We Stopped Dreaming - Something of magnitudes more importance than Kony2012

[SG-17]

Link to video.


NASA is ridiculously underfunded and under-popularized in modern society. We as a culture have lost the desire to explore and further our knowledge, something that can only lead to our end.

 

[dusters]

As for NASA, saving $ to secure what resources we have on Earth and putting max $ on recyclable resources seems like a good idea. However I agree - what date does man land on Mars?

 

[Tee Kay]

NASA is ridiculously underfunded and under-popularized in modern society. We as a culture have lost the desire to explore and further our knowledge, something that can only lead to our end.

I'm the first to mourn the decline of space exploration, but this statement is off the mark. It's more like we as a culture have decided that space exploration is not a top priority. That doesn't in itself indicate that we've lost the desire to expand our horizons.

Hopefully the coming Asian Space Race will get the rockets going again.

 

[El_Machinae]

I totally disagree that it's "more important than Kony". I think that investments devoted to dealing with problems 'like' Kony should easily be 5x the space exploration budget. Probably even more.

World poverty should be getting at least 2.5% of our money. Space exploration should be getting maybe $100 to $150 per capita per year.

I can see an argument for all of science getting more than 'problems like Kony', but that's already intensely true, because we're massively under-investing in problems like Kony (and only partially under-investing in science).

What you're really asking for is that we spend a little less time watching sitcoms, and drink a bit less soda pop, and re-invest those investments into actual progress. Right now, Mabelline is hiring Family Guy to get you to change your perspective on female beauty, so that women need to spend their nonrenewables covering their insecurity. Then McDonalds hires American Idol to tempt you into increasing your obesity-risk. Both of them are distracting you from wisely using your time & money.

(PS: Tyson)

 

[Terxpahseyton]

This video is a wonderful peace of propaganda. Love it
@El_Machinae
You like to bring up this point - that one of our biggest issue is how we make use of our resources. And it is true. And it is important, because it shoots holes into the supposed merits of rational self-interests as big as the moon. But don't omit the fact that we have such vast resources precisely because we allow people to waste them for "sodas".

 

[Leoreth]

Tyson is great.

I don't like the "this is more important than Kony" argument. Just like I hate the "stop shooting men into space, better solve our problems on Earth first!" mentality. These things should not be pitted against each other, especially since committed political will is often more important in both scientific and humanitarian progress than plain money is.

 

[El_Machinae]

But don't omit the fact that we have such vast resources precisely because we allow people to waste them for "sodas".

Yeah, you're right. The problem isn't that we 'allow' people to waste them, because you're right, this is part of the wealth-creation process. The problem is that we 'choose' to waste them.

 

[Fugitive Sisyphus]

You know I'm getting really sick of the glorification of the 1960s.

 

[Formaldehyde]

Isn't "economic growth" based on warmongering and fearmongering a great thing?

What I find particularly offensive is the notion that "we stopped dreaming" after the Apollo Program ended. I would contend that only happened with those who never really dreamed in the first place.

Our entire R&D budget for science is woefully inadequate and it always has been. Sputnik scared it into growing a bit in the 50s and the 60s, but that was gone by the 70s when people started realizing that fear of nuclear Armageddon was just an excuse to increase the military-industrial spending.

I am all for vastly increasing the scientific R&D budgets in this country while vastly decreasing the amount we spend on new military technology and warmongering in general. The real problem with NASA has always been that it is really much more a military program than a scientific/engineering one. It is time we made a huge commitment to increasing basic scientific research that will help the entire world, instead of using it as an excuse to develop even more efficient and deadly ways to kill others.

 

[Cutlass]

Tyson has an article published in the April 2012 issue of Discover Magazine that's well worth a read. Among other things he said he was livid when in a meeting he learned that American aerospace is now just commodities to be argued over rather than something that pushes technology and excitement.

 

[Disgustipated]

I believe manned space travel is unrealistic and futile, and generally a huge waste of money. You cannot exceed the speed of light, why can't people realize this? We'll never get anyplace useful.

We need to protect resources on Earth, and stop messing around in space. I actually think we need to stop messing around with satellites and junk. China could easily cripple the U.S. by disabling all our satellites. We are far too reliant on them, and it will be our downfall.

 

[Ajidica]

I believe manned space travel is unrealistic and futile, and generally a huge waste of money. You cannot exceed the speed of light, why can't people realize this? We'll never get anyplace useful.

Invest in cryogenics and generation ships. Or, simply find a way to make a Ringworld.

 

[Crezth]

I wouldn't say this is more important than Kony, but it is more important than the 1% living a life of sybaritic excess.

I believe manned space travel is unrealistic and futile, and generally a huge waste of money. You cannot exceed the speed of light, why can't people realize this? We'll never get anyplace useful.

We need to protect resources on Earth, and stop messing around in space. I actually think we need to stop messing around with satellites and junk. China could easily cripple the U.S. by disabling all our satellites. We are far too reliant on them, and it will be our downfall.

So... what makes you think we can't/shouldn't go to Mars?

 

[Traitorfish]

I don't really see the connection between ending an overripe subsidy for a bloated and incompetent aerospace industry on the one hand, and the death of the humanity capacity for creative thought on the other. But I guess I'm cynical like that.

 

[kramerfan86]

Stop messing with satellites? lol wut?

And at the very least we can explore our solar system even if you want to assume there is absolutely no way around the speed of light problem. Earth wont be able to hold humanity forever, either we'll expand or we will die.

 

[Luckymoose]

NASA wasn't very popular in the 60s either.

 

[Crezth]

I don't really see the connection between ending an overripe subsidy for a bloated and incompetent aerospace industry on the one hand,

I would like it if you expanded on this statement.

 

[NedimNapoleon]

OK about the Kony thing this is all I'm going to say, why are people getting so hyped around an African warlord (who's type and tactics are common there) and think they can make a huge difference by spamming.

THATS ALL

About space exploration, its sad.

 

[emzie]

I believe manned space travel is unrealistic and futile, and generally a huge waste of money. You cannot exceed the speed of light, why can't people realize this? We'll never get anyplace useful.

We need to protect resources on Earth, and stop messing around in space. I actually think we need to stop messing around with satellites and junk. China could easily cripple the U.S. by disabling all our satellites. We are far too reliant on them, and it will be our downfall.

A hard limit like the speed of light doesn't make space travel unfeasible, it makes interstellar travel hard to imagine. There's plenty of reasons to go to space: there are asteroids within our reach that have metal deposits worth more than the GNP of the USA, there is still much to learn about the threat asteroids pose to the Earth. And don't give me the whole "well send robots" spiel -- humans will always be better able to adapt to the unknown circumstances of new places. If for no other reason than time delays, we should have astronauts on site directing probes.

 

[Crezth]

A hard limit like the speed of light doesn't make space travel unfeasible, it makes interstellar travel hard to imagine. There's plenty of reasons to go to space: there are asteroids within our reach that have metal deposits worth more than the GNP of the USA, there is still much to learn about the threat asteroids pose to the Earth. And don't give me the whole "well send robots" spiel -- humans will always be better able to adapt to the unknown circumstances of new places. If for no other reason than time delays, we should have astronauts on site directing probes.

Or we develop a sentient computer program.