Reasons For:
- Scientific moral obligation: Every single thing, ever, is connected via atoms. There is a connection, we should seek it out.
- The exchange of intelligence could greatly benefit EVERYone

Reasons Against:
- Cost: there are other things that need money for now
- Zero proof of any other intelligent species anywhere
- We will all die before there is any benefit

2/13/2010 10:45:42 PM

the lounge?

oh and won't humans inevitably deplete all of Earth's resources and have to go somewhere?

I dunno man

I just dunno.

2/13/2010 10:46:10 PM

Quote :

"Every single thing, ever, is connected via atoms."

our public education system at work folks.

2/13/2010 10:47:37 PM

I'd say absolutely, it's just in human nature, we just need to develop the technology that makes it practical

[Edited on February 13, 2010 at 10:49 PM. Reason : k]

2/13/2010 10:48:44 PM

I know that the molecules in my body are traceable to phenomena in the cosmos. That makes me want to grab people in the street and say, ‘have you heard this?!’

2/13/2010 10:48:55 PM

just for sidebar reference

message_topic.aspx?topic=579858&page=1
message_topic.aspx?topic=587156

2/13/2010 10:49:04 PM

we still need to travel to Mars and discover mass effect technology

2/13/2010 10:49:55 PM

We need to get on the stick. Advancements in space travel are our only expansion options. Imagine having the tech to have a steady stream of robots delivering liquid natural gas from saturns moons, or finding a new kind of propellant elsewhere.

2/13/2010 10:50:21 PM

Why should we have climbed down from out of the trees?

Why should we have crossed that ice bridge?

Why should we have ventured beyond the water horizon? (Other than to wipe out the native peoples and steal their land. . .)

2/13/2010 10:58:41 PM

the on-Earth applications of technology created for space flight is more than worth the cost. people have no idea how much of our shit came from the space program, or from NASA improving existing shit.

2/13/2010 11:00:04 PM

^I hear you, but I'm not talking about funding NASA.

2/13/2010 11:04:22 PM

Quote :

"Why should we have climbed down from out of the trees? Why should we have crossed that ice bridge? Why should we have ventured beyond the water horizon? (Other than to wipe out the native peoples and steal their land. . .)"

I'm talking about the human race, not the privileged european-based white peoples. you're really confusing me with your argument. do you think people want to take advantage of sentient space races?

2/13/2010 11:05:42 PM

Quote :

"We will all die before there is any benefit"

uhhh..... are you fucking kidding me?

2/14/2010 12:41:43 AM

that is to say: me and you--not the human race

I will die before we meet another sentient entity out there...

2/14/2010 12:46:43 AM

It's for the hopes of discovering something big. yeah, it may not benefit us today, but some people care about future generations and don't want to procrastinate/push off something epic. If you get the ball rolling ASAP, you'll reap the rewards sooner. Some projects will probably take several generations before they become successful. If we want to accomplish great things, we can't think about these "small" issues like "we won't benefit from it in our lifetime." Get the ball rolling, and we'll eventually get to where we need to be. It's no different from saying, "hey, I know for a damn fact I could own a $100M house for my family if I started working on it by saving my money, but fuck it, it'll take a few years before I save a big enough downpayment to finance it so it's not even worth pursuing since I might die before I even get around to it..."

[Edited on February 14, 2010 at 1:18 AM. Reason : .]

2/14/2010 1:13:38 AM

I, personally, do not see any point in it

use the money to build a more efficient train-system and shit

2/14/2010 1:25:48 AM

I realize this thread is about exploring space...

2/14/2010 1:29:53 AM

I think you dismissed the argument

Quote :

"the on-Earth applications of technology created for space flight is more than worth the cost. people have no idea how much of our shit came from the space program, or from NASA improving existing shit."

too quickly. How do we invent/discover stuff we don't even know we can use/need other than constantly searching for knowledge? That is a major part of the space program, in my mind.

Edit:
Fun fact...during the space race we (Americans) spent millions of dollars developing a pen that writes in zero gravity; the Russians used a pencil.

[Edited on February 14, 2010 at 1:35 AM. Reason : asdf]

2/14/2010 1:31:52 AM

fuck you, i'm gonna go sleep on my nasa mattress pad 2nite son!

