IMO the argument is a red-herring. Exploration and settlement of other planets doesn't preclude any action to improve conditions here on Earth. If anything, the technologies and knowledge we gain from the effort would only help us to better understand and ameliorate problems here. There seems to be some environmental guilt here, and a worry that we will ruin some other pristine place, -that "we don't deserve it" argument. I'm not sure what can be said about that. In who's eyes don't we deserve 'it'? I don't understand. Exploration and wonder is a good part of who we are. We learn about ourselves when we encounter new knowledge. We get new context and mature. Previous conflicts diminish and lose relevance as we expand our worldview. I also see this exploration as an avenue to a new era of enlightenment. If we chose not to, we stagnate.
- IMO the argument is a red-herring. Exploration and settlement of other planets doesn't preclude any action to improve conditions here on Earth.
I discuss this a lot with friends and most of the time, the central point it's goverment spending. "The government should spend more on improving health and fighting poverty than building spaceships", sometimes the litany goes. My response is the same as yours. Why should our cientific endeavours distract us or discourage us to take our part in the betterment of the world? Neil deGrasse Tyson has a wonderful counter-argument to this: he says that of one dollar the average american pays, one half of a penny (1/200 of a dollar) goes to NASA. And that one dollar gives us the Space Shuttle, that gives us Curiosity, that gives us the Hubble Telescope. I'm interested in what would you say to that argument, mk. I realise you already have answered it, but, if I may, I would like some more thoughts about this if you have any. Why shouldn't we take money away from NASA and other space programs around the world and put them in social reform and distribution of wealth programs?
- Why should our scientific endeavours distract us or discourage us to take our part in the betterment of the world?
Personally, I see most of our scientific endeavors to be conducted for the betterment of humanity. IMHO it's a good point that deGrasse Tyson makes, but it is almost apologetic in that it argues that NASA spends very little, so in that light, what we have gained is worth it. I don't have much time atm, but I think I am going to write a post about my feelings on this. In short, I think that these endeavors are part of why we want to preserve our species. They are us working together to create a better place on Earth, and they propel us into a more mature, more positive, and less aggressive society. Yeah, I want to write a proper post on this.