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[Vertigon]

blah blah space wanking

I didn't talk down to you

Maybe this isn't specifically "talking down", but that doesn't make you any less of an asshole.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

Note the bold.

So, I googled it and read about it, and it didn't interest me one bit. What do I care about space flight? We are wasting money that could be spend making our lifes on earth better for all I care.

You should care about space flight because it has been one of the largest non-war based sources of technology humanity has ever had, and it is our future. By going into space, we are making our lives on Earth better through research and eventually resources. The planet isn't an unlimited crucible, Lysabild. We're going to drain this place dry one day, no matter how effectively we try not to, and when that happens we need to be ready. Right now, humanity is in a fragile state. We could destroy our species here, but if we work to have colonies elsewhere in the solar system that won't be as big of a threat anymore.

We don't have the technology to create working off-world colonies just yet, so we need to work towards it like we work towards everything else we don't have but could feasibly have and use.

[ChairmanPoo]

I agree that some good has come of it of course, but nothing I wouldn't exchange for better means to fight cancer, or better ways to feed the population.

False Dichotomy. Having a space program isn't going to prevent us from doing cancer or agricultural research.

To be fair, it's not necessarily a false dichotomy. If there's a finite ammount of pie, the more people who take a piece, the smaller the pieces will be.

[Darvi]

Except research isn't related to pastry. Unless it's cookietology, in which case it is.

[Lord Shonus]

Note the bold.

So, I googled it and read about it, and it didn't interest me one bit. What do I care about space flight? We are wasting money that could be spend making our lifes on earth better for all I care.

You should care about space flight because it has been one of the largest non-war based sources of technology humanity has ever had, and it is our future. By going into space, we are making our lives on Earth better through research and eventually resources. The planet isn't an unlimited crucible, Lysabild. We're going to drain this place dry one day, no matter how effectively we try not to, and when that happens we need to be ready. Right now, humanity is in a fragile state. We could destroy our species here, but if we work to have colonies elsewhere in the solar system that won't be as big of a threat anymore.

We don't have the technology to create working off-world colonies just yet, so we need to work towards it like we work towards everything else we don't have but could feasibly have and use.

Actually, we may. We already have the capability to support almost completely autonomous groups of people for years on end (Ohio-class SSBNs could operate for very large amounts of time completely submerged if people didn't have this troublesome aversion to being stuck in a metal tube for too long.) The only real stumbling block at this time is travel time, which could be remedied by existing technology provided someone was willing to spend enough money scaling up an ion drive.

[scriver]

We don't have the technology to create working off-world colonies just yet, so we need to work towards it like we work towards everything else we don't have but could feasibly have and use.

But don't you understand, MSH, that preparing yourself for something before you need it is a complete waste of money, time, and people? It's like checking if the life-boats are floating before the ship is sinking.

And Lysa, the space-travelling is what drives the space programme research. Without it, there would be no research done. And we would have none of the things linked to above, which could or have helped people all over the world with exactly the things you are saying we should spend the funds working against.

[Lysabild]

We don't have the technology to create working off-world colonies just yet, so we need to work towards it like we work towards everything else we don't have but could feasibly have and use.

But don't you understand, MSH, that preparing yourself for something before you need it is a complete waste of money, time, and people? It's like checking if the life-boats are floating before the ship is sinking.

And Lysa, the space-travelling is what drives the space programme research. Without it, there would be no research done. And we would have none of the things linked to above, which could or have helped people all over the world with exactly the things you are saying we should spend the funds working against.

Your repeated sarcasm serves little purpose, especially when it doesn't even relate to what I write.

Prove to me, that these things would never have existed without the desire to troll the russians and dance on the moon and I'll admit I'm wrong on that fact, but I'll still believe we could spend the money better today.

[Leafsnail]

SATELLITES SATELLITES SATELLITES

Comon, can you still not see how going into space is vital for sending things into orbit?

