Is Space Exploration Worth It?

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

-DEADLY SUSHI-

Washing Up
Joined
Mar 9, 2004
Messages
6,070
Location
NW Chicago Burbs'
Well I saw that some moon has water. Great. More wasted tax dollars. Couple billion to find water on a round rock in space. Some schools dont have enough money for an arts class. Some counties dont have enough money to help the sick and poor. But hey..... thats alright. Because we found water on a rock. :glare:
 
I find that news to be absolutley amazing. That means that there is a good chance there is other life than just what we know of on our planet. That is huge!
 
A crashed UFO to ME is huge. Water on a rock in space is interesting. No offense GB. Tell NASA to call me when they found or done something that actually changes my life for the better besides visco-elastic foam. :LOL:
 
baby steps DS, baby steps. The life that we eventually find, if we ever do find life, will most likely not be the kind of life that travels in spaceships. Never the less it could help us understand a lot about ourselves which could have huge ramifications in everything from medicine to understanding the human brain to just about anything else.
 
I understand where you are comming from GB. Hey Im a geek. I love Star Trek and Doctor Who. Alas this discovery has cost 3.5 BILLION dollars. And it does no one any good. Tell the people who have an illness that 3.5 billion dollars went to find this water. Or the 1.3 billion people who dont have clean drinking water. Or the people that cant afford medicine.
I understand that this discovery is 'cool'. But it does humanity no good. To me its like setting 3.5 billion dollars on fire.
 
I respectfully disagree. You might not see the good this discovery has done, but more good has come out of the space program than we could possibly list here. Yes it is expensive, but there are so many valuable things that have come from it and will continue to come from it that it is just amazing.
 
I should explain myself better. NASA HAS done a lot of good. (I was joking about the visco-elastic foam message in the above post) Im saying that missions like the one we are talking about do no good. Satelites are great! The things that orbit our plant for humanities benefit. But sending these things to other planets besides our moon to ME are a total waste. Verging on criminal.
 
You need to take these steps in order to make discoveries. You can't just expect to find stuff out by sitting in a boardroom talking about it. You need to get out there and look. I would not want to live in the world that we would have had we not gained all the knowledge that we already have from missions like this one. Lifespans would be shorter, disease and illnesses would be much greater, we wouldn't have all sorts of modern convieniences that we have now etc.
 
Ok to be fair, what is going to be done with this new data?
How has ANY of these probes helped humanity?
I do not disagree its important to discover and search. But lets search for a purpose (ie: to find new medicine etc).
And lets explore our own earth 1st! Dont you think it is wiser to spend money exploring our oceans 1st?? :huh:
What are we looking for out there that is more important than discovering what we have here? It just seems like a horrible strategy for discovering anything worth our time.
Lets discover a way to get us away from oil dependancy.
Lets discover a way to find something on earth that will cure or help people.
Lets find a way for the poor to afford medication.
 
What makes you think that those things can be found on Earth and not in space. Why put all your eggs in one basket? Why not explore both? Look at how many things have come out of the space program. Medicine is what it is today because of the space program.

It is funny that you bring up exporing our oceans vs exporing outer space. I once had a very loud and interesting debate with a co-worker/friend that lasted about 4 hours on that very topic :)
 
You didnt answer any of the questions I asked you in my last message.
9.gif


Come on Probe Boy. Lets hear your answers. :LOL:
26.gif

Its like driving to a different COUNTRY to find a job when you havent really looked in the cities around you. And you dont know WHATS in the other country.
 
Last edited:
I only see two questions that you asked and I answered one of them. The other question, "What are we looking for out there that is more important than discovering what we have here?" is not a fair question and also was answered by my answer to your other question. I said that we should not put all of our eggs in one basket. Why should we only explore this planet. Why not expore here AND outer space?

As far as what do we expect to find...How knows, but look at all that we already HAVE found. If we have found that much already don't you think we will continue finding more? We have only scratched the surface of exploration.
 
