Great discussion of space exploration at WP online NOW (11:30 am ET)

[BurtWorm]

http://discuss.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/zforum/04/sp_nation_gibbons011504.htm

Bush Announces Space Plans
Dr. John H. Gibbons
Former Presidential Science & Technology Adviser
Thursday, January 15, 2004; 11:00 a.m. ET

President Bush will ask Congress for $12 billion during the next five years for research and development to return man to the moon as early as 2015 and to use it as a stepping stone to human exploration of Mars.

Dr. John H. Gibbons, former science and technology adviser to President Clinton, will be online Thursday, Jan. 15 at 11 a.m. ET, to discuss Bush's announcement and the implications of what some are calling an aggressive and costly new programs.




Cape of Fear: I consider Bush to be exceedingly incurious. What on earth would he gain from a manned flight to Mars, other than the false impression that he embraces science and reason, the mortal enemies of religious fundamentalists. Am I being cynical here?

Dr. John H. Gibbons : Well, just like the fabled hydrogen economy, what he's proposing won't come due during his watch. He's putting out tantalizing visions of what is possible, then escaping the real price.

There's a quote from Max Born: "Intellect distinguishes between the possible and the impossible, reason distinguishes between the sensible and the senseless. Even the possible can be senseless."

And I think that's what we have here. I would much rather have our president address the issues that lay before us in this first decade of the 21st century and to address critical issues like climate change and species loss, population explosion... it's a long list... so that we could become captains of our own ship in this century.

[Maine-i-acs]

1. From Daily Dirt: Top 13 reasons -

why the pResident wants to go to Mars:

Source: www.dailydirt.com (18+)

/snip/

Yesterday, the White House confirmed a long-standing rumor, unveiling a bold new initiative to build a base on the moon by 2015, and conduct a manned mission to Mars within two decades. Officially, officials are saying this renewed mandate is intended as a pick-me-up for NASA after last year's Columbia space shuttle disaster. But we here at the Daily Dirt have dug up the...


Top 13 REAL Reasons Why Bush Wants to go to Mars!

13. Mars reminds him of Texas, only without all those pesky Mexicans.

12. Saw Mars Attacks on HBO three years ago and never got over it.

11. The voices in his head told him bad things would happen if he didn't. Very bad things.

10. Thinks Osama bin Laden might be hiding out there with Saddam's Weapons of Mass Destruction.

9. Crazy new weapons being developed by the Pentagon are way too dangerous to test here on Earth.

8. Non-existant industry regulation and the solar system's lowest wages make Mars the ideal place to relocate America's few remaining manufacturing jobs.

7. There may once have been biological life there, and where there's biological life… there's oil!

6. Always on the lookout for new ways to put your money into Halliburton's pockets.

5. Wants to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Martian people.

4. When Mars passed so close to the Earth last summer, it looked at us funny.

3. "Them Mars bars sure is tasty!"

2. This is merely an extension of Bill Clinton's Mars policy. To suggest that Bush's approach to Mars deviates in any substantial way from that of his predecessor is preposterous, if not treasonous.

1. He doesn't. This is all just an election year ploy, a diversionary tactic on which he has zero intention of following through.

[BurtWorm]

2. 5. Wants to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the Martian people.

My favorite one! :D

[BurtWorm]

3. Bush "needs to start with a fresh sheet of paper."

Arlington, Va.: I believe that if this year were 1903 and the President was proposing putting a man in the air the reation would be the same: Why? Of what value can be made of such a thing? Aren't there more pressing needs? Why a man? In looking back on all this from 2103, I wonder what history will say.

Someone has to take the lead on progress and I believe that President Bush has initiated this lead. Of course, being an election year, politics will rule over everyhting. Dr. Dean has already suggested sending Bush to Mars. Typical.

washingtonpost.com: Bush Outlines Space Agenda (Post, Jan. 15)

Dr. John H. Gibbons : Well, you don't really understand what was going on in 1903 and it wouldn't have taken much time to see the benefits of going faster than a horse and buggy, so it isn't a good comparison.

I'm not sure what lead Bush has taken. If you can call it a lead that he says NASA needs to be reformulated, I agree, but if this is evidence of that thinking, he needs to start with a fresh sheet of paper.