Robert,
I hear you on the human costs versus our perhaps esoteric "need to know". Carl Sagan wrestled with this topic also. One of my favorite exchanges (whether real or contrived) was attributed to Ben Franklin. When someone questioned his basic scientific research with the question "What good is it?", he replied "What good is a newborn baby?". His was apparently a quick wit. Gary >On Mon, 8 Oct 2001, David M Harland wrote: > > > >> I disagree, the problem is its functionality has been pared back to > > >> much, it needs to be expanded! > > > > > >Hogwash. Its real cost was always ridiculously disproportionate >to the size > > >of the scientific benefits it would supposedly produce -- that, after all, > > >is why NASA had to deliberately understate its cost by a factor of 5 to 10 > > >to get Congress and Reagan to approve it in the first place. > > > > Come on now, Bruce. Don't speak so elliptically, tell us what you >really think! > >I've lost track of who said what in the above conversation. > >However, I'll make a contribution. > >This chart compares the allocation of U.S. government R&D funds: > http://www.aaas.org/spp/dspp/rd/cht9001a.pdf > >A more extensive discussion is at: > http://www.aaas.org/spp/dspp/rd/ca01main.htm > >I'd argue on humanitarian and moral grounds that the best evaluation >criteria should be on lives saved / $ spent (or more accurately years >of potential life saved / $ spent). In that respect the $ going to the >NIH or the EPA probably far exceed those going to the NSF or NASA. > >Bottom line is -- if you want a billion dollar Europa mission -- how >many human lives are on the line if the available $ are diverted from >NIH research to NASA development? It isn't a nice question but it needs >to be asked to *focus* your attention on priorities. > >Robert > > >== >You are subscribed to the Europa Icepick mailing list: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Project information and list (un)subscribe info: http://klx.com/europa/ == You are subscribed to the Europa Icepick mailing list: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Project information and list (un)subscribe info: http://klx.com/europa/