2/14/2010 1:34:39 AM

Quote :

"the on-Earth applications of technology created for space flight is more than worth the cost. people have no idea how much of our shit came from the space program, or from NASA improving existing shit."

Thank God for the Tempur-pedic mattress! Now I can jump on my bed without spilling the wine!

2/14/2010 1:34:51 AM

instead of us going somewhere else, we'll just mine other planets until we deplete them.

it's pretty obvious, guys.

2/14/2010 1:35:30 AM

I'm laying on mine right now, and whattaya know, my wine isn't tipping over!!!

[Edited on February 14, 2010 at 1:36 AM. Reason : ^^]

2/14/2010 1:36:44 AM

Do privileged white people want to explore space? If so, then yes!

2/14/2010 1:40:24 AM

Quote :

"How do we invent/discover stuff we don't even know we can use/need other than constantly searching for knowledge? "

ding ding ding

its our nature to challenge ourselves and our frontiers

2/14/2010 1:50:44 AM

This thread is awesome.

2/14/2010 1:55:01 AM

i think we shouldn't do anything unless there is immediate benefit.

2/14/2010 1:56:19 AM

^ sounds like a plan

2/14/2010 2:01:22 AM

yes, because weve never achieved anything without investing in it first

2/14/2010 2:04:17 AM

Quote :

""Every single thing, ever, is connected via atoms." our public education system at work folks. "

i don't know if Madman meant that in a new agey, mystical energy sort of way or not.

but in some respect, he's right. Humans are, after all, literally star-dust. Every atom in our body and on this earth was ejected billions of years ago from exploding stars. Not that this gives us any physical or even supernatural "connection" with the rest of the universe, but it still is pretty cool.

Carl Sagen said it best: "If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, first, you must invent the universe"

2/14/2010 2:04:29 AM

^^^definitely.

2/14/2010 2:04:47 AM

for serious

2/14/2010 2:05:59 AM

2/14/2010 2:07:15 AM

are you people fucking high?

2/14/2010 3:04:02 AM

I can't say. [possible] occupational liability

2/14/2010 3:04:45 AM

Quote :

"we still need to travel to Mars and discover mass effect technology"

2/14/2010 3:11:03 AM

we need to hurry up and become a type 1 civilization. In the 60s we were well on our way tobeing type 1 by the year 2000 but something has gone horribly wrong and now we seem to be advancing backwards with phones being the only things taking leaps forward.

2/14/2010 3:56:08 AM

asseffects

2/14/2010 7:32:33 AM

do you not realize how much knowledge and research, how many ideas and products, come out of NASA and space exploration?

2/14/2010 9:32:22 AM

fuck the space program, give that money to the churches doing some REAL good

2/14/2010 9:36:40 AM

our public education system at work folks.

2/14/2010 9:39:48 AM

Aint you ever seen that future documentary Star Trek?

We need to explore so we can do that shit like it was prophecized and shit.

2/14/2010 11:02:59 AM

Quote :

"- Zero proof of any other intelligent species anywhere"

We are proof.

2/14/2010 11:06:11 AM

^I'm not sure. This thread is proof against your theory.

2/14/2010 11:08:07 AM

I am just saying its more than Zero proof.

[Edited on February 14, 2010 at 11:10 AM. Reason : n]

2/14/2010 11:10:01 AM

no, saves $$$$, let the Chinese do it! Unless we can have a spaceship like in Star Wars..

[Edited on February 14, 2010 at 11:20 AM. Reason : w]

2/14/2010 11:19:17 AM

might as well.

2/14/2010 11:22:29 AM

we need all the He3 from the moon!!

2/14/2010 11:23:06 AM

I say Mr. Columbus, what IS the point of sailing west?

2/14/2010 11:41:33 AM

Quote :

"- Zero proof of any other intelligent species anywhere"

If you read it again, it was implied stated that there was zero proof of any other intelligent species anywhere.

2/14/2010 12:09:36 PM

Quote :

"- We will all die before there is any benefit"

hahahahaha

2/14/2010 12:10:55 PM