Matter for debate..

user_name

...Is it okay for governments to spend millions of *insert various currencies here* on space exploration ever year?

I'm debating this in school next week, And I just wanted to see everyone's opinions about the matter, so IS IT??

Lets face it the government aren't exctly going to spend the money on something more worthwhile, its not like the president will just think hey lets give some money to the Third World for no reason. So why shouldn't they spend it on Space Exploration, people are curious as to whats there, and if we're supposed to be THE superior life form on Earth then why shouldn't we? huh huh?

Orion

2 posts since October - both today. 1 pimping a band (your band? Are you the drummer?) and the other is this one. huh huh Jill?

Redshift

Macros42 wrote:

2 posts since October - both today. 1 pimping a band (your band? Are you the drummer?) and the other is this one. huh huh Jill?

Please don't make a post like this again; Any problems you have with the original poster belong in a PM not here or if you have a problem with a particular post use the report post feature.

Capt'n Midnight

As an oversimplification, any money reduction in funds to NASA would almost certainly go into the US Defense Budget. In a country someone running for the senate can propose a drop in education grants to reduce the price of petrol, the chances of NASA money ending up in the third world is about nil.

breadmonkey

Here here, bureaucracy rules all!

Tea drinker

Space exploration is only one aspect of the space industry, which as far as I know mostly makes a profit. We are told profit is good as it allows us to breed and then feed the our spawn. Perhaps poor countries just need a "good corprate culture" , and the problem has nothing to do with space at all? (!)
As for us being the superior form of life, "the planet" would not agree, isn't that why so many people are starving (no food - why??) climate change - desertification - floods etc. Of course I am not a heartless B*****d, I wish no one had to suffer like that, and if my family was starving I would have a different opinion. Maybe it's like the health service here, no matter how much money is put into it is still a disaster.
They say give a man a fish feed him for a day etc.
But if there is no river what does he do, or if he already caught all the fish?
Ah never mind.
Anyway...the exploration / pure science side of the industry is, IMHO what allows the rest of the industry to exist, through technological advances, manufacturing, material, skilled labour etc. Of course "defense" spending helps too.
Advances in science can help us as a RACE. We can understand climate change ( space aspect - use of satellites, GPS etc), perhaps even avert our own demise. looking at other planets may help understand greenhouse effect as well. and ehh, WD40 was invented for U.S. rocket program in the '50s
You know what WD40 is?
Oh and one day bruce willis will go up and sort out a meteor or comet or something that would otherwise wipe us all out, yes, even Kildare.

Flukey

YEs, the space race is worth spending money on. If you want to find wastes of money there are plenty of other places you can find it. The biggest wastes of money are often where most money is being asked for. People say money shouldn't go on this and that and instead should go to the the health service. You'll find some of the biggest wastes of money are in the health service, and if that money was spent and managed properly, there would not be near the same problem. Anyway, getting back to what we are meant to be discussing, money spent on things like space and other areas of science does reap rewards, maybe not immediately, but in time. The fact you are sitting here able to read this on the computer you are sitting at, is down to the money spent over the decades on things like space. Out of it has come all sorts of advancements that go into many other areas, which then benefit. So yes, money is worth spending on space and other scientific exploits.

albertw

Flukey wrote:

So yes, money is worth spending on space

Though...

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/18/business/18space.html?ei=5065&en=60787fcf0b0f012c&ex=1116993600&adxnnl=1&partner=MYWAY&adxnnlx=1116389179-cuLSydFa9CCBN0MvzsfilA&pagewanted=print

Flukey

True Albertw, but like my proviso with the health spending, it is how and what it is spent on that is improtant too. No money is worth spending on anything if it is going to be wasted or done for some negative purpose.

ISAW

user_name wrote:

...Is it okay for governments to spend millions of *insert various currencies here* on space exploration ever year?

I'm debating this in school next week, And I just wanted to see everyone's opinions about the matter, so IS IT??

Leo Enright did something on the pro side in the last year for Irish times or for Astronomy and Space Magasine.

the best Anti over the last year was Stephen Weingergs "the Wrong Stuff" in the new york review of Books last Spring somethie.

Yep Volume 51, Number 6 · April 8, 2004

http://www.nybooks.com/articles/article-preview?article_id=17011