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Re: (meteorobs) Perspective
Thank you Peter,
You understood it perfectly.
Clear Skies,
Shy
----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter Brunone" <peter@brunone.com>
To: <meteorobs@atmob.org>
Sent: Wednesday, February 05, 2003 4:55 AM
Subject: RE: (meteorobs) Perspective
>
> Just one observation before this thread dies: Israel is a great example
of
> a nation "learning to fish", so to speak. They started with desert, and
> have created a thriving country with food and resources, advanced
> technology, and even a hand in the space program. All this is merely to
say
> that Shy speaks from knowledge on the subject, and has (in my opinion) a
> very valid point.
>
> Clear skies, warm memories, and bright hope for the future,
>
> Peter
>
> |-----Original Message-----
> |From: owner-meteorobs@atmob.org
> |[mailto:owner-meteorobs@atmob.org]On Behalf Of Shy Halatzi
> |Sent: Tuesday, February 04, 2003 5:19 PM
> |To: meteorobs@atmob.org
> |Subject: Re: (meteorobs) Perspective
> |
> |
> |Hi Mike,
> |
> |I think this is a very narrow way of seeing things...
> |You make it seem as if those billions of dollars are "wasted" on space,
> |rather than put in other places where they are needed more. This is not
> |true. For every dollar invested in space, economists estimate a return of
> |6-10 dollars. Space is profitable!
> |Another thing is, that many new medicines and medical treatments have
been
> |improved, invented or made in space, so that space exploration
> |helps also to
> |the Africans and to those that have cancer. There are of course countless
> |other things that me and you wouldn't have if space science didn't exist.
> |Certainly the starving Africans wouldn't.
> |
> |And if you do want to talk about the starving people in Africa, think
about
> |the reasons why they are starving. They live mostly in countries that are
> |unindustrialized, not democratic, and not technologically advanced. Three
> |things that only come to be in a country that is scientificly active,
> |advanced, successful, and invests in science. So it is not food
> |and medicine
> |we should send to Africa, but science kits, teachers, books, pens,
> |notebooks. Don't give them fish, teach them how to fish.
> |If we take money from science and give to the poor in order to make
things
> |better, eventually we will get the opposite of what we wished for.
> |
> |To those of you who claim robots are better than men, I have several
things
> |to say. First, robots cannot do everything. They can do a lot of
> |things, but
> |not everything. Secondly, if we are smart humans, we must think about the
> |future. Today, perhaps, it is costly and dangerous(not that dangerous
> |though) to go in space. But in 50 years from now, we will be able to send
> |people to space by cheaper and safer means. Space tourism, interplanetary
> |manned missions, marsian and lunar colonies, asteroid mining - all of
these
> |will be reality for our children.
> |In 100 years from now(let's hope no earlier than that), it is also very
> |possible that earth just won't be good enough anymore. Population will
> |explode, resources will dwindle to zero, global warming might take over.
We
> |must be able to survive outside our planet as well, Mars is a very good
> |option. Otherwise, the human kind will be exstinct very quickly(it is a
> |miracle that we are still here in my opinion).
> |
> |To conclude, space is good for us. We must go one despite the things that
> |have happened. I am absolutely sure that all seven astronauts that lost
> |their lives on columbia would agree 100% on this one.
> |
> |Clear skies and happier news to us all,
> |Shy
> |
> |----- Original Message -----
> |From: "Michael Linnolt" <mlinnolt@alum.mitdot edu>
> |To: <meteorobs@atmob.org>
> |Sent: Tuesday, February 04, 2003 11:08 PM
> |Subject: (meteorobs) Perspective
> |
> |> While clearing my mailbox of this deluge of messages on the shuttle
> |tragedy, it occured to me how little news is accorded to the 1000's of
> |people who die of starvation in Africa and to the 500,000 or more
> |who die of
> |cancer in the US every year... Now where should we be spending the
billions
> |of dollars it will cost to figure out a more reliable spaceship?
> |>
> |> Mike Linnolt
>
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