{"id":3799,"date":"2009-07-01T12:21:10","date_gmt":"2009-07-01T16:21:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shamusyoung.com\/twentysidedtale\/?p=3799"},"modified":"2009-07-01T13:20:35","modified_gmt":"2009-07-01T17:20:35","slug":"moon-landing-special-edition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shamusyoung.com\/twentysidedtale\/?p=3799","title":{"rendered":"Moon Landing: Special Edition"},"content":{"rendered":"

So the word is out that super-special, high-definition version of the original moon landing tapes have been… found<\/a>?<\/p>\n

That is… unexpected. But this is what really caught my eye:<\/p>\n

Crucially, [these new tapes] could once and for all dispel 40 years of wild conspiracy theories.<\/div>\n

raiders.jpg<\/td><\/tr><\/table>Actually, no. I’ve read the theories, and the deniers aren’t upset about the quality<\/em> of the videos, but the content of them and the details surrounding them. Each side has an answer for the other, and I can’t imagine how higher resolution will settle any of the long-standing arguments. This is just going to give them new high-def footage to obsess over and a fresh batch of oddball facts to add to the list. This whole “found tapes” business is extremely fishy, and even though I don’t doubt that the moon landings took place, I have to say I feel like I’m missing something when I hear about these new tapes. <\/p>\n
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  • These original tapes were reportedly “lost as soon as they were made”, which doesn’t make a lot of sense. Someone<\/em> put those tapes away. There couldn’t have been that<\/em> many people in Parkes that would have handled them. They keep saying “tapes”, but of course the footage of the disembarking Armstrong is all on one tape, a recording of an exceedingly famous event. How does something like that get lost at all? The guy who pulled the tape out of the clanking steam-powered tape-maker they used way back in the savage 1960’s had to have been aware of what he had in his hand.\n<\/li>\n
  • Okay, they got lost. This is<\/strong> a government operation, after all. But how did they stay<\/em> lost for 40 years? The guy who pulled the tape never spoke up? Did someone put them in a box next to the Ark of the Covenant and then have a heart attack? This is arguably the most valuable footage human beings have ever shot. To reuse an old but appropriate phrase: We can put a man on the moon, but we can’t keep track of our old VHS cassettes? And we don’t make backups?\n<\/li>\n
  • And suddenly the tapes are found, just in time for the 40th anniversary. As I’m sure the conspiracy theorists will say How conveeeenient<\/em>.\n<\/li>\n
  • Word has gotten out, but the tapes haven’t been officially announced yet, and instead they’re giving coy non-denials. This does not help their case. This is science, and being transparent and open with your data is more important than politics and public relations. The deniers claim the US faked the moon landings for bragging rights. And now we’re going to suddenly release a fresh batch of data, 40 years after the fact, and it’s being treated by a publicity stunt by NASA.\n

    I’m half expecting them to do a big George Lucas “Digitally Remastered” release in full color and surround sound.\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n