Idiots, Idiots, Idiots!
 

Sad. Astronomy often gets the short shrift. :nope:

It's only been recently that NASA was shamed into deciding to rescue the Hubble Space Telescope one last time. Maybe there will be a similar outcry in Britain over Gemini.

You kidding, people in the UK don't care about this, it is too clever for the average UKer who have been dumbed down to think education is crap and being thick is good.

How true!

@3Jane: Duh, who u callin thick? :88) Remember, this forum is populated by people from all over the world and we don't want to give them the wrong inpression, now do we :D Seriously though, I hear what you're saying. My 14 y-o son is A* all the way in maths, science (including astronomy) and most other things he puts his head around, but to the majority of kids at his school, he's a 'keener'. Thankfully, his attitude is **** you lot, I want a decent job when I'm older. I find the attitude you refer to particularly repugnant as I had to fight for my education against just such entrenched attitudes. It p's me off when people in other parts of the world have no chance of an education whatsoever and I see a bunch of chavs on a street corner throwing it away. Grrrr. Sorry. Rant over. Think I'll go blow up a few English ships...

The bottom line is, unless the people in power see it making money for THEM DIRECTLY and IMMEDIATELY, they aren't going to fund it. Unfortunately, Astronomy is one of those fields that doesn't really give a high financial return unless you take YEARS to study the data, give it to the physics community and they take the lessons they learned to give to the government/investor's scientists to figure out how they can apply the findings to manufacturing and developing new technologies that will make them rich quick.

Astronomy has suffered this stigma since the glory days.:nope:
It's not about the discovery anymore.. it's about.. "How much money can this make me ?"

Sad to hear. I've frequented a few astronomy boards and there always seem to be quite a few enthusatic Brits about. But maybe they're the older set. :cry:

I agree entirely Blacklight. Also, I believe funding astronomy, and by extension space exploration, is absolutely fundamental. It could put an end once and for all to the idea that the Earth is the centre of everything and was created by some deity or other. Now that's what I call useful research! :up:

:rotfl:

Wait a minute your serious. :huh:


Dumb UK. :damn:

A very sweeping and condescending statement. :nope:

I care, especially as I like to get my horrorscope. Seriously.

Idiots, Idiots, Idiots!

Did you call? :88)

Sorry for misquoting you 3Jane. Was in a mission and not paying enough attention to the BBS on my laptop. Same applies to Xabbarus though, who yo callin fick?:88)

Sweeping but also very close to the truth. I know there are people who do care but they are in the minority. What I am getting at is in the UK there is teh cult of celebrity and being seen to be smart isn't the cool thing. Take a look at the likes of Jade Goody there is no way on earth she shoul be where she is but for the fact she behaved badly on live TV and as a result has made a mint, and also lost it due to her idiocy. But the fact remains many people bought her book, many people bought her perfume, and believe it or not but her and her ilk are role models albeit bad ones.

I'm as pissed as this announcment as you and many other people are even though I just stare up at the stars and think "cool" but I understand the implications.

Speaking of which, dumbing down takes a new twist :huh: :o :roll: :huh: :-? :o

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7209276.stm

That's it!, I'm leaving the country !

Oh yes! My god! If ever there was a bad thing, this is it. I'm doing an ITT course and the amount of kids that have turned round and said to me "oh I don't need school, I'm gonna get a job when I leave."

I just look at this "McQualifacation" and think, this is going to reduce ethos further. I'm expecting comments like "I don't need school I can get a job at McDonalds, get paid, and get qualifacations"!

Oh boy!

Ah well, it gives the kids something to do.