Is it worth spending millions on exploring space?
By Teddy
@ThreeTeddies (2038)
United Kingdom
January 17, 2019 8:41pm CST
I question the wisdom of spending money exploring space. Would this money not be better utilised here on Earth helping to solve hunger and deprivation amongst those millions of human beings who live in abject poverty and misery?
Is it worth spending money exploring space? What benefits can this possibly be to you and me? Is it not just a huge waste of money?
18 people like this
18 responses
@RasmaSandra (73407)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
18 Jan 19
I think that we already have enough information about space and now it is time to clean up and beautify our planet Earth
5 people like this
@porwest (78761)
• United States
19 Feb 19
@RasmaSandra In the grander scheme of things we actually know virtually nothing at all about space.
1 person likes this
@ThreeTeddies (2038)
• United Kingdom
18 Jan 19
We can never have enough information about space! The solutions to many of our problems lie in space exploration
1 person likes this
@1hopefulman (45123)
• Canada
18 Jan 19
I agree with you. We have such a beautiful planet and we have so many challenges that need our attention. There is no good reason that I can think of to go into space. Maybe somebody has a good reason?
4 people like this
@ThreeTeddies (2038)
• United Kingdom
18 Jan 19
It can be argued that the entire US space program has paid for itself in better weather prediction alone
1 person likes this
@1hopefulman (45123)
• Canada
19 Jan 19
@ThreeTeddies Do we have to go into space (the moon, Mars) to understand the weather better?
1 person likes this
@ThreeTeddies (2038)
• United Kingdom
20 Jan 19
@1hopefulman Weather satellites in geostationary earth orbit give early warning of, among other things, hurricanes and the like. Such warnings allow those in the path of these storms to prepare and avoid the worst of the damage.
Earth-observing satellites have been lifesavers for the past 50 years, and now scientists are working to make sure the next generation of orbital sentinels will continue the legacy.
1 person likes this
@cherriefic (10400)
• Philippines
18 Jan 19
It depends on what is important to a person. Sure, there are a lot of issues to resolve on Earth but some people also wants to have the knowledge of what's out there.
4 people like this
@ThreeTeddies (2038)
• United Kingdom
18 Jan 19
Knowledge for knowledge's sake is one way of looking at it
1 person likes this
@ThreeTeddies (2038)
• United Kingdom
18 Jan 19
Yeah, but there's soooo much to be learned 'out there'.
@JudyEv (325759)
• Rockingham, Australia
19 Jan 19
@ThreeTeddies I have my doubts but perhaps you're right.
1 person likes this
@ThreeTeddies (2038)
• United Kingdom
18 Jan 19
It's quite likely that the problems we face on Earth could be solved (at least partially) by what we find 'out there'
1 person likes this
@ilocosboy (45157)
• Philippines
18 Jan 19
For some billionaires maybe its worth for them.
3 people like this
@ThreeTeddies (2038)
• United Kingdom
18 Jan 19
Billionaires couldn't do it - it takes governments and many seem to think it worthwhile
@scarlet_woman (23465)
• United States
18 Jan 19
absolutely.there's too many people on this earth already,and people need to start spreading out.
2 people like this
@ThreeTeddies (2038)
• United Kingdom
18 Jan 19
That's one possible outcome of space exploration
1 person likes this
@louievill (28851)
• Philippines
18 Jan 19
Kings and queens spent a lot of money on European explorers and the rewards were vast, gold, spices, slaves, new colonies etc... I think space exploration is just a modern version of it, those wise guys won't throw money if they don't expect gain, they think in advance, not like ordinary people like us.
3 people like this
@ThreeTeddies (2038)
• United Kingdom
18 Jan 19
I agree - the benefits will come and many of them will be unexpected
1 person likes this
@ThreeTeddies (2038)
• United Kingdom
18 Jan 19
Our governments are spending billions on space exploration. They wouldn't do that if they didn't see advantages from it
@LadyDuck (458091)
• Switzerland
19 Jan 19
@ThreeTeddies Computers existed well before as well as weather prediction. Non-stick pots and pans are not healthy, there is not a lot left.
1 person likes this
@ThreeTeddies (2038)
• United Kingdom
18 Jan 19
@LadyDuck Computers, non-stick pots and pans, weather prediction, communications satellites and lots more common everyday things have resulted from the exploration of space
https://eu.usatoday.com/story/tech/personal/technologylive/2015/10/09/10-ways-space-technology-benefits-our-earthly-existence/73657820/
1 person likes this
@ThreeTeddies (2038)
• United Kingdom
21 Jan 19
@LadyDuck A form of computer existed before the 'space race' but it was cumbersome and slow and weather prediction used to be a case of 'hit and miss' - like looking at frogspawn to see what colour it was! Our exploration of space is a huge benefit to mankind. Even if we don't actually go to other planets the scientific benefits to mankind from the effort to do so has benefitted us immensely and will continue to do so
https://spinoff.nasa.gov/Spinoff2008/tech_benefits.html
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109857)
• Los Angeles, California
18 Jan 19
I agree with your reasoning.
2 people like this
@ThreeTeddies (2038)
• United Kingdom
18 Jan 19
@LadyDuck I was posing a question not coming down on either side
2 people like this
@ThreeTeddies (2038)
• United Kingdom
18 Jan 19
The discoveries gleaned from the exploration of space are helping to solve some of our planets worst problems
1 person likes this
@dya80dya (33510)
•
18 Jan 19
@ThreeTeddies I don't think we can live on other planets. I know that people want to search ways to live on another planets. They want to ruin other planets like they ruined the Earth. The cure for cancer isn't discovered yet. Millions of people die from cancer. And many young people die.
1 person likes this
@porwest (78761)
• United States
23 Jan 19
I say YES. It is ABSOLUTELY worth it. I don't know where you stand religiously, but in my opinion, we can learn FAR MORE about where we came from, why we are here, and what else is out there than we will ever learn from a Bible or any other religious explanation. MAYBE there is some truth to religion. MAYBE. But let's explore space, the planets, universes, and let's see if it adds up to what the Bible says. As the old line from the opening of the X-Files suggested...the truth is out there. We humans are pretty naive to think, considering we are mere BLIPS on the cosmic scale of time, that somehow we have figured out the ultimate answer in just a couple of thousand years.
1 person likes this
@porwest (78761)
• United States
19 Feb 19
@ThreeTeddies There is so much fascinating stuff to learn about space, so I agree with you.
@ThreeTeddies (2038)
• United Kingdom
18 Feb 19
@porwest Religion has no impact on my life. I say we should 'boldly go where no man has gone before'.
1 person likes this
@WiseGhots (14607)
•
18 Jan 19
I'm fascinated by space issues, but I think the money spent on exploring it should be spent on our planet's priorities, haha!
1 person likes this
@ThreeTeddies (2038)
• United Kingdom
18 Jan 19
For some people exploring space is one of our priorities
1 person likes this
@WorDazza (15833)
• Manchester, England
25 Jan 19
I believe we are urinating into a force 10 if we think we can defy what earth ultimately has in store for us so we have to look elsewhere if we are to continue the species.
I don't think people realise exactly how much our space programs have contributed to society in other ways.
We'd be better off spending more on space exploration and less on earthly weapons of destruction.
1 person likes this
@ThreeTeddies (2038)
• United Kingdom
18 Feb 19
@WorDazza I wholeheartedly agree!
1 person likes this
