The little boy who told me space was a waste of money.

Void · 2018-03-11 21:03:00

I had an odd experience last week.

I was waiting with relatives outside of a buffet, for our table.
I was looking on my phone at newmars.

A little boy asked me newmar was. I said it was a web site where people discuss space things.

He said "Like wasting money on space things?".

I was polite and paused, then I tried to explain to him that some day minerals may run out on Earth and it may be possible to get some from space. He said "Minerals in your body?".

I said Aluminum, Nickel, Iron...Ect.

Then he went to a discussion about a game a relative was playing.

The point being I should think it is likely that the boy was repeating things the adults in his life may have said about space.

So, I guess they are out there.

Going to buffets to pig out, and yet not understanding that their easy way of life is provided by technological advances.

They seem rather uninformed/ignorant, and ungrateful to me.

It is a good thing Elon Musk and the others are on the ball.

Elon Musk: Dark Ages coming.
https://www.theverge.com/2018/3/11/1710 … -sxsw-2018

SpaceNut · 2018-03-11 22:44:08

Which brings up the question that the poor ask why billions spent on space and simular questions.

Why's so much money spent on space research while Earth's billions live in poverty & die from hunger & strife?

NASA spent billions of dollors on space, why don't they utilize it on poor countries for their betterness?

Space Exploration Is a Waste of Money

https://unreasonable.is/why-spend-money … -on-earth/

http://www.debate.org/opinions/is-space … -the-money

http://www.debate.org/opinions/should-a … ey-on-nasa

I have heard this very question from wife and others that do not understand that the money stays here on the ground, that science is conducted that benefits the people here on the ground with research that targets both man here and now in the future.

kbd512 · 2018-03-12 00:28:02

There will always be poor people and war as long as humans are involved. We spend money on space so that there is at least the chance that the future will be better for those who follow us. Ignorance is a growing problem in the industrialized world and remains the primary problem in the undeveloped world. Industrialized societies have insulated enough people from stupid decisions and beliefs that we have enormous numbers of people who would be dead inside of a week if the giant support system we've built up around them failed them in any significant way. Money is just a human brain idea, like safety. It exists only because we needed to make up a system to exchange the results of our labor.

Last edited by kbd512 (2018-03-12 00:28:42)

louis · 2018-03-12 06:39:08

There's public space effort, government funded, but there's also the very sizeable private space sector. The UK actually has a very good private satellite sector that generates billions of pounds each year in earnings.

The exploration of Mars will bring huge benefits to people on Earth, I believe, in the long term.

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#1 2018-03-11 21:03:00

The little boy who told me space was a waste of money.

#2 2018-03-11 22:44:08

Re: The little boy who told me space was a waste of money.

#3 2018-03-12 00:28:02

Re: The little boy who told me space was a waste of money.

#4 2018-03-12 06:39:08

Re: The little boy who told me space was a waste of money.

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