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"In selecting a woman and a person of colour, Nasa is keeping its promise to bring greater diversity to its exploration efforts. All the previous crewed mission

"In selecting a woman and a person of colour, Nasa is keeping its promise to bring greater diversity to its exploration efforts. All the previous crewed missions to the Moon were made by white men." Please, please tell me that's not in the NASA press release. I mean, I get that's important for journos, but the hell?! Independent of your opinion on forced diversity, how demeaning is it for those undeniably brillant and capable people that manage to be an accomplished astronaut? Your employer insinuating it's not your skill and intellect, but your melatonin and gonads that gets you to space. Edit: I don't question they are some of the most capable and focused individuals on earth, and they have absolutely earned their place. Also, I think it's absolutely great that NASA acknowledges that the "all-white-boys-club" is something that belongs in the past. The thing that annoys me is the way it's presented. Why can't they just truthfully say: "These are the best of the best humanity has to offer!"? The "but they even are black and female!" in the text implicates that's one of the reasons they were chosen as well. And that's unbelievably demeaning to these two, at least I would think so in their position. (And probably not care the slightest, because "I'm going to space, so whatever!")

areukiddingme 4y ago
Ok, so token black dude heads the mission and stands above all of the Caucasians in the photo op, and announced by the Administrator for NASA Bill Nelson, who is a politician/lawyer that somehow got a free ride to space and now controls via presidential appointment... all of NASA. With zero rocketry experience. Translation: only black people that tower over their Caucasian NASA counterparts, and presidentially-appointed lawyers from Yale, get to go to space. This post was not generated by ChatGPT-4.
micromacrofoot 4y ago
> Your employer insinuating it's not your skill and intellect, but your melatonin and gonads that gets you to space. Why would you assume it's not both? When the apollo program was all-white no one was going around saying "I bet those guys aren't any good and just got the job because they lack melanin" — yet other races were excluded from the astronaut program all the same.
- tifik 4y ago
  > Why would you assume it's not both? I do not believe parent assumes that, but rather states they hope it's not the latter on its own (or at least not a major driver in the decision process).
  - exar0815 4y ago
    I don't even care if it's the latter, because everyone in the astronaut program is someone who has earned that place on the mission. It's the way the press pushes that to the front that I find demeaning to those two exceptional individuals. It's the same as all my non-white and/or female colleagues are considerably more often asked to visit career fairs and outreach programs at schools and universities. All of them know it's neither their people skills nor their undeniable ability that puts them front and center, and they hate it.
    - artsytrashcan 4y ago
      Why is it demeaning? It's the truth. The pilot is black and one of the mission specialists is a woman, within the context of an institution that hasn't historically had a lot of those on historic missions. That it's notable enough for media to state it doesn't say anything about the individuals.
      - micromacrofoot 4y ago
        let’s not forget the first native american, twins, man, dog, satellite… when it’s such a limited cohort we look for firsts, strive for them at times… we all gain from learning from a diverse variety of viewpoints… this is kinda why we’re putting people into space to begin with! I’m sure we’ll celebrate the first child in space, the first blind person in space, the first furry! we should be seeking these out and calling them out, we want more people interested in space exploration
kube-system 4y ago
> Please, please tell me that's not in the NASA press release. It is not. https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-names-astronauts-to-next-moon-mission-first-crew-under-artemis https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-names-astronauts-to-... > Why can't they just truthfully say: "These are the best of the best humanity has to offer!"? That is almost exactly what they said! > Among the crew are the first woman, first person of color, and first Canadian on a lunar mission, and all four astronauts will represent the best of humanity as they explore for the benefit of all, and > They represent exactly what an astronaut corps should be: a mix of highly capable and accomplished individuals with the skills and determination to take on any trial as a team.
- exar0815 4y ago
  Yeah, that NASA press release is completely fine. Then it's just the BBC regurgitation that sounds demeaning.
  - kube-system 4y ago
    The BBC also shouldn't be simply regurgitating a press release. There are different things that may be more or less appropriate in either context.
soco 4y ago
I imagine there are at least a few dozen equally qualified folks around there, and they still have to pick only four. Then of course they'll use also other criteria, less important for the job itself (as everybody already fulfills those).

areukiddingme 4y ago

Ok, so token black dude heads the mission and stands above all of the Caucasians in the photo op, and announced by the Administrator for NASA Bill Nelson, who is a politician/lawyer that somehow got a free ride to space and now controls via presidential appointment... all of NASA. With zero rocketry experience. Translation: only black people that tower over their Caucasian NASA counterparts, and presidentially-appointed lawyers from Yale, get to go to space. This post was not generated by ChatGPT-4.

micromacrofoot 4y ago

> Your employer insinuating it's not your skill and intellect, but your melatonin and gonads that gets you to space. Why would you assume it's not both? When the apollo program was all-white no one was going around saying "I bet those guys aren't any good and just got the job because they lack melanin" — yet other races were excluded from the astronaut program all the same.

tifik 4y ago
> Why would you assume it's not both? I do not believe parent assumes that, but rather states they hope it's not the latter on its own (or at least not a major driver in the decision process).
- exar0815 4y ago
  I don't even care if it's the latter, because everyone in the astronaut program is someone who has earned that place on the mission. It's the way the press pushes that to the front that I find demeaning to those two exceptional individuals. It's the same as all my non-white and/or female colleagues are considerably more often asked to visit career fairs and outreach programs at schools and universities. All of them know it's neither their people skills nor their undeniable ability that puts them front and center, and they hate it.
  - artsytrashcan 4y ago
    Why is it demeaning? It's the truth. The pilot is black and one of the mission specialists is a woman, within the context of an institution that hasn't historically had a lot of those on historic missions. That it's notable enough for media to state it doesn't say anything about the individuals.
    - micromacrofoot 4y ago
      let’s not forget the first native american, twins, man, dog, satellite… when it’s such a limited cohort we look for firsts, strive for them at times… we all gain from learning from a diverse variety of viewpoints… this is kinda why we’re putting people into space to begin with! I’m sure we’ll celebrate the first child in space, the first blind person in space, the first furry! we should be seeking these out and calling them out, we want more people interested in space exploration

kube-system 4y ago

> Please, please tell me that's not in the NASA press release. It is not. https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-names-astronauts-to-next-moon-mission-first-crew-under-artemis https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-names-astronauts-to-... > Why can't they just truthfully say: "These are the best of the best humanity has to offer!"? That is almost exactly what they said! > Among the crew are the first woman, first person of color, and first Canadian on a lunar mission, and all four astronauts will represent the best of humanity as they explore for the benefit of all, and > They represent exactly what an astronaut corps should be: a mix of highly capable and accomplished individuals with the skills and determination to take on any trial as a team.

exar0815 4y ago
Yeah, that NASA press release is completely fine. Then it's just the BBC regurgitation that sounds demeaning.
- kube-system 4y ago
  The BBC also shouldn't be simply regurgitating a press release. There are different things that may be more or less appropriate in either context.

soco 4y ago

I imagine there are at least a few dozen equally qualified folks around there, and they still have to pick only four. Then of course they'll use also other criteria, less important for the job itself (as everybody already fulfills those).