One Giant Leap Backwards
Interesting news today that our closest stellar neighbor, the binary star system of Alpha Centauri, may host earth sized planets. If it does, and if they were habitable, they might be make a good refuge once we've irreversibly wrecked this world. Except, of course, first we'd have to be able to get from here to there.
Given what we currently know about space flight and outer space it makes no logical sense to have manned missions to the moon, or mars. Robotic equipment can do everything that needs doing. You can find plenty of pointy headed academics at top U.S. research universities to tell you so. The problem, of course, is that there's no substitute for man's imagination. And courage. And love of exploration. I feel sure that in the long run we'll have to colonize space. Call it the ultimate insurance policy.
Whatever, Mr. Obama's budget slashes the imagination out of NASA. Instead, we'll pay for such things as moving the rubble around in Afghanistan. His priorities are both profoundly sick and profoundly immature.
Posted by George Kenney on February 1, 2010 2:59 PM 
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Comments
I find this to be very good news.
I despise the "pioneer spirit" that surmises that whatever destruction we heap on the place we live in, there will always be "new land" to go to.
If we are not able to live on this planet, then why go repeating the same mistakes on other worlds? Better leave them to other lifeforms.
Posted by: Soph | February 1, 2010 5:17 PM
Who maintains the list for free one-way scholarship tickets?
Posted by: Ed | February 2, 2010 12:43 AM
Truly nauseating. What's that ancient Chinese saying?: "When a wise man points to the moon, the idiot stares at the finger."
A wise man:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouRbkBAOGEw
Posted by: EJK | February 2, 2010 10:34 AM
In other news, apparently yet another missile-defense test has failed.
Assignment: compare the money devoted over the years to the so-called StarWars and the money spent on the Spirit and Opportunity rover missions, and the results of both programs.
http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/ZT1oIRpjvkE/US-Missile-Defense-Test-Fails
Posted by: Soph | February 2, 2010 12:40 PM