funding is the key

[Dr. Bob Thompson]

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Greetings/La math duibh
Ciamar a tha sibh

The biggest problem with the funding issue is that the politicians are
answerable to the everyday people. We now live in a live-now world. No one
gives much thought for tomorrow and so the voters expect quick results. The
space program has indeed produced marvellous products for the consumer
market. Digital Imaging devices, Micro-computer systems and data storage,
improved communications devices and a myriad of things including such out of
the way devices as special light thermal blankets that save lives everyday
across the world when used to prevent hypothermia in casualties of various
kinds [mountaineering accidents jumps out to mind but there are hundreds of
other cases as well]. A great deal of medical research can be performed in
space - safely and with definite documented results. The list of benefits is
endless but the voter wants to know - what they get out of it, how much will
it cost them.

Another dilemma that has arisen is a negative output to the success of the
space program. We have come so far in exploring what we can realistically
journey to that we are lost for other places. Sounds daft but after you have
sent dozens of probes all over the solar system the public just say 'what
another probe to such-and-such a planet' and shake there heads at the cost.
But say we decided to try to go to the next star, now, with out present
technology - it would have to be a generation type ship where the
descendants of the original launched crew would arrive - but the thing is
that when they arrived they would probably find a base already on any planet
because in the period of time it took them to journey there back on earth
the technology, which is accelerating at an enormous pace, provided new as
yet unknown propulsion systems that gave the ability to make the journey in
a dramatically quicker time.

We as human beings really do follow the adage 'necessity is the mother of
invention' at the moment necessity has us looking at global warming,
dangerous climate catastrophes and the increase in solar radiation that
reaches the surface of the earth. The war on terrorism [sorry guys] is
costing a massive fortune, the needs of a rapidly growing global population
are draining resources so there is little to spare on going 'out there' when
we need to sort out 'down here'.

I am sorry for ranting on and on - but I hope you see the point I am trying
make.

I welcome and invite comments on the rant - thanks for reading this.

Dia beannaich
Gu'n ro' math agaibh
Mar sin leibh

Signed
Bob Thompson

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God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son.
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