Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cornell!uw-beaver!tikal!sigma!uw-nsr!uw-warp!gtisqr!kevin From: kevin@gtisqr.UUCP (Kevin Bagley) Newsgroups: sci.space Subject: Re: Space travel and the spirit of man Message-ID: <638@hindmost.gtisqr.UUCP> Date: 13 Feb 89 23:01:01 GMT References: <3225@vice.ICO.TEK.COM> <258@corpane.UUCP> <4239@drivax.DRI> <659@uceng.UC.EDU> <1989Feb7.093222.6406@cs.rochester.edu> Reply-To: kevin@hindmost.UUCP (Kevin Bagley) Organization: Global Technology International, Inc. Lines: 32 In article <1989Feb7.093222.6406@cs.rochester.edu> dietz@cs.rochester.edu (Paul Dietz) writes: >In article rg20+@andrew.cmu.edu (Rick Francis Golembiewski) writes: > >>>At present, manned ventures are (very roughly, I believe) ten times as >>>expensive as unmanned ventures in terms of data and benefits returned. > >>Don't forget that manned flights provide some data NOT available from >>unmanned flights: How Humans can live/work in Space. This is >>important > >Experience gained by having people work in space is only worthwhile if >there is some prospect of profitably applying it in the reasonably >near future. [Bit and chunks removed from above, but I hope not out of context.] Paul, With this philosphy, we should abolish all the large aperture telescopes, radio telescopes, particle research, robotic planetary exploration, and a host of other fairly esoteric studies, since profitability is by no means expected in the near future in any of these areas. I hate it when elimination of scientific studies is based on whether or not you will get as many bucks back as you put in. This is not Science, it is capitalism and belongs in the corporate office. No, I'm not against capitalism, but science Must not come and go based on profit, or we will end up with a science that specializes in nothing but coffee makers and microwave ovens. -- _____ Kevin Bagley Global Tech. Int'l Inc., Mukilteo WA 98275 206-742-9111 )___) __ _ _ UUCP:uw-beaver!uw-nsr!uw-warp!gtisqr!kevin _/___) (__(__(_)_/_)_ ARPA:uw-nsr!uw-warp!gtisqr!kevin@beaver.cs.washington.edu _______________/ Disclaimer... "I did not say this. I am not here."