My questions: what is going to be done with this new data?
How has ANY of these probes helped humanity?

You said: "As far as what do we expect to find...How knows, but look at all that we already HAVE found."

The things that have been discovered by probes.... what, if anything possitive has come out of them except happy scientists? Also, logically speaking.... would it not be more logical to put the 3.5 billions dollars in a SPECIFIC discovery-ended mission (ie: getting away from oil dependancy) as opposed to "lets send this really expensive probe out to this planet. Why? Ummmmm.... cause we MIGHT find a really NEAT water gyser. What are we going to DO with it... IF we find it?? Ummmmmm..... take some pictures and get really excited!! Whats that you say? Is that worth 3.5 BILLION dollars? Well YEAH! Im not paying for it, so why not??? Sure we could help out our country by doing OTHER things with the money.... but just THINK how happy you are going to be when you see the AWSOME blow-hole in a planet...... that is..... IF there IS one." :sorcerer:
 
Boy, are you in a bad mood, Sush..........

Tell the old guys - Captain Cook, Magellan, Vasco de Gama -- and Christopher-f-ing-Columbus, fer cryin out loud -- that it was all a waste of time and money.
 
James Cook: sailed to chart the land for war reasons.

Magellan: Wanted to find a route to the Moluccas. If Magellan could reach the Moluccas from the West, Spain's wealth would surpass all other countries. He sailed around the world.

Vasco da Gama:Established trade route from Europe to India. He was a pirate and murder. " At one point, da Gama waited for a ship to return from Mecca, and seized all the merchandise; they then locked the 380 passengers in the hold and set the ship on fire. It took four days for the ship to sink, killing all men, women, and children."

Chris Columbus: While on a voyage of exploration for Spain in search of a direct sea trade route to the Far East, Christopher Columbus unintentionally discovered the New World.

All these folks went for a reason. For expanded trade. (and or war advantages) More trade = more money and better living. :cool: Have to say I learned a lot researching these guys!! :)
 
Nasa is out there trying to learn about how the earth was created. If there is more life out there. Looking for new ways to do things better that we already do here. Looking for new materials to do those things.

They are not just jumping in a spaceship and going for a joy ride. Each launch has many different purposes.
 
How the earth was created: to what benefit??? and maybe they should finish exploring the sea 1st. Hey why not explore your backyard before going across town?

To see if there is more life: Let them come to US. Im in no rush to find out. I rather findout answers to more pressing questions.

Looking to improve ways of doing things: Why do we have to send muli-billion dollar probes to a planet to see a big blow-hole to accomplish that?

Looking for new materials:We can do that on earth just as easily by exploring the ocean.

Again, Im not against obiting satelites that are beneficial. Im against spending tax dollars on something that is a fun toy for astronomers and scientists. You still didnt answer my 2 questions:

What is going to be done with this new data on the gyser?
How has ANY of these probes helped humanity?
How has finding this thing changed anything? Why should I care about the gyser except for it being 'neat'?
 
-DEADLY SUSHI- said:
What is going to be done with this new data on the gyser?
This goes to prove that life could possibly exist elsewhere. You can't tell me that that is not worth a few billion to find out.

-DEADLY SUSHI- said:
How has ANY of these probes helped humanity?
How has finding this thing changed anything? Why should I care about the gyser except for it being 'neat'?
I am not exactly sure which probes you are talking about. there have been many many probes that have been launched, each with a different purpose.
 
ok ok ok everybody behave or I am pulling the car over, and letting you guys out :w00t:

just teasin.. just thought I would break up the tension a bit :)
 
I guess we DS and I should post a message that he and I have discussed this in PM's and want to assure everyone that we are not fighting, but just having a lively converstion. One of which we are on opposite sides. We are still very much friends and don't want anyone to get the wrong idea that this is a fight :)
 
Back
Top Bottom