Scientists are already jockeying for time slots for ambitious research projects on the proposed Thirty Meter Telescope and another giant telescope being constructed in Chile.

His handling of the TMT standoff exhibits paralysis and policy schizophrenia. Instead of confidence, we see chaos.

Their botched handling of the Mauna Kea telescope project ought to make us all cynical about Hawaii’s ability to manage any big, new projects.

Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms are vital for activists behind the protests, whether it’s bolstering turnout or raising money.

Two-thirds of Hawaii voters polled want the telescope built on Mauna Kea. But Native Hawaiians and residents under 50 were more likely to oppose the project.

The director of the Spanish astrophysics institute said the Canary Islands site still remains only a backup to placing the TMT on Mauna Kea.

The six-member task force will report to the Board of Regents.

TMT officials say the world’s largest telescope will be a zero-waste facility, while the state has determined  it doesn’t pose a risk to the Big Island’s water supply.

What’s happening at Mauna Kea is a form of nation-building, and its value supersedes whatever the Thirty Meter Telescope could accomplish.

The TMT conflict can seem irreconcilable. Mediation experts and others weigh in on possible strategies for getting people to the table and resolving these types of disputes.

Many telescope staffers are frustrated by not being able to work, but they understand where the protesters are coming from.

Many of the leaders the Big Island mayor talked with Monday were from Oahu. He met earlier with the protesters at Mauna Kea Access Road.