Poll of the Day > Would you rather have the best microscope or the best telescope?

(+) Yeah! (+)

[For the sake of the poll]

Microscope people:
- you have access to any specimens, objects, etc. you want to observe

Telescope people:
- assume you still have to deal with Earth's natural rotation BUT you can be anywhere on the planet without money being a factor.
- assume you're confined to Earth; no interstellar travel
- light pollution is not a factor and you always have a clear sky

Both:
- your lens have perfect clarity
- you have infinite recording/video storage
- any software you can possibly imagine can be created for you as long as it pertains to your device and your mission.

If I'm missing anything, comment why you voted for whatever it was you voted for.
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Define best. The most scientifically advanced one currently available? Theoretically doable? Infinite capabilities outside of the laws of physics? The prettiest one with the most sparkles?

"Best" is subjective and ambiguous and limits the ability to accurately answer the question.

Telescope. I want to see the universe.
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sveksii posted...

Define best. The most scientifically advanced one currently available? Theoretically doable? Infinite capabilities outside of the laws of physics? The prettiest one with the most sparkles?

"Best" is subjective and ambiguous and limits the ability to accurately answer the question.

I had originally meant for it to be subjective, but this is a valid point so I try to provide an answer for you.

Best can either mean current best or potentially best, and either can apply here as long as the same applies to both microscope and telescope.

So if we are playing off potential best, I guess theoretically you can see infinitely small or big; microscopes might discover even smaller particles somehow, and telescopes can see as far as the uni/multiverse has expanded. Whatever you like. Just apply the same logic to each one simultaneously for whatever you imagine. (Ex: Don't compare current microscopes to potential telescopes.)
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jbomb1234 posted...

Telescope. I want to see the universe.

This, I don't care to look at cells and shit.
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darcandkharg31 posted...

jbomb1234 posted...

Telescope. I want to see the universe.

This, I don't care to look at cells and shit.

lmao. sounded funny
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Seeing long distance is better then seeing short distance so Telescope.

Edit: Periscopes are better than both.
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jbomb1234 posted...

Telescope. I want to see the universe.

I thought telescopes were for spying on the neighbors.

I was pretty torn. I thought of gene splicing when I thought of microscopes. That'd be fun to toy around with if I knew how.

I love telescopes but it'd be slightly depressing to see all this cool stuff you couldn't visit.
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But you could see what life is like on other planets

And if your telescope is really really good, you could basically see the cellular structure of organisms on other planets

green dragon posted...

And if your telescope is really really good, you could basically see the cellular structure of organisms on other planets

If life itself is recursive and each cell represents a universe, then the opposite could be true as well. *Hits blunt*
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HillChange posted...

I thought telescopes were for spying on the neighbors.

Not to far from the truth. Regarding the advancement of optics in Renaissance Europe, most of the interest surrounding it were for espionage purposes rather than scientific.
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jbomb1234 posted...

Telescope. I want to see the universe.

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The best telescope can act like a microscope.
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Everyone's talking about this as if it's magic, that is the best telescope means you can see literally any detail anywhere in the universe. If it's like that I choose the magic telescope. It'd be cool to find a highly reflective surface on a planet 35 million light years away and use it to see dinosaurs. Of course that doesn't make any sense because the photons scatter from the source far too much over 70 million light years to be able to capture anything meaningful at that resolution, but magic!

can i spy on people with the telescope?
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Telescope, and sell it to the highest bidder.

Absolutely telescope. A microscope is specialist equipment for specialist uses while a telescope is useful even at entry hobbyist level.
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