re: #181 Alyosha

I can’t stand the sort of people who look at the cost of a space program and get all pissed off because it’s money that could be better used on Earth. I mean, there’s some truth to the argument but it’s not an excuse not to.

Besides, the people who have absolutely no curiosity about the Universe because ‘there’s nothing there’ and ignores every scientific breakthrough a space program has achieved are the same ones who through their ignorance and selfishness trash the Earth, making the need to colonise other planets merely in order to survive a desperate inevitability.

Stupid.

Actually, it’s not true that the money could be better used on Earth.

Computers. Velcro. Tang. New useful metal alloys. Water purification, air filtration, UV protection, fuels, weather satellites, satphones, etc etc etc etc. And how many of those patents are open-source because the government doesn’t collect royalties?

(although, there is some truth that maybe not every single dollar was wisely spent.

Old joke. American space program, because 49 ballpoints are useless in zero gravity, spends umpteen years and x bazillion dollars developing a special writing implement that blah blah blah. The Russians? Used pencils.)