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New space telescopes offer intriguing possibilities

by Mike Wright
9 replies
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BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Lift-off for European telescopes

a Multiverse no less
  • Profile picture of the author Star69
    Great, long as they aren't pointed back at Earth to catch London purse snatchers and red light runners...

    Sorry, but other than possibly helping future generations, I see this expense as pointless, other than to provide jobs for a lot of people. What good will it do for anyone to discover the beginning of the cosmos or how stars are created? How will knowing that help anyone on this rock?

    I feel the very same about NASA and GW's wacky idea of revisiting the moon. It's a horrible waste of funding that could be better spent funding Obama's social programs...

    Can I pull my tongue out of my cheek now?
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    • Profile picture of the author ConcordeWarrior
      I find Space exploration really interesting but heck... aren't there anymore urgent things for our governments to spend money on?

      They should care about what's going on Earth before pretending they want to explore the Universe... That's a never ending game...

      We are in an economic depression. These Space telescopes are wasted money in these precarious times.

      How much did the Hubble repair Space Shuttle mission cost from when they started preparing for it until it will end? Who is paying for it? Government/tax payers money? Private sponsors?

      ps: I am no Obamabot or any other leader-bot for that fact.
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    • Profile picture of the author gareth
      Ignorance is bliss... Unless theres a recession.

      That multi trillion dollar bailout should have been spent on NASA and an AI program.

      Not flushed down the social and financial toilet.
      Signature

      Gareth M Thomas
      Serial Entrepreneur
      Auckland, New Zealand

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      • Profile picture of the author Mike Wright
        Big and small science expenditure is peanuts compared with military,
        defense and security stuff including R&D and classified stuff. :rolleyes:
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  • Profile picture of the author sm97os
    They are looking for Planet X! haha. I do appreciate what Hubble has sent back to us.
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  • Profile picture of the author Star69
    The pictures we've received from Hubble have been quite beautiful and awe-inspiring, but other than that what good are they? We are looking where none of us will ever go!

    Well, maybe it will give us advanced warning of a huge meteorite speeding through space on a dead center collision course with Earth, which will be the end for all of us.

    Wouldn't you prefer to not know about something like that ahead of time? What are you going to do, try to stop it from happening? Good luck with that.

    These missions have been a colossal waste of literally billions (if not trillions) of taxpayer dollars, while we still have people freezing to death every winter for the lack of a warm bed.

    Justifying these continued expenditures is a study in stretching the truth and pulling the wool over our eyes.

    We have been building the Space Station for the past 20 years, at a cost of how many billions? I wonder who gets to live there when the Earth can no longer sustain life?

    It sure won't be you or me...but we help pay for it, don't we?
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    • Profile picture of the author Thomas
      Originally Posted by Star69 View Post

      These missions have been a colossal waste of literally billions...
      Not sure if you're talking about the Hubble, or the Herschel & Planck telescopes. If the latter, take heart that, since it's a European Space Agency project, you didn't actually pay for it.

      I did.

      (<-- that's my taxpayer face... here's my space-nerd face--> )
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  • Profile picture of the author jacktackett
    Yea, think of all that wasted money spent on the space race, Apollo etc. What did we get out of it except things like microprocessors, miniaturization, computers, networks, Cell phones, tele medicine, ArpaNet (AKA Internet), etc.

    You're right - big waste of effing money and time eh?

    You might not be able to see the serendipitous items these things bring -but they will bring them. Sometimes investments go bust, sometimes they bring in the mother load.

    Only time will tell if its a waste of money/effort or if it was a good investment.

    --Jack
    Signature
    Let's get Tim the kidney he needs!HELP Tim
    Mega Monster WSO for KimW http://ow.ly/4JdHm


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  • Profile picture of the author HeySal
    So maybe it will attract the attention of some intelligence that will come and bitch slap our leaders around until they can make some sense again.
    Signature

    Sal
    When the Roads and Paths end, learn to guide yourself through the wilderness
    Beyond the Path

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