Comments on: NASA’s budget … as far as Americans think

By: lope

lope — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 06:39:53 +0000

weird how all you guys care about is space and a couple thousand nasa employees. what about the millions without healthcare? we have bigger problems in this nation. thousands of people have already lost their job. its normal. in my opinion nasa is the biggest waste of money out there. what does it matter if we know whats out there? how will that make things better now?

By: From Distant Planets to the Deep Blue Sea | Bad Astronomy | Discover Magazine

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 20:14:29 +0000

[...] we should demand it do so. I need not go into details — you can find my arguments here and here and here and especially here — but let me just say that science always pays off in the long [...]

By: IMAX in a Basement » NASA’s budget drains America!!! (or so many Americans believe)

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 07:12:08 +0000

[...] The average American believes 1/4 of the US budget goes to NASA… [...]

By: Grand Lunar

Grand Lunar — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 00:01:57 +0000

I know that many people NEED to read this blog entry, Phil.

To think that all we get from NASA comes from that measly half a percent! Amazing!

I have to wonder that if this figure was more well know that how many people would shut their trap about NASA being a waste and that it should be disposed of and have it’s budget spent on Earthly problems.
Does anyone really think that an increase of half a percent will suddenly solve our problems on Earth?

We need to go into space, both humans and machines. We cannot remain confined on this planet and hope to survive as a species.

True, the steps we take today and in the immediate future are small ones. However, they will add up.

The problem with space programs is that they are long term investments in a world that wants instant results.

By: James Nicoll

James Nicoll — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 23:14:12 +0000

“We are NEVER going to solve the human problems in the world because of the mankindâ€™s strong tendency toward utter jackassery. Without some sort of Slaver telepathy amplification helmet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrint), you are never going to fix peopleâ€™s broken behaviors.”

Pardon me, I must step out expose some unwanted babies and burn a witch or two before replying. Assuming, of course, that the plague does not carry me off before I return.

I’d like to say that I am surprised that an SF fan thinks the only solution to the world’s problems involves mind-controlling the masses but in fact, I am not surprised at all.

By: Dom

Dom — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 16:28:38 +0000

Thanks for the corrections Ken B and Abstract Labor.

I was not thinking of our income as a nation from taxes. Closer to $50 makes much more sense and is an easier figure to show to people.

So to use the chart posted earlier, claiming that the War on Terror is a 110 Billion expenditure, and the rough figure of 300 million people, that leaves us with a personal expenditure of $367 on Terror.

Do you feel safer today than you did seven years ago? After what must be nearing a Trillion dollars, do you think the world is a better place?

By: jjack

jjack — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 22:32:58 +0000

Why spend money on NASA when all the secrets of the universe are laid out quite literally in the Bible?