Eight years of effort on the Tibetan plateau have completed the construction of the Ali Cosmic Microwave Background Polarization Telescope, a joint project of China, the US and 16 international research institutes, including Stanford University. It's located in the Ali prefecture of Tibet at an elevation of 17,220 ft. above sea level, which would put it number four in altitude to the highest peaks in Alaska.
The apparatus is designed to detect "ripples in space time" from the dawn of the universe and to show how it all came about. What success in this endeavor would mean to the current or future population of planet Earth isn't explained.
Could discoveries made through use of this hugely expensive machinery make possible or necessary changes in life on earth? Would knowing for sure the details of the origins of the universe, should that even be possible, spur changes in the daily schedule of ordinary humans? Or is this an example of the profligacy academia enjoys in using advanced technology for employment and amusement?
The advanced telescopes are quite specialized in their design and use. Now under construction in the capital of astronomy, Chile, is the Giant Magellan Telescope, scheduled for completion in 2030. It will concentrate on nearer and more contemporary astronomical features.
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