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The Wrong Stuff

Posted by michael on from the because-it's-there dept.

b00le writes "The New York Review of Books has a trenchant piece, The Wrong Stuff by the great Steven Weinberg, arguing against the utility of manned spaceflight, which he feels has a largely political or sentimental function. He adds: '...I have taken the President's space initiative seriously. That may be a mistake.' Even so, his argument is detailed and rich in facts, particularly the nasty economic kind."

15 of 668 comments (clear)

  1. Damn straight... by Channard · · Score: 5, Funny

    How can we justify space exploration when we've yet to plumb the depths of the oceans. There's plenty of sub-aquatic territory to be exploited, sorry, explored. What with all those giant squid there must be enough calamari to feed the entire third world.

  2. arguing against manned space missions? by Em+Emalb · · Score: 4, Funny

    on slashdot ?*

    Oh, the horror.

    *Houston, we have a problem.

    --
    Sent from your iPad.
  3. Mistake?!? by thames · · Score: 3, Funny

    He adds: '...I have taken the President's space initiative seriously. That may be a mistake.'

    Isn't it a mistake to take anything G. W. Bush says seriously...?

    1. Re:Mistake?!? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

      Yeah, now I have a 100 year supply of duct tape ;)

  4. Economics? by cbr2702 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Now really! Where does Mr Weinberg get of applying /economics/ to space travel? Space travel has the potential to bring us beyond economics, beyond all of the petty social sciences, to the grand future that all of us who have been reading the right sort of science fiction know very well.

    --


    This post written under Gentoo-linux with an SCO IP license.
    1. Re:Economics? by 3.5+stripes · · Score: 3, Funny

      They need to get the astronauts to being up some marijuana, so they what happens when you do it.... IN SPACE, ON WEED!

      --


      He tried to kill me with a forklift!
  5. I'll say it first by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    Steve Weinberg is a dimwit.

  6. Re:Spinoffs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny
    C) Has incalculably valuable spinoffs that change our daily lives for the better.

    Yes, I had a glass of Tang just this morning.

  7. Irony by 4of12 · · Score: 2, Funny

    I agree completely and I also think Weinberg is quite intelligent.

    Of course, the irony here is that Weinberg himself was motivated by economic arguments to move in 1982 from Harvard to the University of Texas, which could afford a prestigious Nobel Laureate because of oil money.

    That would be the same U.S. state and the same industry that supports the current U.S. President who is proposing this space program.

    --
    "Provided by the management for your protection."
  8. Re:Asteroid Mining by ComradeX13 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I fully support this idea, just to see a bunch of economists crying like little bitches.

  9. Noah's Ark by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    If Noah had taken that attitude when he was thinking about building the Ark, where would be we today?

    1. Re:Noah's Ark by JohnnyCannuk · · Score: 4, Funny

      I dunno? What do you think Gilgamesh?

      --
      Never by hatred has hatred been appeased, only by kindness - the Buddha
  10. Why fund space flight? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Because I want to get off this frickin' planet and away from most of you!

  11. Re:He's right by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    That second amendment thing still working out for you chaps then?

  12. Re:Bang for the buck by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    What could humans do that the robots can't?

    Someone asked this on another board. The answer:

    Clean off the solar panels of their powerplant when they get dusty.