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Originally Posted by acropolite
IMHO the world has more pressing needs than landing a man on the moon. The planet is being destroyed at an ever increasing rate and nothing is being done, I say spend the money in our own backyard.
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Sorry, Phil, it isn't meant as an attack but IMHO I think it's a pretty sad reflection on the current state of affairs when us science types start to say these things. There's ALWAYS some more pressing need which demands our attention, so why do any research?
Because research (and fundamental scientific research in particular) is a lottery where we don't know what the returns will be until well after the research is done. Remember that the original Apollo program helped kick start some technologies that have underpinned current technology. The benefits have flowed through to so many things that they'd probably be impossible to quantify.
Who knows what the payoff would be down the track if we engage in it all again? Maybe a solution to the so-called planetary destruction? You never know you're luck in the big city!
But I'll leave my wilder opinions to another time...
(here endeth the rant)