Serious debate - The space program

[Arthur Dent]

Just a little debate:

Should the billions of dollars given to the space program be redirected to social problems like poverty and education?

Pro:

The two greatest forces for the development of new technology in the 20th Century were war and the space program. Both have produced new technology that benefits every day life.

Space exploration also feeds our species need to explore and learn.

Con:

Billions of dollars are spent studying stars, planets, etc. gathering knowledge that has almost no practical application to everyday life.

At the same time, that money could be used for more immediate social concerns like poverty, homlessness, and the poor condition of our educational system.


What's your view?

[LZMF1]

the space exploration mumbo jumbo is a nice idea but maybe we should concentrate on the problems that seem to be festering right here in this great nation of ours.

just my thought on the matter.

[Metalfan]

Should the billions of dollars given to the space program be redirected to social problems like poverty and education?

What will that amount to....about a dozen toilet seats for the Space Program anyway? How many do they really need???

[Arthur Dent]

What will that amount to....about a dozen toilet seats for the Space Program anyway? How many do they really need???

Have you ever seen a zero-g toilet? Scary stuff with all the suction hoses and stuff. :poopain: care:

[Metalfan]

Have you ever seen a zero-g toilet?

No....but I have experienced lift-off while taking a killer shit :thumbs-up:

[DGW]

We spend all this money to find out a week ago that a huge fucking meteor missed us by a couple hundred thousand miles, only after it fucking passes us! They said it had to do with a blind spot due to the sun. I thought blindspots were in yer car when driving?

I can't take being on a boat much less taking a shuttle to a moon colony. I'd probably through up during the flight. My vote is to explore the sea first. We can send a man thousands of miles into space but we can only send a man a couple thousand feet into the sea. Go find those giant squids!

[OAS]

I think millions should be spent to explore weightlessness sex. I'm ready. When's the next scheduled shuttle launch?

[Skitchr4u]

oas, you and the n'sync guy can go up with the russians together...

i think that the space program is a good idea, it allows us to learn about the universe and our place in it...besides, we need to know if there is somewhere else to go once we screw up the earth completely, we are going to need a place to go...

[Spitfire]

Complete waste of money! They just spent billions of dollars to update the Hubble telescope and didn't even know if the thing would work again once they turned the power on...we have enough problems to worry about

And if there is other life out there, I'm sure they don't want us to find them...

[Ken'sPen]

I think there is MUCH to learn in space. I think it is very important for our country to stay as a leader in science.
But I also believe it is not how much money you spend that is important, rather HOW it is spent.
Throwing money on social programs alone won't solve them either.

[Arthur Dent]

I think it's worth it if we colonize Mars in my lifetime. Anybody read Kin Stanley Robinson's "Red Mars"? The first colonists all had to be over child-bearing years because of the effects of radiation exposure during the trip and on the planet. Figure by the time they're ready, I'll be in that age bracket and you know my application will be in. Wonder if I can find a wife daring enought to go and talented enough to make the cut. That's assuming I could make the cut, of course. {}

[Hey Ladi]

besides, we need to know if there is somewhere else to go once we screw up the earth completely, we are going to need a place to go...

So we can mess that up too. No, if we mess up the Earth, we should die like the virus we are. :dead:

I think it's worth it if we colonize Mars in my lifetime.

Anyone remember that story where the people were on the planet where it rained all the time? Was that Venus or Mars? I can never remember the title either.

There was one child who remembered living on Earth & being in the sun. He would always tell the other kids about it. When the one day of sun happened on the planet they were on now. The kids locked that one in a closet so he couldn't go out & play.

[Arpikarhu]

what people dont realize is that thousands of practical inventions comeout from technology developed by nasa. those who think the money would be best spent elsewhere are shortsighted and attempting to deny mans natural proclivity towards exploration.

[Hey Ladi]

what people dont realize is that thousands of practical inventions comeout from technology developed by nasa.

Where would the world be without Tang!!

[OAS]

I still think the sex study is the best use of money. How does one do it doggie style in a zero-gravity environment? Will you have the same thrust if there is nothing to support your wieght? Does one still get an erection if the blood doesn't know which way is up? If you spin a woman sitting on your junk, will she keep spinning until someone stops her? If the shuttle fires it retros just as your thrusting, does that heighten the pleasure? If you travel backwards at the speed of light at orgasm time do you start your encounter at the foreplay time just as you cum?

Enquiring minds want to know. :confused:

[Arthur Dent]

I think zero-g sex would require an assortment of bungee cords. Sounds like fun. :bouncer:

[Hey Ladi]

an assortment of bungee cords

But they would stretch when you pulled. I was thinking more like seat belt material. You could definitly get some funny angles. I bet it'd be like one of those swings, but better. :thumbs-up:

[Sir O]

Anyone remember that story where the people were on the planet where it rained all the time? Was that Venus or Mars? I can never remember the title either.

There was one child who remembered living on Earth & being in the sun. He would always tell the other kids about it. When the one day of sun happened on the planet they were on now. The kids locked that one in a closet so he couldn't go out & play.

Wow, I actually have seen that. I think it was an episode of Nova, but I'm not really sure. No clue on what the planet was, though it couldn't be Venus, because Venus is just a big ball of gas and totally uninhabitable...

Of course I wouldn't know this without any space program, so I say screw the homeless, knowledge and science is greater...

[AdolescentMasturbator]

NASA has been totally neglected in recent years and it is really showing. Think about it if a meteor did happen to collide with Earth in a few hundred years and we had colonized Mars. The human race would still be going on. And we should begin terraforming Mars. I saw a show about it where there would be stages of atmosphere. One where humans could breathe the air in 5 seconds. One where light space suits were only necesary. And finally the completely habitable atmosphere. Of course there are more stages in between and it will tkae a long ass time to do this but it's worth it.

[Ken'sPen]

Sir O
the space program failed you,
Venus is not a ball of gas.
Just has a very dense atmosphere.