3 ms·
> So the idea that "humans does not need blah" is not correct, because you don't know what humans need. Thing is, we do know what humans need. We need better b
by cmdli 4y ago
> So the idea that "humans does not need blah" is not correct, because you don't know what humans need.
Thing is, we do know what humans need. We need better battery technology, improved drugs and mental health, better power generation (such as nuclear fusion), and much more. Why spend so much time developing technology that may be useful but probably not, instead of developing something that is desperately needed right now?
- bottlepalm 4y agoIt's not a zero sum game. Working on space tech does not preclude working on earth tech. I mean how many smart engineers in tech right now are working on improving advertising? And you're upset about a relative handful of engineers working on space tech?
- loeg 4y agoGovernment spending dollars are zero sum, actually.
- ClumsyPilot 4y agoThats not true according to modern monetary theory. Taxes are actually superflous. You only limits on spending are industrial capacity and inflation
- DangitBobby 4y agoIf that funding were used on other technology, the people otherwise completely occupied with space tech would be working on... other technology. We don't have infinite resources, time, money, or brains.
- chii 4y ago> We need better battery technology, improved drugs and mental health, better power generation (such as nuclear fusion), and much more how do you know that work on going to mars doesn't improve any of those? And from another perspective, people like researching exciting things, and would prefer it over an unexciting field. Could you imagine someone being told to work on anti-hydroplaning for the onramp of a highway? Imagine talking about it to family/friends at a party. But space exploration is fancy - people would want to listen to it, and you gain appreciation from them. But the outcome of the research is _still_ applicable to other fields. So funding space exploration gets people excited, which would allow them to put more effort and soul into said research. You can't imagine how boring it is doing fundamental research otherwise.
- ClumsyPilot 4y ago> Thing is, we do know what humans need. We need better battery technology, improved drugs You just demonstrated that you don't know - we dont need batteries spesifically, we need zero carbon power for vehicles, which can be done by fuel cells or plutonium or maybe something we haven't considered. Same way before you would have asked for a faster oven, because you didn't even know a microwave is a possible concept Research is not a restraurant menu, you dont get to choose what you will discover and how much it will cost