Bill Nye asks in open letter to Obama to raise space exploration funding by 1.5 billion

a reply to: Tjoran

It'd be good to see a few million trimmed from the defence budget and directed to NASA. As it stands, private endeavours will overtake NASA and make one of the jewels of the national crown look shabby. They've got a massive global brand awareness and few extra millions could keep it up there.

Technology is driven by conflicts and defence spending and I get it. Humanity wouldn't be in space without military push and creating vast archives of space data isn't a national defence priority. I mean how many world leaders truly give a crap about space exploration as a noble cause?

It's the same in Europe with the ESA; scientists have to compete against a pot that's not big enough. The competition is no bad thing as long as equally worthy project proposals aren't dead in the water as a consequence of undervaluing science.

originally posted by: andy06shake
a reply to: GraffikPleasure

Don't get your hopes up regarding Trump or Clinton changing much. Same crap different brand of halfwit, that's all.

On behalf of the members and management of ATS, I want to apologize to halfwits all over the world for this comparison. We here at ATS have the utmost respect for our halfwit neighbors, and in no way wish to disparage them by comparing them to the likes of Trump or Clinton.

On topic, $1.5 billion? What's that, like, a week or two of "nation building" in the Middle East? I'm not sure the War on Terror could afford the loss. Maybe we could find a different way to raise the money. Maybe lay off the TSA for a month? Maybe the NSA could forego recording everyone's emails and phone conversations for a time? Or maybe just take it out of the laundered bank account of a drug kingpin? Heck, some cartels probably have that much cash laying around in $10s and $20s.

Doesn't Congress control where and how much money is spent?

a reply to: VictorVonDoom

Force apple to put their money into american banks and tax em. Could probably fund NASA For a decade with the taxes they owe.

They won't get it. Obama has slashed space funding across the board.

a reply to: GraffikPleasure
That link is to pin interest they won't let you review unless you're a member.

a reply to: andy06shake

Here's another look at the same article...

Link

A rose by any other name...

a reply to: andy06shake

You are 1000000% right.
We need to get away from both sides because they serve themselves.

a reply to: intrptr

Oh OK thanks.

But regarding the issue, Muslim outreach is the reason why NASA lost funding correct? I'm sure there are others, but don't you find this reason stupid?

Probably outreach to run guns is more like it...

a reply to: GraffikPleasure

Yah, I chuckle at the notion US aid is helping the countries it invades and occupies.

Edit: What is that line from Apocalypse Now?

"We cut 'em in half with a machine gun then offer them a bandaid."

a reply to: Tjoran

Bill is clever, now away with the ideals, whats the plan?

a reply to: intrptr

Simple fact is war is an industry, America just happens to be the police man of the day.

The real culprits are the ones that profit from it continuously, no mater who wins or loses, the banking houses/cartels and military industrial complex aka "They".

a reply to: andy06shake

History rhymes...

a reply to: intrptr

History certainly repeats yet humanity from generation to generation refuses to learn learn from her past mistakes.

I don't know if that's by design or because we have such short life spans thus limited perspective. Ether way it seems to serve no other purpose than to maintain the status quo. It's sad through considering what we could potentially achieve as a species if we set our differences aside.

a reply to: andy06shake

They say every dollar spent on space exploration ends up being something like $10 in revenue brought in from the discoveries being commercialized. Not to mention once we can start mining asteroids our economy will flourish. The money made could be put towards housing and proper education.

a reply to: Tjoran

Bill had a great tv show. But he's naive when it comes to government (and politics). Most of the space funding is now covert, as are the programs.

a reply to: conscientiousobserver

We are not going to be foreseeable mining asteroids for a while through. What are the people who require education, help and housing supposed to do in the meantime, remain uneducated while starving and freezing to death?

Like i said space exploration is important for our future but not at the expense of other more important factors. We need to get off our knees as a species and learn to walk before we can fly away.

As to mining asteroids, i suppose it has its merit but i think we should start with the Moon considering all that Titanium and Helium 3 apparently in abundance up there and closer than the asteroids.

Also any profits to be had in that department are lightly to be snapped up by the corporations and business responsible for the projects. The poor will be lucky to see a dime this side of the century.

a reply to: Kandinsky

They need to just make a big push in asteroid mining. It would solve many of our problems. We are slowly getting there, but a few billion dollars would go a long way