Brumerican Posted August 5, 2012 Share Posted August 5, 2012 It's truly awesome stuff, and I can't help but root for them, but the billions of dollars spent on getting a probe up there to search for puddles of water should be spent on housing, schools, and food for the hungry here on Earth, in my opinion. But you have to invest in scientific discovery. If we hadn't done that then we would all be still living on farms and dying of dysentery aged 40. You certainly wouldnt be able to leave a message of complaint on the internet about how the money should have been spent on hospitals instead because the computer you are using and the world wide web this site sits on wouldnt have been invented yet if no money was ever given to the sciences. I appreciate your point, but just this year, the US Census Bureau released figures that put the "At or below poverty rate" in the US at 50%. That's a shitload of people who if they're lucky enough to even have a paycheck, see 30% of it swiped away and thrown at projec ts like this Mars computer drop. Well then drop your military funding then as it is far less importantant than the NASA funding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maqroll Posted August 5, 2012 Share Posted August 5, 2012 It's truly awesome stuff, and I can't help but root for them, but the billions of dollars spent on getting a probe up there to search for puddles of water should be spent on housing, schools, and food for the hungry here on Earth, in my opinion. But you have to invest in scientific discovery. If we hadn't done that then we would all be still living on farms and dying of dysentery aged 40. You certainly wouldnt be able to leave a message of complaint on the internet about how the money should have been spent on hospitals instead because the computer you are using and the world wide web this site sits on wouldnt have been invented yet if no money was ever given to the sciences. I appreciate your point, but just this year, the US Census Bureau released figures that put the "At or below poverty rate" in the US at 50%. That's a shitload of people who if they're lucky enough to even have a paycheck, see 30% of it swiped away and thrown at projec ts like this Mars computer drop. Well then drop your military funding then as it is far less importantant than the NASA funding. Yes, the Military-Industrial Complex is an even more infuriating money vacuum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Rev Posted August 5, 2012 Author Share Posted August 5, 2012 The list of everyday things the military invented is an interesting one too. Tons of medicinal stuff that gets used in hospitals every day. I dont want to get away from the original point that giving money to the sciences is clearly something mankind has to do in order to progress as a species but the whole thing where people complain if the government spend money on something other than hospitals or schools really pisses me off. What the **** are we supposed to teach in schools if nothing is allowed to progress scientifically? That the world is still flat? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonno_2004 Posted August 5, 2012 Share Posted August 5, 2012 yeah, what people that bang on about feeding the poor don't understand is that if we listened to them and invested in agriculture, water, education and health we wouldn't have pens that can write upside down The "space pen" was developed by a private company with their own money so they could sell them to people interested in the space race. yes, listened to a fascinating programme on it a while back on the radio, can't remember the facts but along the lines of the USA had a competition to see who could 'invent' a pen suitable for use in space whilst the russians decided to use pencils which kind of summed up the two approaches to the space race I was being arsey troll boy about the Mars thing, I think it's fascinating. I think it was horizon about a week ago that had a programme on the size and scale of the lander and how they were delivering it. I'm not convinced they'll find anything, but youch, if they do it will be truly historic. Best of luck to 'em.The Russians adopted 'space pens' around the same time the Yanks did; the shavings were hazardous in zero gravity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ingram85 Posted August 5, 2012 Share Posted August 5, 2012 Erm guys? Topic about possible epic mission to mars over here Hello? Hellooooooooo? Ooooo its all echoey.......... PIIIIGS IIIIIN SPAAAAACE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Rev Posted August 5, 2012 Author Share Posted August 5, 2012 BUT THEY SHOULD HAVE SPENT THE MONEY ON HOSPITALS! (brb, going to make this my Facebook status too) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted August 5, 2012 VT Supporter Share Posted August 5, 2012 There are a thousand worthless wastes of money that could be diverted into feeding the poor and hungry before hitting the space program. Ashley Cole's wages for a start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDon Posted August 5, 2012 Share Posted August 5, 2012 It's truly awesome stuff, and I can't help but root for them, but the billions of dollars spent on getting a probe up there to search for puddles of water should be spent on housing, schools, and food for the hungry here on Earth, in my opinion. But you have to invest in scientific discovery. If we hadn't done that then we would all be still living on farms and dying of dysentery aged 40. You certainly wouldnt be able to leave a message of complaint on the internet about how the money should have been spent on hospitals instead because the computer you are using and the world wide web this site sits on wouldnt have been invented yet if no money was ever given to the sciences. I appreciate your point, but just this year, the US Census Bureau released figures that put the "At or below poverty rate" in the US at 50%. That's a shitload of people who if they're lucky enough to even have a paycheck, see 30% of it swiped away and thrown at projects like this Mars computer drop. 0.5%. That's the percentage of the US budget that goes to NASA, it's been slashed consistently since the height of the space race. You want to know how America gets people out of poverty? It's not by penny pinching with NASA (cutting NASA's budget from a height of over 4% of the federal budget has done nothing to cut poverty after all), it's by not being **** retards and voting in parties that specialise in cutting taxes for the rich and ignoring the lower classes, whilst simultaneously teaching the lower classes that taxes are bad and governments shouldn't interfere in anything but pushing religious intolerance. Science is what will move us forward, and nothing builds dreams like space exploration. A generation got into science because we went to the moon. The benefit that we get from inspiring people to go into science is far far higher than the cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AstonMartyn88 Posted August 5, 2012 Share Posted August 5, 2012 Anyway. 6 hours 35 minutes to go. And I'm on a night shift so I can spend all night getting stupidly excited about it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HolteEndRob Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 For NASA, these next couple of hours really sum up the meaning of squeaky bum time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maqroll Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 BUT THEY SHOULD HAVE SPENT THE MONEY ON HOSPITALS! (brb, going to make this my Facebook status too) Cute. Scroll back and read the very first few words I said on the matter... I've not maligned the significance of the achievements of the space program or NASA and many of the things they do...I'm just skeptical of risky and expensive endeavors...and what exactly they think their camera will find on this particular endeavor, and how it will benefit us...that is, of course, if it doesn't get smashed into a thousand pieces first... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
troon_villan Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 NASA TV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AstonMartyn88 Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 1 minute to entry... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVFCDAN Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 Landed ok by the looks of things. 350 million miles, wow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sureshot Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 That was some great viewing, pretty amazing feat considering how crazy the landing procedure was. And pictures already! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HolteEndRob Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 Great stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awol Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 Hats off to those guys (and girls). Geeks are good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazdavies79 Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 Hats off to all involved, an incredible achievement and now it can do some great science and teach us a lot about the planet over the next few years. The £2 billion spent on this project to advance our knowledge and expand our horizons is a fraction of what we spend killing and destroying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrentVilla Posted August 6, 2012 Moderator Share Posted August 6, 2012 Well it worked, remarkable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briggaman Posted August 6, 2012 Share Posted August 6, 2012 Very impressive stuff. "The chances of anything coming from Mars was a million to one - but still they come..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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