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We've no time to sharpen the axe, there's far too much wood to cut. Its the most important race ever run. Its not against soviets or chinese, its against ourse

We've no time to sharpen the axe, there's far too much wood to cut. Its the most important race ever run. Its not against soviets or chinese, its against ourselves and our limited resources. There's something else that won't be here tomorrow as well. All of the resources we have today. We might have centuries to go do the space thing later. We might not. Right now I think maybe we could use some hope and few heroes that don't play with rubber balls for a living. I do believe this is the first time I've ever disagreed with Patio. Much respect, brother.

arethuza 16y ago
I can't see any way that going to the Moon or Mars is going to help with the real issues we will have in the next 20 to 50 years. It's not like I dislike the idea of going to Mars (I have a well thumbed copy of Zubrin's "The Case for Mars") - but at this moment in time, do I think it is a sensible thing to do? Sadly, absolutely not.
- DougWebb 16y ago
  It might give us the hope and belief that we are able to deal with the real issues in the next 20 to 50 years. You don't hear "If we can send a man to the moon, why can't we do X" anymore, because most people today don't remember that we were once able to send a man to the moon. They don't have that expectation that anything is possible if we just focus intently on it and decide to get it done.
  - arethuza 16y ago
    Perhaps because "If we can send a man to the moon, why can't we do X" is a pretty terrible argument for most problems. For most analogous engineering projects (e.g. going to Mars) the answer is "because it costs too much".
    - wlievens 16y ago
      That's not what the he meant. The Apollo Project inspired people to go into sciences and engineering to an extent that nothing since has done. That effect is, after four decades, ebbing away.
      - wlievens 16y ago
        Addendum: except of course the internet!

arethuza 16y ago

I can't see any way that going to the Moon or Mars is going to help with the real issues we will have in the next 20 to 50 years. It's not like I dislike the idea of going to Mars (I have a well thumbed copy of Zubrin's "The Case for Mars") - but at this moment in time, do I think it is a sensible thing to do? Sadly, absolutely not.

DougWebb 16y ago
It might give us the hope and belief that we are able to deal with the real issues in the next 20 to 50 years. You don't hear "If we can send a man to the moon, why can't we do X" anymore, because most people today don't remember that we were once able to send a man to the moon. They don't have that expectation that anything is possible if we just focus intently on it and decide to get it done.
- arethuza 16y ago
  Perhaps because "If we can send a man to the moon, why can't we do X" is a pretty terrible argument for most problems. For most analogous engineering projects (e.g. going to Mars) the answer is "because it costs too much".
  - wlievens 16y ago
    That's not what the he meant. The Apollo Project inspired people to go into sciences and engineering to an extent that nothing since has done. That effect is, after four decades, ebbing away.
    - wlievens 16y ago
      Addendum: except of course the internet!