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But to what end do we need a really good space station? I realize we can work on more than one problem at a time and that it is expedient to do so. But I often
by evanlivingston 8y ago
But to what end do we need a really good space station?
I realize we can work on more than one problem at a time and that it is expedient to do so. But I often wonder how much space exploration, particularly manned missions, are a distraction from more pressing issues on our home planet.
Also, if space exploration is a more scientifically exciting problem than say, ensuring enduring sources of clean water for the millions of people who don't have access to it, well then, that's a sad world indeed.
- icelancer 8y ago>> Also, if space exploration is a more scientifically exciting problem than say, ensuring enduring sources of clean water for the millions of people who don't have access to it, well then, that's a sad world indeed. Enduring sources of clean water for everyone in the world is a scientifically very easy problem to solve compared to most of what is discussed on this website. The problem is that it is a politically very difficult problem to solve. And you want Bezos/Musk/etc to fix this... how?
- evanlivingston 8y agoOh God, I don't want to delegate the task of fixing to the world to just a few tech moguls. However, I would be encouraged to see the scientific community Incorporate a stronger social solidarity into their work. Because a problem is hard or simple is not reason enough alone to pursue it, personally. Finding the largest prime number known might be a somewhat difficult task, but to what end is it found?
- icelancer 8y agoI don't disagree with the main thrust of this comment, but it doesn't have much to do with comparing spaceflight with clean water. One is solvable by the tech community (maybe?) and the other isn't because there are political obstacles in the way. And when tech companies try to solve political issues, people on HN and everyone else who leans marginally liberal get increasingly pissed off that rich people are messing with dem dere laws again.
- pravinva 8y agoSolved problem.or not even a problem. There's plenty of water on earth. The only question is if it is drinkable. And at what cost. These are elementary problems solved by simply applying property rights, stuff we have done for millennia for things like grazing land etc( read up Elinor Ostrom). Not a hard engineering problem. You lament is equivalent to someone at his almost empty fridge on a Friday evening and panicking that the world is almost running out of food supply. That's not how things work