Neil deGrasse Tyson: How Space Exploration Can Make America Great Again

03-06-12, 10:52 PM

Why does it always have to be about "making America great" Why can't we work to further humanity.

Exploring space should be a Terran endeavor not a nationalistic endeavor.

Torplexed · 03-06-12, 11:22 PM

Just to help put things in perspective, the money spent on the last bank bailout was more than the entire 50 year budget of NASA.

Out of a budget dollar, how much do folks think NASA gets? Thirty cents? Twenty cents? Try again, less than half a penny....I think we should actually spend more. I'd hate to see where the US is in 10 years if we take away all of the science, exploration, and education NASA provides. However, they need to find a focus or set a goal. Something they've been sorely lacking since the Apollo program ended.

TLAM Strike · 03-07-12, 12:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rilder

Why does it always have to be about "making America great" Why can't we work to further humanity.

Exploring space should be a Terran endeavor not a nationalistic endeavor.

Because frankly, there are things you can do in/from space that I'm not comfortable in giving the sleazeball Dictators, Theocrats and Komrades that make up most of the UN access to.

Today the Non-militarization of space is enforced by good will. How long will that last when we start to invite the Grand Poo-bah of Stoneage-a-stan to work with our rockets?

03-07-12, 12:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

Because frankly, there are things you can do in/from space that I'm not comfortable in giving the sleazeball Dictators, Theocrats and Komrades that make up most of the UN access to.

Today the Non-militarization of space is enforced by good will. How long will that last when we start to invite the Grand Poo-bah of Stoneage-a-stan to work with our rockets?

Exactly, until humanity gets past this age of petty nationstates, where sleazeball dictators like the US Congress exist, we will never be able to truly unite and explore the solar system and beyond.

kraznyi_oktjabr · 03-07-12, 02:41 AM

Funding exploration is nice - a lot potential technology innovations there. What I don't think is that it would make America great as I don't see how you could keep work in USA. In case you decide to go on with this please remember to ask National People's Congress to send you Christmas card.

stew278 · 03-07-12, 05:53 AM

We need more scientists like Neil deGrasse Tyson. He does such a great job of explaining science in a way that is clear and interesting.

When Dr. Tyson was on the Daily Show a week or so ago he pointed out that the Apollo program only got the amount of funding it did because of the Cold War competition with the Soviets. We spent tons of money to beat them to the Moon, then when we figured out they weren't going, we stopped going.

He made the comment that if the Chinese decide to build a base on the Moon, we'd be back there in under two years.

I am a scientist and, not surprisingly, I'm all for spending more on space exploration. I also think basic research (what some people call "blue sky research") is vital to the advancement of science. Applied science and engineering is what converts discoveries into useful things for humanity, but you can't plan out a breakthrough discovery. Breakthroughs don't necessarily happen by accident, but they do happen by pushing the current boundaries of what is known. Oftentimes this requires doing research for the sake of doing research, as some people would put it. "Blue sky" research is what keeps science and technology growing. It's also what helps inspire young people to go into those fields.

At a time when the President (and others) regularly talk about how the US needs to encourage more children to go into science, math, and engineering, it seems foolish not to increase the funding of one of the highest profile, most advanced scientific organizations in the world (that being NASA).

Unfortunately, most of those making the decisions in the government don't have any appreciation for the value of science. They only see it as another metric to compare how we're supposedly superior to other countries. Until some other nation develops a space program that might be more advanced than the US's, they're not going to start sinking big money into NASA again.

Skybird · 03-07-12, 06:14 AM

Social wellfare only for people agreeing to donate organs? Sorry, but turning human body parts into a regular currency does not sound like an acceptable idea to me.

Also, this. Organ donations miust be taken from biologically living bodies. Not dead bodies. There is a correlation to be seen between the death criterion being moved "forward" in time, and progress being made in transplantation medicine. The more progress there was, the easier a body was declared "dead".

For this, but also for other reasons, I have done two things. I have written a patient'S provision and have a note in my wallet where it is. My parents also have a copy of it. It specifies where I wish to recxeive medical treatment, and from what condition or situation on i just want to receive pain-reducing medication, but not being kept alive. Second I have a donor card that says that I do NOT donate organs - and that I do not wish to receive any organs.

