Investment in Science

[Asbo Zaprudder]

Ok, I'd suggest investing more in your intelligence services (CIA, NSA), homeland security and the FBI to counter terrorism than in the military. Terrorists tend not to wear uniforms. It does pay to take notice when a terrorist's father warns you about the intentions of his militant son -- even if the father is a Nigerian banker.

 

[iguana_tonante]

No worries. I started it and then realized it after the response about "Senator Palin"

Yeah, the first post seemed like a conceivable (yet misguided) opinion. After that... not so much.

 

[ThankQ]

I just want America to be an impenetrable fortress, that is all.

Oh, my bad.

Yeah, that's impossible.

Why are you so worried about terrorists? I mean, there are things much more threatening, to both of us, than terrorists.

I'm not saying we shouldn't take measures, but of all the ways to be killed that we COULD prevent, dying in a terrorist attack is deep, deep, deep within the list.

You'd more likely be killed or harmed by hundreds of things we could learn how to prevent.

 

[john titor]

I just want America to be an impenetrable fortress, that is all.

Oh, my bad.

Yeah, that's impossible.

Why are you so worried about terrorists? I mean, there are things much more threatening, to both of us, than terrorists.

I'm not saying we shouldn't take measures, but of all the ways to be killed that we COULD prevent, dying in a terrorist attack is deep, deep, deep within the list.

You'd more likely be killed or harmed by hundreds of things we could learn how to prevent.

Its not just terrorists, we need enhanced firepower to retain our top dog position on the world stage. We need more investment in spacecraft, we need to be the first to conquer space.

My question, which is posed to everyone here, is...do you think scientific investment is misguided in certain areas?

 

[ThankQ]

I just want America to be an impenetrable fortress, that is all.

Oh, my bad.

Yeah, that's impossible.

Why are you so worried about terrorists? I mean, there are things much more threatening, to both of us, than terrorists.

I'm not saying we shouldn't take measures, but of all the ways to be killed that we COULD prevent, dying in a terrorist attack is deep, deep, deep within the list.

You'd more likely be killed or harmed by hundreds of things we could learn how to prevent.

Its not just terrorists, we need enhanced firepower to retain our top dog position on the world stage. We need more investment in spacecraft, we need to be the first to conquer space.

My question, which is posed to everyone here, is...do you think scientific investment is misguided in certain areas?

Yes, I do think scientific investment is misguided in certain areas, but the areas that I find wasteful are the same areas of which you are most fond.

I do not agree that the US needs to be the "top dog" in anything, but I don't have any nationalist tendencies, except when the World Cup rolls around. I find nationalism wasteful.

I would certainly disagree that space needs to be conquored.

 

[john titor]

Oh, my bad.

Yeah, that's impossible.

Why are you so worried about terrorists? I mean, there are things much more threatening, to both of us, than terrorists.

I'm not saying we shouldn't take measures, but of all the ways to be killed that we COULD prevent, dying in a terrorist attack is deep, deep, deep within the list.

You'd more likely be killed or harmed by hundreds of things we could learn how to prevent.

Its not just terrorists, we need enhanced firepower to retain our top dog position on the world stage. We need more investment in spacecraft, we need to be the first to conquer space.

My question, which is posed to everyone here, is...do you think scientific investment is misguided in certain areas?

Yes, I do think scientific investment is misguided in certain areas, but the areas that I find wasteful are the same areas of which you are most fond.

I do not agree that the US needs to be the "top dog" in anything, but I don't have any nationalist tendencies, except when the World Cup rolls around. I find nationalism wasteful.

I would certainly disagree that space needs to be conquored.

Apart from military apps which other areas are those? The pinnacle of US history was conquering the moon. It started as a relatively poor nation which had just about won its independence, following on there was a civil war, but in the space of a 100 years it reached the moon. THE greatest achievement of man ever.

Period.

Space is our future and NASA gave us a glimpse of that future, if only for a few moments. When I see the lunar lander I see technology which even though outdated is representative of something way in advance of what we have today, which we will one day arrive at.

 

[Michael_One]

So what you want is DARPA prioritizing research?

That's good for some things, not so good for others.

Microchips were first investigated by government researchers 'cause private industry didn't see a payoff in what was very expensive research.

ARPAnet? you're reading this thanks to its descendant...

