around to my Toronto friends.
SHAME - MaceSoul, on 07/08/2008, -2/+3That's ridiculous. The loss of Alexandria caused the loss of nearly all previously recorded human history. Not even a close comparison. Not by a long shot. He can quit crying like a pud and go find another telescope. Submittor should be kickbanned.
- Tiltmenot, on 07/08/2008, -1/+1Well, he can always be hired by NASA...
- blindhammer, on 07/08/2008, -1/+5Comparing this to the destruction of the Library of Alexandria is insulting.
There are ancient works of science and engineering such as the Antikythera Mechanism that took civilization well over a thousand years to duplicate after the destruction of the Library. The Ancients had a vast understanding of engineering and scientific principles, many of which were "reinvented" during the Enlightenment and the Industrial Age. A good example is steam power.
Were the Library never have been burned down by religious zealots, there is a good possibility that the Dark Ages would never have occurred and our civilization would be over eight-hundred year's more advanced.- Pixelante, on 07/08/2008, -1/+0You have no clue as to how progress works. You don't develop something because you want to develop it, you do it because you need it. Steam power was not needed until the industrial age because there was cheap human workforce available, and the industrial age did not came about out of the blue, it was brought forth by a change in economics and politics. At the time the Library of Alexandria was burned, steam power (as in Heron's aeolipile) was just a curiosity. There's a practical reason we didn't develop computers and radars until WW2 even though the tech was there: nobody needed them.
- korvan504521, on 07/08/2008, -1/+2uh, it wasn't religous zealots. it was during a small battle between Julius Caesar with a small portion of one of his legions and the Ptolemic rulers of Egypt.
- blindhammer, on 07/08/2008, -1/+1That is only one theory as to how the Library was destroyed and it is countered by the works of Strabo.
- kmesp86, on 07/08/2008, -0/+2Rush made a song about Charles Thomas Bolton's Cygnus-1 black hole. It was about flying into the black hole and coming out the other side on top of Mount Olympus.
- supermanred, on 07/08/2008, -0/+2*****' Rush rocks!!!!!!!
- craighoxton, on 07/08/2008, -3/+1I'm moving to this city in three weeks' time. Great going "Taranna"
- supermanred, on 07/08/2008, -2/+1Canada does not control the University Of Toronto. Hell, Toronto doesn't even control the University Of Toronto.
See, Canada is a free country and the University is allowed to do whatever the board of directors of that university wants....
Really ***** title.- alanr19, on 07/08/2008, -1/+1Yeah yeah but you'd have no problem protesting against roger's iPhone prices plans though.
spineless ignorant *****.- krogothwolf, on 07/08/2008, -0/+2Spineless for protesting? so its Brave to dend over an accept price gouging then?
All he is mentioning is that the Board of Directors did it, not canada in general, and that the anger should be directed to them. No one in Canada is saying the government should do something about the iPhone, they are saying rogers should do something about its pricing plan cause its gouging the customers. Well its more like, go buy elsewhere and not from rogers.
I don't see how that makes us Spineless or Ignorant....or even he as spineless or ignorant.
And CptCoolguy, people who think their Nation Is the greatest on earth aren't ignorant, just have overwhelming pride in their Country, thats not a bad thing really, it can be if the person gets carried away, but most americans aren't like the idiots you hear about in the News and humoursly portrayed on TV. Smackin someone cause they smacked you doesn;t make things better.
Can't we all just get along?
- krogothwolf, on 07/08/2008, -0/+2Spineless for protesting? so its Brave to dend over an accept price gouging then?
- alanr19, on 07/08/2008, -1/+1Yeah yeah but you'd have no problem protesting against roger's iPhone prices plans though.
- alanr19, on 07/08/2008, -2/+3Ignorant canucks. They're more interested in protesting about Roger's iPhone price plans than important stuff like this.
***** morons.- Mike.ohara, on 07/08/2008, -1/+1Ignorant Americans. They're more interested in jumping to conclusions rather than reading the article and getting the facts on stuff like this.
***** morons. - Jan33, on 07/08/2008, -1/+1watch it there eh, the morons on your side of the fence are more interested in britney spears than their commander in chief performing a presidential poke up their poopchutes - its a big P.R. machine and we're all getting baked by it...
eh...
:-]
- Mike.ohara, on 07/08/2008, -1/+1Ignorant Americans. They're more interested in jumping to conclusions rather than reading the article and getting the facts on stuff like this.
- ansatsu29, on 07/08/2008, -1/+2Title is horribly wrong. You don't have to generalize all of Canada if you are just referring to University of Toronto.
- guytoronto, on 07/08/2008, -3/+2The article is BS. Read the U of T Press Release here: http://www.news.utoronto.ca/bin6/070910-3374.asp
"The university is pleased to announce that it has reached an agreement with the Dunlap heirs to begin the process to establish the Dunlap Institute to support astronomy in the 21st century. The institute, to be located at U of T's St. George campus, will be realized through funds endowed from the sale of the Dunlap Observatory and the surrounding property in Richmond Hill." - Treoinmypocket, on 07/08/2008, -2/+4"An act that ranks with the sacking of the library of Alexandria".
I stopped reading right here. Clearly the author has no idea what the Library of Alexandria was.- MadroxKran, on 07/08/2008, -1/+2Beat me to it.
- auto98, on 07/08/2008, -1/+3and me
- krogothwolf, on 07/08/2008, -0/+1I guess it clearly ranks up their with an invasion that killed and maimed people...yes, getting evicted is just as bad!
- MadroxKran, on 07/08/2008, -1/+2Beat me to it.
- pe5t1lence, on 07/08/2008, -0/+1I guess this is THE best article to read about this?
- fx666, on 07/08/2008, -1/+1Black holes are theoretical objects, so far there is no definitive proof of their existence because they cannot be detected from afar-- they capture the light rays and do not let them leave the hole region. One has actually be in a vicinity of a black hole to observe the light going into it and not coming back. Somebody badly misinterpreted the astronomic observation data and jumped to a wrong conclusion. As a physicist, I know that sometimes even scientists make stupid mistakes.
- gkiltz, on 07/08/2008, -1/+0Visual observatories function best in complete darkness!
The darker the better. Radio observatories also function better away from the RF rich environments of the big cities. That's the problem here. Over the years, the city has crept too close. Canada has plenty of remote areas where they can build a more modern observatory, well away from the lights and RF emissions of an urban area!
Who better to be it's first user than HIM! - mweflen, on 07/08/2008, -2/+1No way in hell does the closing of one observatory and the inconveniencing of one scientist compare to the destruction of the Alexandrian Library. It was the accumulation of a thousand years or inquiry, unmatched in its day (and ours) and its destruction was an incalculable loss to scholarship which is still felt to the present day. Untold resources were lost to history, things like Aristotle's dialogues, complete sets of plays from Sophocles and Euripides, the natural scientific works of the Pre-Socratic philosophers, and so on.
Mr. Bolton looks pretty sad, sure, but come on, have some perspective.
Dugg down as innacurate. - gordoncam1, on 07/08/2008, -2/+1Could this photo be posed as a sympathy ploy? It seems awfully coincidental that a photographer happens along at this touching moment.
- xaxa1, on 07/08/2008, -1/+1It clearly is a sympathy ploy. Most people will see the picture then read the article and come to a more sober conclusion than if the picture wasn't there.
- scabbers, on 07/08/2008, -2/+1While I have sympathy for Charles Thomas Bolton, the guy writing this "article" has sucked himself into an event horizon of his own hyperbole.
Also, what "sacking of the library at Alexandria" is he talking about? -
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