Do you realize that the 850 billion dollar bank bailout. That sum of money is greater than the entire 50 year running budget of NASA.

The NASA budget is four tenths of one penny on a tax dollar. If I held up the tax dollar and I cut horrizontally into it four tenths of one percent of its width. It doesn't even get you into the ink... So I will not accept a statement that says we cannot afford it.

- Neil deGrasse Tyson American astrophysicist

What about money for education and healthcare instead of money for war or exploring space?

What about money for education and healthcare instead of money for war or exploring space?

I don't believe Neil deGrasse Tyson is saying to dump those two important issues by the wayside. I believe he was trying to make a point that the current money spent in the US national budget are misappropriated and even if you spent money on those three things that you mentioned combined and more. There still would be room for expenditure for a space program. Maybe I am naive but, 1 cent out of a dollar isn't very much in the scheme of things.

BTW many inventions for common everyday public use have either come from the space program or developed from it. Also, unfortunately as bad as it may sound many inventions from war as well.

It would be interesting to take a modern day survey and ask a kid what he or she wants to be when they grow up. I wonder if it still is president, doctor, fireman or an astronaut.;-)

Ah, I'm up in baanok and can't see the video.

I honestly don't understand, though, why we need to spend billions to study space when we can get the same engineers to study IT on earth. Maybe that's why all the smart people are working there, and I'm drinking beer at 4 PM.

The space program wouldn't be nearly as well funded if we didn't have a need for war. At least that's true!

Ah' date=' I'm up in baanok and can't see the video.

I honestly don't understand, though, why we need to spend billions to study space when we can get the same engineers to study IT on earth. Maybe that's why all the smart people are working there, and I'm drinking beer at 4 PM.

The space program wouldn't be nearly as well funded if we didn't have a need for war. At least that's true![/quote']

Expoloration is as old as man. I think we we will always have the need to explore weither it be new lands, planets, universe's etc. etc. otherwise we would still think the earth was flat and when you get to the end of it you just fall off. LOL!!