Politics Is Poisoning NASA's Ability To Do Science

[DamianTV]

http://politics.slashdot.org/story/...tics-is-poisoning-nasas-ability-to-do-science

Phil Plait just published an article about how politics is interfering with NASA's ability to perform vital scientific experiments. As expected when we heard that Ted Cruz would be made head of the committee in charge of NASA's funding, the Texas senator is pushing hard for NASA to stop studying Earth itself. Plait writes, "Over the years, NASA has had to beg and scrape to get the relatively small amount of money it gets—less than half a percent of the national budget—and still manages to do great things with it. Cruz is worried NASA's focus needs to be more on space exploration. Fine. Then give them enough money to do everything in their charter: Explore space, send humans there, and study our planet. Whether you think climate change is real or not—and it is— telling NASA they should turn a blind eye to the environment of our own planet is insanity." He concludes, "[T]he politics of funding a government agency is tying NASA in knots and critically endangering its ability to explore."

Phil Plait is one of those few faces of Science like the pot smoking Carl Sagan (yes, he was a pot smoker) used to be, and Michio Kaku and Neil DeGrasse Tyson are today. Politicians are so self deluded that they genuinely believe they have the power to write the Laws of Physics.

 

[Natural Citizen]

http://politics.slashdot.org/story/...tics-is-poisoning-nasas-ability-to-do-science



Phil Plait is one of those few faces of Science like the pot smoking Carl Sagan (yes, he was a pot smoker) used to be, and Michio Kaku and Neil DeGrasse Tyson are today. Politicians are so self deluded that they genuinely believe they have the power to write the Laws of Physics.

Annie is still a big supporter of marijuana. Carl had swag though. He may very well have indulged.

As far as the piece, Cruz has no power. None. The fact is that the space program is the only area where there exists complete bibartisanship. And that won't change. And the last I checked, planet Earth is in space. Much about the cosmos may be learned by studying our planet.

 

[luctor-et-emergo]

The problem with space is, people are no longer as excited as they were in the 60's and 70's. Back then something could be developed and actually put into service within a short space of time. Now billions are spent before plans are even completed. There is this group of scientists (not sure what their organization is called) that argue that NASA is spending too much time developing pet technologies their subcontractors really want. They argue that a mission to mars is possible within a much shorter time span for less money and this is what is needed to get peoples spirit for space back. I must say, I agree with them. I'm not in favor of government spending money on all sorts of projects but I must say a human mission to mars is something I'd voluntarily pay for. Not the way it's run now, with planning missions 20 years ahead that will be scrapped before final planning even starts. There have to be some bold steps. Giant leaps one could say.

 

[Natural Citizen]

The problem with space is, people are no longer as excited as they were in the 60's and 70's. Back then something could be developed and actually put into service within a short space of time. Now billions are spent before plans are even completed. There is this group of scientists (not sure what their organization is called) that argue that NASA is spending too much time developing pet technologies their subcontractors really want. They argue that a mission to mars is possible within a much shorter time span for less money and this is what is needed to get peoples spirit for space back. I must say, I agree with them. I'm not in favor of government spending money on all sorts of projects but I must say a human mission to mars is something I'd voluntarily pay for. Not the way it's run now, with planning missions 20 years ahead that will be scrapped before final planning even starts. There have to be some bold steps. Giant leaps one could say.

Here is an interesting article...

Interesting Plausibility that Elon Musk Could Become a Trillionaire with a City on Mars by 2040

 

[The Free Hornet]

p

http://politics.slashdot.org/story/...tics-is-poisoning-nasas-ability-to-do-science



Phil Plait is one of those few faces of Science like the pot smoking Carl Sagan (yes, he was a pot smoker) used to be, and Michio Kaku and Neil DeGrasse Tyson are today. Politicians are so self deluded that they genuinely believe they have the power to write the Laws of Physics.

I hate Cruz and like Plait, but this is Phil's attempt at shark jumping. The delusion of which you speaks runs both ways and I suspect Plait and Tyson are more deluded about political philosophy than Cruz is about science.

And another thing! Did Cruz spill any beakers or extinguish a bunson burner or wave his hands in front of a telescope? Where is the actual INTERFERENCE in science? Like it or not, Cruz represents the people paying for this shit and Phil's belief that questions, even stupid questions, is intereference is troubling. It is NOT interference in science and it is hardly even sand in the gears that separate our money from our pockets. Sadly, NASA's budget has gone up and it's budget to study 'not space' has rocketed.

 

[Stratovarious]

NASA must be allowed to continue to support the hysterical
Global Warming Camp in order to facilitate the installation of The New World Order Tax on breathing.
If we don't see this through Al Gore will be deprived of trillions in lost revenue, someone will have to
pony up to pay his energy bills and fund/offset his Carbon Foot Print, jet fuel costs, mistresses,....

, ,

 

[angelatc]

p

I hate Cruz and like Plait, but this is Phil's attempt at shark jumping. The delusion of which you speaks runs both ways and I suspect Plait and Tyson are more deluded about political philosophy than Cruz is about science.
.

Again, Damien is a lefty. Since when do we think that NASA should even exist?

Scientists are liberals because they are smart, and therefore suffer from the fatal conceit. Deciding that scientists should make what gets our tax money is as misguided as allowing lawyers to do it.

 

[orenbus]

One of only two areas I disagreed with Ron Paul on in regards to government funding and one of the only federal government entities beyond national defense I support.

NASA may stumble and may even be inefficient at times, but it's critical to the interests of U.S. citizens and the human race in general in my opinion.

 

[NativeOne]

The scale back in nasa .. because the space program is a lie.

Has nothing to do with money .. the American private sector would be glad to step up.

So why the hesitation ?? The only thing that makes sense is unmanned (drone) flights.

The science it self, is what's really being over looked .. (on purpose)

Think about this for a second .. the Hubble (so quietly not being spoken of today) for several reasons.

Secretly and not being told to the public .. the true dangers of human space flight.
(The universe is highly radiated, and no matter where we look .. it's the same picture)
Confirmed .. everything else about the Hubble's pictures and data gathering is used as spin only.

It's not just the time involved, getting from one asteroid or planet to the next.

Space particles (or dust) that would cause pitting on earth, would be catastrophic in space.

These spacial dust storms are NOT mappable .. they are random, but yet frequent enough
to make space travel for humans next to impossible ..

Not only are they dangerous in of themselves, the radiation that accompanies them,
would use that same Space Capsule you are traveling in .. to cook you very well done.

Think of space as a radiated unseen lava field .. then you will start seeing the real reason
behind the scale back of space flight for the past 30 years .. even to the moon.
Just orbital space flights .. really??

Starting to make sense yet ..