Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mcsun!ukc!edcastle!dcl-cs!aber-cs!casandra!kas From: kas@cs.aber.ac.uk (Kevin Sharp) Newsgroups: comp.robotics Subject: Re: Divert NASA budget to robotics Message-ID: Date: 18 Jul 90 16:56:27 GMT References: <2787@dftsrv.gsfc.nasa.gov> <18608@ttidca.TTI.COM> <9935@pt.cs.cmu.edu> Sender: kas@aber-cs.UUCP Organization: Robotics Research Group, UCW, Aberystwyth Lines: 19 In-reply-to: gerry@cive.ri.cmu.edu's message of 17 Jul 90 15:41:57 GMT I'd like to make two points. One for either side of this argument. 1) If manned space flight is seen as valuable for seducing the young into science, is robotics not able to compete? Personally I find the idea of creating autonomous intelligent machines far more exciting than taking a space flight. I'm sure that I'm not unique in this view. 2) In comparing the cost of human life with that of a machine it's as well to remember that there's no problem finding volunteer astronauts. The calls to ban manned space flight on account of the danger to individuals amounts to gross protectionism. Such an attitude is extremely patronizing towards those who are willing to risk their lives for experience of traveling outside the Earth's atmosphere. -- -- Kevin Sharp, UUCP : {WALES}!ukc!aber-cs!kas AI and Robotics Research Group, JANET: kas@uk.ac.aber.cs Department of Computer Science, PHONE: +44 970 622450 University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, Dyfed, UK. SY23 3BZ