Dreaming Bigger but Closer to Home

[xenologer]

Whenever discussion of the declining space program comes up (example story about the Mars program, and another about our suspended shuttle program), it makes me sad because I feel like it's one more piece of our nation's love for science that we're leaving behind. It's a sentiment I heard echoed at a sci-fi convention by the friendly science-loving folk who attended, and I definitely can feel it, too.

At the same time, I hear Gil Scott-Heron in my head whenever people are talking about the billions of dollars we ought to be spending on the space program.

So while I'm sad about the fact that we allegedly SUDDENLY can't afford the space program, realistically we haven't been able to afford it for a long time. Unfortunately, that money is going to get used to pay for war and not for the things I'd like us to be dreaming about instead. With the cost of putting a few physically-perfect highly-educated and well-trained professionals into space, what could we do about AIDS? What could we do about malaria? What could we do about cholera? What could we do about ill-funded schools or food deserts?

Makes me upset when the closing down of the space program is framed as a lack in our ability to dream. It probably is, because it'll probably mean more of our money goes to making war. It probably is about us failing to dream big enough or well enough, but it wouldn't have to be, because I think there are far more important things for us to spend our money on.

It's just sad that we probably won't.

Comments

[silveradept]

If we're not able to go up into space, the least we could do is dedicate that money to fixing the problems here on Terra. Instead, it's going to go toward making more problems on Terra.

Makes me think that all our politicians repeatedly failed elementary logic.

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

The thing is, you have to have these lofty things existing alongside the gritty practicalities and needs of daily life - human beings of all backgrounds want to try to do more, generally speaking. That's how we grow both in intelligence and morals. With all our resources, there's no physically limiting reason we couldn't figure out our base problems and make sure each person has good food to eat AND research cures AND go out in space. Like you say, it's a problem of allocation. (Although cures are limited by the ability of minds to figure it out ... something advanced science is for.)