The Chinese have a saying: if you save somebody's life, you are responsible for him from that time on. I think there is truth in it - and I think it has two faces.

03-07-12, 02:41 AM	#5
kraznyi_oktjabr Sea Lord Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Republiken Finland Posts: 1,803 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 0	Funding exploration is nice - a lot potential technology innovations there. What I don't think is that it would make America great as I don't see how you could keep work in USA. In case you decide to go on with this please remember to ask National People's Congress to send you Christmas card. __________________ You talk to God, you're religious. God talks to you, you're psychotic. - Dr. House

03-07-12, 06:14 AM	#7
Skybird Soaring Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: the mental asylum named Germany Posts: 42,685 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	Social wellfare only for people agreeing to donate organs? Sorry, but turning human body parts into a regular currency does not sound like an acceptable idea to me. Also, this. Organ donations miust be taken from biologically living bodies. Not dead bodies. There is a correlation to be seen between the death criterion being moved "forward" in time, and progress being made in transplantation medicine. The more progress there was, the easier a body was declared "dead". For this, but also for other reasons, I have done two things. I have written a patient'S provision and have a note in my wallet where it is. My parents also have a copy of it. It specifies where I wish to recxeive medical treatment, and from what condition or situation on i just want to receive pain-reducing medication, but not being kept alive. Second I have a donor card that says that I do NOT donate organs - and that I do not wish to receive any organs. The Chinese have a saying: if you save somebody's life, you are responsible for him from that time on. I think there is truth in it - and I think it has two faces. __________________ If you feel nuts, consult an expert.

03-06-12, 10:52 PM	#1
Rilder Stowaway Posts: n/a Downloads: Uploads:	Why does it always have to be about "making America great" Why can't we work to further humanity. Exploring space should be a Terran endeavor not a nationalistic endeavor.

03-06-12, 11:22 PM	#2
Torplexed Let's Sink Sumptin' ! Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 5,823 Downloads: 43 Uploads: 0	Just to help put things in perspective, the money spent on the last bank bailout was more than the entire 50 year budget of NASA. Out of a budget dollar, how much do folks think NASA gets? Thirty cents? Twenty cents? Try again, less than half a penny....I think we should actually spend more. I'd hate to see where the US is in 10 years if we take away all of the science, exploration, and education NASA provides. However, they need to find a focus or set a goal. Something they've been sorely lacking since the Apollo program ended.

03-07-12, 05:53 AM	#6
stew278 Loader Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Akron, OH Posts: 81 Downloads: 55 Uploads: 0	We need more scientists like Neil deGrasse Tyson. He does such a great job of explaining science in a way that is clear and interesting. When Dr. Tyson was on the Daily Show a week or so ago he pointed out that the Apollo program only got the amount of funding it did because of the Cold War competition with the Soviets. We spent tons of money to beat them to the Moon, then when we figured out they weren't going, we stopped going. He made the comment that if the Chinese decide to build a base on the Moon, we'd be back there in under two years. I am a scientist and, not surprisingly, I'm all for spending more on space exploration. I also think basic research (what some people call "blue sky research") is vital to the advancement of science. Applied science and engineering is what converts discoveries into useful things for humanity, but you can't plan out a breakthrough discovery. Breakthroughs don't necessarily happen by accident, but they do happen by pushing the current boundaries of what is known. Oftentimes this requires doing research for the sake of doing research, as some people would put it. "Blue sky" research is what keeps science and technology growing. It's also what helps inspire young people to go into those fields. At a time when the President (and others) regularly talk about how the US needs to encourage more children to go into science, math, and engineering, it seems foolish not to increase the funding of one of the highest profile, most advanced scientific organizations in the world (that being NASA). Unfortunately, most of those making the decisions in the government don't have any appreciation for the value of science. They only see it as another metric to compare how we're supposedly superior to other countries. Until some other nation develops a space program that might be more advanced than the US's, they're not going to start sinking big money into NASA again.