We’re fans of Neil deGrasse Tyson here in Gizmodo, but his talk on why NASA is necessary for America – and, as a foreigner, I would say for the world – gives me goosebumps. You must see it and pass it around.
Neil makes a perfect argument in favour of NASA and human space exploration, one that matches what we have argued before in Gizmodo.
The sad truth is that whoever criticises the space agency always does it from a complete ignorance of what NASA actually does. Those people are truly clueless about their missions, their projects, what they entail, what they mean, and their impact in every level of our society. Not only for its educational value, for the inspiration it brings to young girls and boys who want to become engineers instead of Kim Kardashian or Charlie Sheen. Not only for advancing the technology industry in a way that trickles down to every single piece of technology in our hands today. Not only for the countless discoveries that have advanced our understanding of the Universe, our planet and our species. Or for the networks of satellites that track Earth to prevent disasters, help farmers all around the world or protect our environment.
No, it’s not for any of those particular reasons, but all of them together, a higher value that is greater than the sum of its parts. A greater good. When I think about the magnitude of their labour and compare it to the actual cost – only half a penny of your tax dollars! – it just makes me want to crotchpunch any moron who whines every time a probe reaches a distant planet, a telescope is deployed or a rocket is launched.
EckyThump
Tuesday, July 26, 2011 at 10:29 AMI like Neil, he’s up front about the system, unfortunately, until… actually unless the US Gov’t steps back from its degeneration to a Police state, the poor bugger is facing a very steep hill… the US Gov’t does not care! their senate is too busy screwing each other, and the US people are, for the most part, more interested in just trying to get by, and let’s face it, their schooling standards are woefully inadequate and getting worse! I’m thinking it’s going to fall to France or China or maybe even India, to get it done! Let’s hope he can start a snowball effect, and at least start to change their direction, I really hope he can!! #[
Sylphier
Tuesday, July 26, 2011 at 10:47 AMAs a posgrad student studying engineering, I cried during that video, twice.
Mike
Tuesday, July 26, 2011 at 3:13 PMAs a regular joe, I sat through the 4:27 of inspirational, swelling music and a guy talking about how we need to keep funding NASA because it’s what kids know and because it advances technology. Didn’t cry once.
There are other science agencies out there who could really use funding too, and these places make more of an impact on the actual lives of people than a rover landing on mars. I’m talking places like CERN. Go google how much funding they get, and also google what they’ve made possible that you use every day.
The whole “oh it’s only half a penny off every dollar” argument is irrelevant, you’re basically trying to justify spending on the fact that you think the amount you’re spending is not that much. Let me tell you, it’s a lot. Specifically, 17-19 BILLION per year. And all for what? Advancing the space frontier? So we can…? How about we deal with the problems at home first. Put that money into researching better network security options, modifying plants/crops so they can be grown bigger, faster and better. Research alternatives to fossil fuel, a cure for cancer, etc etc etc. The list is a mile long, and frankly I’d rather see 17 Billion spent on any one of those things instead of sending another rover or probe out to *any* planet.
EckyThump
Tuesday, July 26, 2011 at 4:38 PMSo how are you going to justify their defence budget? take around a quarter off that and everyone would get their cut! No point in dragging NASA down because it’s going to use money that could be used elsewhere until you fix that little black hole of misery,.. is there?
Mike
Wednesday, July 27, 2011 at 9:04 AMBringing in the defence budget is a straw man; it has absolutely nothing to do with whether NASA should receive funding. For the record though, I don’t agree with the amount of funding the military gets either.
Ultimately it comes down to this. You can try and disguise the amount of money NASA gets by bringing in cute ‘half-penny’ one liners, but when it comes right down to it that’s still a mountain of money. 19 Billion dollars usually buys a lot; in NASAs case it apparently gets rovers to mars, for all the good that does everyone. Until we come up with an alternative for the fuels currently used to get rockets/shuttles into space (and lets be real here, if we really do want to advance out into space, we’re going to *need* a new power source) then I suggest we stop wasting billions every year and put all that money into something that might actually give back something other than a few kilos of moon rocks.
EckyThump
Wednesday, July 27, 2011 at 10:44 AMI’m not trying to rattle your cage but calling the military budget a strawman is a copout! NASA’s budget for 2011 is around $19 billion as opposed to the military budget of around 600 to 700 billion dollars for 2010, I can’t see that being less for 2011! I agree that they should be spending more, much more, on infrastructure and various others, but you can easily do that if you cut the military budget by even 15% I’m not saying you havn’t made a good point, but I’m sorry mate your argument doesn’t work for me! #)
Mike
Wednesday, July 27, 2011 at 3:36 PMYou haven’t give a reason as to why NASA should keep getting 19 billion a year. Bringing in the military budget is a straw man because it has nothing to do with any reason why NASA should keep getting funding ;)
As I said I’m definitely not a fan of how the military operates either, 700 billion going towards keeping jets fuelled and waiting on a runway just-in-case is ludacris. But so is 19 billion going towards a space program with no purpose.
TSH
Tuesday, July 26, 2011 at 10:58 AMWhat NASA achieves with the funding it gets … it demonstrates what passionate engineers can achieve, as well as how inefficient the military is with its spending.
olearymo
Tuesday, July 26, 2011 at 3:18 PMGeez, I wasn’t sure how that could possibly move me but it really did! Beautiful.
RM
Tuesday, July 26, 2011 at 8:06 PMWant my money NASA, then tell us what really happens with the money. Don’t take the people for granted. Give us the the information we deserve without bullshitting to us. Then I will gladly give you my money.
noone
Monday, August 1, 2011 at 1:18 PMWatch the Sagan series. Part 1 will hook you. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oY59wZdCDo0