Bell Labs invented the transistor and the laser and Xerox PARC invented the mouse and icon user interface. Those were good ideas. Too bad Bell Labs doesn't exist anymore and PARC wastes its time on biology instead of coming up with ray guns.

Protecting against terrorists? Isn't that Dept of Homemade Security and TSA's job? OK, so we need to do body cavity searches on four year olds whose names turn up on watch lists; we need to be safe at all costs.

Just a quick question, what is acceptable research? Clearly F-22 upgrades are in, what about medical care for wounded soldiers? Is that OK with you? What about discoveries in helping folks with PTSD, is that OK? PTSD treatment doesn't kill terrorists, while bad guys cringe in fear the Raptor ( tm Lockheed Martin ) is coming to get them with its AMRAAM missiles. How about that nutcase Fleming who says bread mold can... get this... cure infections??

What do you plan to do to people who research Wrong Things? Make them pay fines? Put them in jail? Sentence them to be test subjects for the Right Kind of experiments? How would you keep them from secretly researching Bad Things? Start the George Orwell broadcast network where the TV watches you?

Here in the real world, maybe you should write a bill for Congress that gives tax credits for the Right Kind of research, and government funding for work that shows results.

You are a big booster of space travel for military purposes... may I suggest putting reaaaalllly big bombs on satellites to insure world peace? Pay no attention to the monolith behind the curtain...

 

[scotpens]

But if we focus on the here and now in terms of military and computer tech we'd discover news things which would be discovered by research anyway. Why should the social behaviour fruit flies constitute a valid research projet. I'm with senator Palin on this one.

YUH!

OH geez Who is Senator Palin?

A relative of former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, perhaps? Or did she get elected to the Senate when I wasn't looking?

 

[sojourner]

I find the whole concept flawed due to an overly simplistic world view by the OP.

 

[Deckerd]

Apart from military apps which other areas are those? The pinnacle of US history was conquering the moon.

In what way has the USA conquered the moon? They nailed getting there and back in one piece 30 years ago but I don't see any conquering going on against those pesky moon people.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

Arrr, it be us whalers who rule the moon now, Jim lad, arrr.

 

[john titor]

Apart from military apps which other areas are those? The pinnacle of US history was conquering the moon.

In what way has the USA conquered the moon? They nailed getting there and back in one piece 30 years ago but I don't see any conquering going on against those pesky moon people.

Amercians rule the moon because we planted a flag on it so its our territory now.

I'll answer the other questions later, gotta go.

 

[iguana_tonante]

^ Thank you for the good laugh!

Legal status of the Moon

Although several pennants of the Soviet Union were scattered by Luna 2 in 1959 and by later landing missions, and U.S. flags have been symbolically planted on the Moon, no nation currently claims ownership of any part of the Moon's surface.

Outer Space Treaty

The treaty explicitly forbids any government from claiming a celestial resource such as the Moon or a planet, since they are the Common heritage of mankind.[1] Art. II of the Treaty states that "outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means"

Both the US and the (late) USSR agreed to the Treaty, which entered into force on October 10, 1967.

 

[Michael_One]

"Americans rule the Moon..." This reminds me of an opinion piece I saw many years ago whre this guy proposed annexing the lunar northern hemisphere as the 51st state. Considering the amount of gear you'd need to survive there, homesteading would be exceedingly difficult.

"rule the Moon"... isn't that a reality retcon? At the time there was much publicity given to the idea the flags didn't represent a territory claim. Nope, changed our minds on that one!

 

[Jadzia]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Titor

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

Obviously that particular John Titor travelled from an alternative reality where bullshit is a freely convertible currency.

 

[john titor]

I'm the real John Titor. I am not a wiki entry, I'm real. You're obviously not patriotic enough to follow my line of reasoning.

 

[John Picard]

I'm the real John Titor. I am not a wiki entry, I'm real. You're obviously not patriotic enough to follow my line of reasoning.

More like not interested.

 

[john titor]

Because you're not a patriot

 

[Jadzia]

we need enhanced firepower to retain our top dog position on the world stage. We need more investment in spacecraft, we need to be the first to conquer space.

You're obviously not patriotic enough to follow my line of reasoning.

Because you're not a patriot

John, this kind of posting is not what sci-tech is for.

Present scientific ideas. Ask questions about science. Talk about science and technology. But threads like this - promoting one's personal agenda backed up with political/nationalistic bias and name calling, is not welcome.