4 ms·

I always found that quote incredibly pointless. If you just want to do something because it's hard, there's lots of options, the cheapest is to turn up the diff

I always found that quote incredibly pointless. If you just want to do something because it's hard, there's lots of options, the cheapest is to turn up the difficulty on a game. Don't waste tax payer money sending humans to the moon for no scientific purpose - leave that to the machines. Hard things can be wasteful too, just because something is hard doesn't make it valuable.

melling 10y ago
Come now. We've wasted a lot more tax payer money on endeavors with much less reward. http://thevietnamwar.info/how-much-vietnam-war-cost/ http://thevietnamwar.info/how-much-vietnam-war-cost/ Vietnam War cost more than putting a man on the moon http://www.reuters.com/article/us-iraq-war-anniversary-idUSBRE92D0PG20130314 http://www.reuters.com/article/us-iraq-war-anniversary-idUSB... Imagine how $2 trillion of R&D would have changed the world.
- problems 10y ago
  I agree we've definitely wasted far more money in far worse ways, but it still doesn't change the fact it's wasteful scientifically and economically speaking, just because there are bigger wastes doesn't mean we should accept all smaller ones, this is known as the "fallacy of relative privation" or "not as bad as" fallacy.
  - melling 10y ago
    When you say wasteful, you mean not the most efficient? Because science and engineering benefited from the project. we are better off for having done the project. However, we could've gained the same knowledge in other ways, for less money. So, if it costs of $25 billion to put a man on the moon, and the same knowledge could have acquired for $15 billion, you think the effort was wasted?
    - danielbarla 10y ago
      I get the feeling many forget the value in simply inspiring generations of people; think of all those who have increased aspirations as a result of that event - what is the worth / value of that?
      - simonh 10y ago
        Or maybe the fact that we didn't do it would inspire a new generation to achieve something (going to the Moon) that is still out there to do. I don't think anyone is forgetting the inspirational value, just challenging whether it was value for money. For what it's worth the moon landing had a profound effect on me. I was 6 during Apollo 17 and still remember looking up at the moon and knowing there were people on it at that moment.
        danielbarla 10y ago
        You may be right, it's very hard to measure these things. Though that's part of my point too - why are people so sure when they claim it's a waste? (they should at least consider they might be mistaken) Living around the time of Apollo 17 must have been very interesting. I was born a few years later, with no more manned trips to the moon. In line with your point, I guess I had to find other things to motivate me!
      - deleted 10y ago
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    - deleted 10y ago
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elcapitan 10y ago
I think you just pointed out the difference between technocratic thinking and political/social thinking. Which is interesting as well. Humans search for more purpose than just scientific purpose. Going to the moon is one of mankinds oldest dreams. It wouldn't be possible to go for an endeavor of the same magnitude for some purely theoretical reason or a game.
gerbilly 10y ago
The quote is taken for a speech, not a formal argument. The president was trying to exhort his people to join in a difficult endeavour for it's own sake.

melling 10y ago

Come now. We've wasted a lot more tax payer money on endeavors with much less reward. http://thevietnamwar.info/how-much-vietnam-war-cost/ http://thevietnamwar.info/how-much-vietnam-war-cost/ Vietnam War cost more than putting a man on the moon http://www.reuters.com/article/us-iraq-war-anniversary-idUSBRE92D0PG20130314 http://www.reuters.com/article/us-iraq-war-anniversary-idUSB... Imagine how $2 trillion of R&D would have changed the world.

problems 10y ago
I agree we've definitely wasted far more money in far worse ways, but it still doesn't change the fact it's wasteful scientifically and economically speaking, just because there are bigger wastes doesn't mean we should accept all smaller ones, this is known as the "fallacy of relative privation" or "not as bad as" fallacy.
- melling 10y ago
  When you say wasteful, you mean not the most efficient? Because science and engineering benefited from the project. we are better off for having done the project. However, we could've gained the same knowledge in other ways, for less money. So, if it costs of $25 billion to put a man on the moon, and the same knowledge could have acquired for $15 billion, you think the effort was wasted?
  - danielbarla 10y ago
    I get the feeling many forget the value in simply inspiring generations of people; think of all those who have increased aspirations as a result of that event - what is the worth / value of that?
    - simonh 10y ago
      Or maybe the fact that we didn't do it would inspire a new generation to achieve something (going to the Moon) that is still out there to do. I don't think anyone is forgetting the inspirational value, just challenging whether it was value for money. For what it's worth the moon landing had a profound effect on me. I was 6 during Apollo 17 and still remember looking up at the moon and knowing there were people on it at that moment.
      - danielbarla 10y ago
        You may be right, it's very hard to measure these things. Though that's part of my point too - why are people so sure when they claim it's a waste? (they should at least consider they might be mistaken) Living around the time of Apollo 17 must have been very interesting. I was born a few years later, with no more manned trips to the moon. In line with your point, I guess I had to find other things to motivate me!
    - deleted 10y ago
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  - deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]

elcapitan 10y ago

I think you just pointed out the difference between technocratic thinking and political/social thinking. Which is interesting as well. Humans search for more purpose than just scientific purpose. Going to the moon is one of mankinds oldest dreams. It wouldn't be possible to go for an endeavor of the same magnitude for some purely theoretical reason or a game.

gerbilly 10y ago

The quote is taken for a speech, not a formal argument. The president was trying to exhort his people to join in a difficult endeavour for it's own sake.