7 Earth-Size Planets Found by NASA

[Montegriffo]

The standard argument for not having a space program is that "the money is better spent somewhere else". Just how better in truth the money is spent is one thing.

Yet as a space program is basically a huge R&D program which basically has to have a lot of Basic infrastructure and high-tech, that actually might be well spent than just to give the money for someones pensions and services that don't advance technology. Space is basically a quite demanding environment where things simply won't work if the parts of the machines are made badly.

I agree that much more money is wasted on much more useless things but the brain drain of so many of the finest scientists is less excusable. I think the useful benefit to dollar ratio is overstated in advancements coming from manned exploration of the universe. It's too much of a vanity project in my estimation.

Yeah no, you just walked into a bear trap, my friend.

https://spinoff.nasa.gov/Spinoff2008/tech_benefits.html

Oh come on Grumps, I'm supposed to accept a NASA list on why spending huge sums with NASA is worthwhile because NASA says so. You are not usually so gullible.
I mean, without all those billions Black and Decker would never have come up with a new cordless drill.

[Speaker to Animals]

http://www.therichest.com/rich-list/the ... -everyday/

[SuburbanFarmer]

I agree that much more money is wasted on much more useless things but the brain drain of so many of the finest scientists is less excusable. I think the useful benefit to dollar ratio is overstated in advancements coming from manned exploration of the universe. It's too much of a vanity project in my estimation.

Yeah no, you just walked into a bear trap, my friend.

https://spinoff.nasa.gov/Spinoff2008/tech_benefits.html

Oh come on Grumps, I'm supposed to accept a NASA list on why spending huge sums with NASA is worthwhile because NASA says so. You are not usually so gullible.
I mean, without all those billions Black and Decker would never have come up with a new cordless drill.

There are actually hundreds, and you can find other lists with a quick google search.

You're not winning this portion of the debate, that is certain.

[Montegriffo]

But you have to prove that none of these developments would have happened without manned space flight which is a whole different matter. Many of them were developed independently because there is a need for them here on Earth. Some of the best solar panels currently available come from Norway which as far as I know didn't have to put a man in space to achieve that. These lists on their own are not enough to convince me that a trip to Mars is going to benefit mankind enough that it is worth the expense.

[SuburbanFarmer]

But you have to prove that none of these developments would have happened without manned space flight which is a whole different matter. Many of them were developed independently because there is a need for them here on Earth. Some of the best solar panels currently available come from Norway which as far as I know didn't have to put a man in space to achieve that. These lists on their own are not enough to convince me that a trip to Mars is going to benefit mankind enough that it is worth the expense.

Don't move the goalposts. You speculated about a "brain drain" of scientists, then said that nothing much worthwhile came from the space program.

I do not have to prove that NONE of those things would have been invented, I have only to prove that ONE of them wouldn't be. And you can take your pick, because there are some great things on that list.

Sure, we may have gotten squirt guns or something, but they'd be patented by a single company, and cost twice as much now. The manufacturing and precision engineering involved are enough even on their own, as whole new fields were opened in metallurgy and plastics.

We single-handedly gave humanity its greatest gift since fire - knowledge of place. Along with countless new innovations and discoveries, and someday, entire PLANETS of resources to exploit without even having to murder a single tribesman.

Furthermore, the culmination of all that money and effort - the first steps outside of our planet - brought the entire fucking species to a halt to watch. That's never happened, other than when some shitheads hit our towers.


We expanded the range of intelligent life in the universe. Alone. And we might just do it again.

Put that in your fuckin' pipe and smoke it.

[Montegriffo]

But you have to prove that none of these developments would have happened without manned space flight which is a whole different matter. Many of them were developed independently because there is a need for them here on Earth. Some of the best solar panels currently available come from Norway which as far as I know didn't have to put a man in space to achieve that. These lists on their own are not enough to convince me that a trip to Mars is going to benefit mankind enough that it is worth the expense.

Don't move the goalposts. You speculated about a "brain drain" of scientists, then said that nothing much worthwhile came from the space program.

I do not have to prove that NONE of those things would have been invented, I have only to prove that ONE of them wouldn't be. And you can take your pick, because there are some great things on that list.

Sure, we may have gotten squirt guns or something, but they'd be patented by a single company, and cost twice as much now. The manufacturing and precision engineering involved are enough even on their own, as whole new fields were opened in metallurgy and plastics.

We single-handedly gave humanity its greatest gift since fire - knowledge of place. Along with countless new innovations and discoveries, and someday, entire PLANETS of resources to exploit without even having to murder a single tribesman.

Furthermore, the culmination of all that money and effort - the first steps outside of our planet - brought the entire fucking species to a halt to watch. That's never happened, other than when some shitheads hit our towers.


We expanded the range of intelligent life in the universe. Alone. And we might just do it again.

Put that in your fuckin' pipe and smoke it.

I didn't say nothing worthwhile has come from it, I said the benefits are over stated.
If you can only prove that one of these achievements needed the space race it had better be a good one...
As for the greatest gift since fire, we went through this in an old DCF thread and standing on the moon didn't even make the top ten in most lists.
I wish I did have something to put in my pipe to smoke, I've not been stoned for months.

[Speaker to Animals]

http://www.space.com/13524-deflecting-k ... thods.html

Seems worth it to me.

[katarn]

http://www.space.com/13524-deflecting-k ... thods.html

Seems worth it to me.

I saw a newer theory on dinosaur extinction. It says that the meteor's entry would be hot enough to vaporize the rock it collided with on impact, sending massive amounts of gaseous rock into the atmosphere and space before it cooled into glass, most of which then reentered and burned up, which supposedly would be enough to raise temperatures globally by a lot, like boil your blood hot, for a while.

It covers its tracks saying that enough water depth will shield you as well as enough dirt, allowing sea creatures and mammals to survive.

[Speaker to Animals]

Point being, we are all part of Earth. Humans are not some separate entities from Earth. We emerged from the soil and we are like the new, improved immune system for our planet's biosphere. The space program represents the first time in 4.6 billion years of the biosphere's existence that it can reach out and avert another celestial impact.

Think about that. The Earth has been pummeled with these things for billions of years, causing mass extinction events most people can't truly fathom in scope. The Earth evolved a means to detect these objects and potentially avert another impact. That's what we are.

[Okeefenokee]

Point being, we are all part of Earth. Humans are not some separate entities from Earth. We emerged from the soil and we are like the new, improved immune system for our planet's biosphere. The space program represents the first time in 4.6 billion years of the biosphere's existence that it can reach out and avert another celestial impact.

Think about that. The Earth has been pummeled with these things for billions of years, causing mass extinction events most people can't truly fathom in scope. The Earth evolved a means to detect these objects and potentially avert another impact. That's what we are.

That belongs on a t-shirt.