I think the mindset of someone who thinks spending in science -- and, particularly, in space exploration -- is throwing money into a hole goes as follows: "Sure it may benefit us, but that doesn't mean it will. I'd rather put my money on more urgent issues."
I think to fight that argument you'd have to come up with some really solid numbers to show the ratio between all the inventions created for space programs which were later used in everyday life and those which weren't. A quick search reveals these:
http://space.about.com/od/toolsequipment/ss/apollospinoffs.h...
http://curiosity.discovery.com/topic/physics-concepts-and-de...
You could argue, for instance, that our understanding of our own weather began when we were studying the weather of other planets. You can even invent a way more efficient firehose, but I don't think that would drive to point home to most people.
I think most people feel detached from the cosmos. As if we were watching it from a distance, instead of being a very real and active part of it. If I'm right, how we've come to his point?
- I think most people feel detached from the cosmos. As if we were watching it from a distance, instead of being a very real and active a part of it. If I'm right, how we've come to his point?
I think that the sense of wonder has to be instilled in the young. When I think back to my childhood at all the times I've experienced awe, it was usually while I was learning about some amazing aspect of the universe we live in. It was always better than any fiction, -just as interesting but with the added emotional impact of being real. Those learning moments informed much of my curiosity and respect for knowledge, critical thinking, and reverence for our ability to unravel the mysteries of the universe as humans.
As I have gotten older, I've gotten more practical, mostly due to the demands of daily live. I explore less. I don't have the luxury of just doing nothing but ponder as much as I did back then. I couldnt even imagin trying to replicate the reverence towards our relationship with knowledge that I had instilled in me from childhood as adult. I feel like I can safely extrapolate my case to the population as a whole for the most part. We just need to feed the thirsty minds of our children with as much as they can drink. It is so important to plant those seeds of awe.
- If for no other reason that’s why we need to invest in science: in NASA, in NSF, in NOAA, and all the other agencies that explore the world around us. It’s for our own good. And it always pays off.
Innovation is not for everybody's own good. Things go obsolete due to innovation. For some companies, keeping things exactly as they are is critical to their succes.
- For some companies, keeping things exactly as they are is critical to their succes.
To be fair, I think when he said "for our own good" he was referring to the citizens our our country collectively, not specific corporations here and there. I think it is folly to hold back progress for our citizens so that legacy corporations can continue to make money, but I realize that those legacy corporation owners probably think differently.