Quote Originally Posted by LuckyG
I've heard that with the annual budget for NASA you could solve the world hunger problem. I've also heard that the cost of one day of war in Iraq can do the same thing.

Space is awesome, but let its exploration be financed by independents, not by the country in general. I don't actually believe that we can learn very much about Earth by going to other totally different planets - that line of thinking is so backwards. Even if we did find minerals and such that we're running low on, it would cost billions of dollars and take decades to ship them back here. I'd rather money be spent on exploring the oceans, which are like 95% unexplored. Seeing as how they cover 70% of the Earth's surface, I'm sure there is a lot of stuff underwater that could be used to help us.

But then I'm Canadian, so I don't have to worry about how America spends its tax dollars.


Perhaps u r right. I've just always kind of been an idealist when it comes to space. I was really impressed in Star Trek: First Contact because the first extra terrestrial intellects contacted earth when they sensed the signature from the first earth -made light-speed capable engine. Until then they were bound not to contact technologically inferior civilizations as it would interfere with their development.

My point is not that there are aliens overhead that are eager to see us catch up, but rather that our immediate space goal should be speed, not local exploration. We're not going to get much done in outer space until we can travel much faster that what is current, so I guess exploration funds might be diverted into research for a new paradigm of space travel.

I still maintain that collective awareness of the universe, especially if intelligent life is discovered, will result in many social negatives melting away, like petty economics and racism. The world will feel more united, and I think we'd appreciate the singularity of the planet more. I don't know if it would eventually yield a utopian, capital-less society like in Star Trek, but I continue to be an idealist