4 ms·

You're sadly mistaken if you think space exploration isn't dependent on funding, and that that funding is in constant danger of being slashed. As far as "what

You're sadly mistaken if you think space exploration isn't dependent on funding, and that that funding is in constant danger of being slashed. As far as "what you can do in your home ... to advance space exploration" pretty sure contacting my congresspeople and telling them that funding for NASA is important to me is the best thing I can do.

1123581321 14y ago
I believe it is dependent on funding and you are doing space exploration harm by abstracting it down to percentages of budgets vaguely spent, as if it's a progress bar in a Zynga game that only needs to be filled. There are many things you can do to help with space exploration. Get others excited about physics/astronomy/engineering, conduct your own rocket research and involve your family/neighbors, run/participate in distributed projects to quantify and discover items in space. Right now you are not able to see the connection between how you spend your time and what happens at NASA; this is a path to understanding how the collective individual actions of real people make these things happen, happen more often and in a better way. Certainly also write to your representatives, but please make it personal and not abstract and give it as much weight of experience and knowledge as possible.
- mattdeboard 14y ago
  > I believe it is dependent on funding and you are doing space exploration harm by abstracting it down to percentages of budgets vaguely spent, as if it's a progress bar in a Zynga game that only needs to be filled. Are you trying to sound like a smug prick? > There are many things you can do to help with space exploration. Get others excited about physics/astronomy/engineering, conduct your own rocket research .. Uh, ok. I am not interested in rocket research as an avenue for my own self-education, and I don't have time in my life to "run/participate in distributed projects to quantify and discover items in space." I mean, really dude? Your point seems to be, "If you are not personally building a spaceship, trying to get into outer space, you're hurting NASA!" Get a grip. In the real world, people make time for the things they care about in the spaces between all the things they must do. For those things that don't fit or are difficult to access, we do what we can. "Do everything or do nothing," which you seem to be implying, is not a viable form of advocacy. > you are not able to see the connection between how you spend your time and what happens at NASA I didn't know you and I were so personally acquainted. Oh, wait, you're just projecting.
  - 1123581321 14y ago
    Wow, that's quite a rude response for Hacker News. I'm sorry to see it here. Edit: to respond to the middle part, I think that if you are more concerned about the space program than the other things that compete with it for money, then you would want to spend your time similarly, especially because many people are not as interested in space as you (and I) think they should be. I do not think being busy is a good excuse; when I said you couldn't see the possibilities of positive action I meant to warm you to the possibility of increasing future support for funding by incubating enthusiasm for space exploration in others. You could certainly do this. I was also serious to suggest that you might actually contribute in some way to our exploration of space, which would mean more exploration for the same money. Whether funding increases, stays even or decreases that is a good thing. I do stand by the Zynga analogy in that your perception of funding appeared to be too deterministic, not that you are somehow a Farmville addict or even play one Zynga game. I maintain it's bad for NASA if its advocates view the relationship between funding and space exploration too abstractly.
    - mattdeboard 14y ago
      You are tone deaf if you don't realize how rude and condescending your own posts are.

1123581321 14y ago

I believe it is dependent on funding and you are doing space exploration harm by abstracting it down to percentages of budgets vaguely spent, as if it's a progress bar in a Zynga game that only needs to be filled. There are many things you can do to help with space exploration. Get others excited about physics/astronomy/engineering, conduct your own rocket research and involve your family/neighbors, run/participate in distributed projects to quantify and discover items in space. Right now you are not able to see the connection between how you spend your time and what happens at NASA; this is a path to understanding how the collective individual actions of real people make these things happen, happen more often and in a better way. Certainly also write to your representatives, but please make it personal and not abstract and give it as much weight of experience and knowledge as possible.

mattdeboard 14y ago
> I believe it is dependent on funding and you are doing space exploration harm by abstracting it down to percentages of budgets vaguely spent, as if it's a progress bar in a Zynga game that only needs to be filled. Are you trying to sound like a smug prick? > There are many things you can do to help with space exploration. Get others excited about physics/astronomy/engineering, conduct your own rocket research .. Uh, ok. I am not interested in rocket research as an avenue for my own self-education, and I don't have time in my life to "run/participate in distributed projects to quantify and discover items in space." I mean, really dude? Your point seems to be, "If you are not personally building a spaceship, trying to get into outer space, you're hurting NASA!" Get a grip. In the real world, people make time for the things they care about in the spaces between all the things they must do. For those things that don't fit or are difficult to access, we do what we can. "Do everything or do nothing," which you seem to be implying, is not a viable form of advocacy. > you are not able to see the connection between how you spend your time and what happens at NASA I didn't know you and I were so personally acquainted. Oh, wait, you're just projecting.
- 1123581321 14y ago
  Wow, that's quite a rude response for Hacker News. I'm sorry to see it here. Edit: to respond to the middle part, I think that if you are more concerned about the space program than the other things that compete with it for money, then you would want to spend your time similarly, especially because many people are not as interested in space as you (and I) think they should be. I do not think being busy is a good excuse; when I said you couldn't see the possibilities of positive action I meant to warm you to the possibility of increasing future support for funding by incubating enthusiasm for space exploration in others. You could certainly do this. I was also serious to suggest that you might actually contribute in some way to our exploration of space, which would mean more exploration for the same money. Whether funding increases, stays even or decreases that is a good thing. I do stand by the Zynga analogy in that your perception of funding appeared to be too deterministic, not that you are somehow a Farmville addict or even play one Zynga game. I maintain it's bad for NASA if its advocates view the relationship between funding and space exploration too abstractly.
  - mattdeboard 14y ago
    You are tone deaf if you don't realize how rude and condescending your own posts are.