Scientific Curiosity or Humanity's Egoism

[1549]

Somewhere between reading about NASA's moon missions, Russia's proposed elavator to the moon, water on Mars, encouragement for exploration of other galaxies, and using robotic medicine to prolong life another 100 years, I could not help but wonder if many people are struggling to accept death.

Each of these ventures opens a pandora's box. Are there not thousands of better ways to spend the billions of dollars a mission to mars would cost? If we one day find a way to escape the death of this solar system, who would get to leave? Those with loads of money can attempt a trip to another planet, while the rest of us stay here and perish with our aging sun?

This planet is temporary. This universe is temporary. Our lives are temporary. Death is inescapable. The only thing we can do, is make life as fulfilling as possible. At this very moment, millions are starving, millions are homeless, aids is ravaging a continent, wars are taking thousands of lives, and pollution is shortening our existence. The moon is not the answer. There is no way to bail out.

I would enjoy using space to protect this planet from meteors, or to create new technology that can help us all (like juice boxes ). Yet, I feel that is not what is happening. Space is creating a false sense of security. Stephen Hawking believes that we need to explore the universe because Earth is becoming uninhabitable. I think space exploration is a distraction from making Earth inhabitable.

I apologize for this little rant, but our spending is becoming so ungrounded that it is sickening.

 

[dmp]

Well said. I don't agree with everything - but I get what you're saying.

Frankly, if people wanted to avoid death, they'd stop being hard-hearted and idiots, and find God. Cuz...see God MADE all the stuff we're trying to spend billions to learn more about.

 

[ScreamingEagle]

Somewhere between reading about NASA's moon missions, Russia's proposed elavator to the moon, water on Mars, encouragement for exploration of other galaxies, and using robotic medicine to prolong life another 100 years, I could not help but wonder if many people are struggling to accept death.

Each of these ventures opens a pandora's box. Are there not thousands of better ways to spend the billions of dollars a mission to mars would cost? If we one day find a way to escape the death of this solar system, who would get to leave? Those with loads of money can attempt a trip to another planet, while the rest of us stay here and perish with our aging sun?

This planet is temporary. This universe is temporary. Our lives are temporary. Death is inescapable. The only thing we can do, is make life as fulfilling as possible. At this very moment, millions are starving, millions are homeless, aids is ravaging a continent, wars are taking thousands of lives, and pollution is shortening our existence. The moon is not the answer. There is no way to bail out.

I would enjoy using space to protect this planet from meteors, or to create new technology that can help us all (like juice boxes ). Yet, I feel that is not what is happening. Space is creating a false sense of security. Stephen Hawking believes that we need to explore the universe because Earth is becoming uninhabitable. I think space exploration is a distraction from making Earth inhabitable.

I apologize for this little rant, but our spending is becoming so ungrounded that it is sickening.

Space exploration is not about "avoiding death" or "human egoism". It is Man seeking to expand his horizons in many, many ways including the creation of wealth and knowledge and benefits for everybody. It is the future.

We have already put off exploring space for too long due to "paying more attention to the poor". We went to the moon in the early sixties but the space program got side tracked and instead we spent billions and billions on the "war on poverty". It was a complete failure. All it did was create a lazy and "entitled" underclass that sucked our nation dry. It became clear that the real answer to helping the poor is to create jobs so they can become self-sufficient for themselves. Investing in our future via space exploration is also the creation of future jobs and opportunity for millions.

 

[Avatar4321]

we will always have the poor with us.

But space exploration, we might not always have a chance for that. Civilization is very fragile. Knowledge is lost quickly as is civility.

I fear we wont ever get to mars. Not because we don't have the capability, but because our society is at its crossroads in time, and too many people are making bad choices.

 

[1549]

we will always have the poor with us.

But space exploration, we might not always have a chance for that. Civilization is very fragile. Knowledge is lost quickly as is civility.

I fear we wont ever get to mars. Not because we don't have the capability, but because our society is at its crossroads in time, and too many people are making bad choices.

What do we gain from a trip to mars? Lets send A.I. and call it a done deal.

 

[1549]

QUOTE FROM SCREAMINGEAGLE:

Space exploration is not about "avoiding death" or "human egoism". It is Man seeking to expand his horizons in many, many ways including the creation of wealth and knowledge and benefits for everybody. It is the future.

FROM MY ORIGINAL POST:

Stephen Hawking believes that we need to explore the universe because Earth is becoming uninhabitable.

 

[Avatar4321]

What do we gain from a trip to mars? Lets send A.I. and call it a done deal.

How do we know what we gain from it till we do it?

 

[1549]

How do we know what we gain from it till we do it?

Call up any qualified NASA geologist, each could tell you the geological composition of Mars.

 

[dilloduck]

we will always have the poor with us.

But space exploration, we might not always have a chance for that. Civilization is very fragile. Knowledge is lost quickly as is civility.

I fear we wont ever get to mars. Not because we don't have the capability, but because our society is at its crossroads in time, and too many people are making bad choices.

We've already been to Mars. Why do we have this idea that Earth has no more answers for us?

 

[Avatar4321]

We've already been to Mars. Why do we have this idea that Earth has no more answers for us?

who said the earth has no more answers for us? And what is objectionable about learning more?

 

[dilloduck]

who said the earth has no more answers for us? And what is objectionable about learning more?

It's a question of priorities since it's our money that's being used. If learning more is the motive, space is not the only place to look. I guess we can divvy (?) up the bucks and do it all. If I got bucks going up on a rocket I would sorta like to know what the purpose is.