[olemars]

You don't just push a button and science comes out. It takes ages to build up the skills and knowledge to really push a research field ahead. With the space shuttle program going into the freezer a lot of that hard-earned competence will be lost.

[Lysabild]

SATELLITES SATELLITES SATELLITES

Comon, can you still not see how going into space is vital for sending things into orbit?

Uuhhh... Don't you read? Also, the way you put it, no. We don't need people in space to send things into space.

All your arguements build on what have happened, a lot of shit was found out, why do you automatically assume that money spent elsewhere would have made worse discoveries? We might not have had a heart pump, but maybe we'd have cured aids, who knows? But I'd not spend my money on Space, that is for sure.

The whole space thing was from the start a wanking contest between Russia and America.

Edit:

You don't just push a button and science comes out. It takes ages to build up the skills and knowledge to really push a research field ahead. With the space shuttle program going into the freezer a lot of that hard-earned competence will be lost.

Possibly, but do you think we'll need these famed things the space programme will do within a hundred years? The competence are going to die of age, and we're better off getting society to catch up to science before doing more science.

[Leafsnail]

Uuhhh... Don't you read? Also, the way you put it, no. We don't need people in space to send things into space.

But to maintain them and perform meaningful experiments in space... yes, we do.  Discoveries don't come about by magic.

All your arguements build on what have happened, a lot of shit was found out, why do you automatically assume that money spent elsewhere would have made worse discoveries? We might not have had a heart pump, but maybe we'd have cured aids, who knows? But I'd not spend my money on Space, that is for sure.

Yes, we definitely could've cured AIDs before it was even discovered.

And what is this magical "elsewhere" you want us to spend money on?  As far as I can tell, you just irrationally hate the space programme and deny all of its many important achievements.  Maybe money spent elsewhere would make other discoveries.  But money spent there also makes important discoveries, and I don't see why you want to get rid of those.

The whole space thing was from the start a wanking contest between Russia and America.

Even if I overlook the blatant oversimplification... so what?  Let's say that human civilisation was originally a wanking contest between two neighbouring tribes.  Would that automatically make civilisation bad?

[MetalSlimeHunt]

The whole space thing was from the start a wanking contest between Russia and America.

Even if I overlook the blatant oversimplification... so what?  Let's say that human civilisation was originally a wanking contest between two neighbouring tribes.  Would that automatically make civilisation bad?

I don't see why that would be an issue either. "Because I can" has been a valid justification for plenty of acts throughout the generations.

[Lysabild]

As far as I can tell, you just irrationally hate the space programme and deny all of its many important achievements. 

I don't deny anything, you can find atleast one quote of mine where I acknowledge them, however, I still think the money would've been better spent elsewhere.

The whole space thing was from the start a wanking contest between Russia and America.

Even if I overlook the blatant oversimplification... so what?  Let's say that human civilisation was originally a wanking contest between two neighbouring tribes.  Would that automatically make civilisation bad?

I don't see why that would be an issue either. "Because I can" has been a valid justification for plenty of acts throughout the generations.

Not an issue, just saying it's not some heroic thing to make earth a better place to live that has yielded your list of wonderful inventions.

[anzki4]

But don't you understand, MSH, that preparing yourself for something before you need it is a complete waste of money, time, and people? It's like checking if the life-boats are floating before the ship is sinking.

A: "Should we check if this parachute works before you jump?"
B: "No need. I can test it after I've jumped."

[MetalSlimeHunt]

The whole space thing was from the start a wanking contest between Russia and America.

Even if I overlook the blatant oversimplification... so what?  Let's say that human civilisation was originally a wanking contest between two neighbouring tribes.  Would that automatically make civilisation bad?

I don't see why that would be an issue either. "Because I can" has been a valid justification for plenty of acts throughout the generations.

Not an issue, just saying it's not some heroic thing to make earth a better place to live that has yielded your list of wonderful inventions.

Yeah, and? I don't care about their motivations, I care about the lives improved through said wonderful inventions. To me, that is a heroic act by definition, even if it arose from national rivalry.