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Arecibo Observatory Facing Massive Budget Cuts

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the keeping-the-lights-lit dept.

SirLurksAlot writes "Many supporters of the SETI@home project have recently received a message informing them of impending budget cuts for the Arecibo Observatory and asking them to show their support for the project by writing to Congress. The letter also informs supporters that there are currently two bills (Senate bill 2862 sponsored by Senator Hillary Clinton, and a similar House bill, H.R. 3737), which are intended to secure funding for the project. According to The Planetary Society, the current plan for the Arecibo Observatory involves cutting funding by more than 60% from $10.4 million to just $4 million by 2011."

4 of 171 comments (clear)

  1. What? by ScrewMaster · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This is insane. We're throwing untold billions of dollars away on useless, inconsequential or outright stupid things every year, and we can't afford a few million for something like Aricebo? Are we nuts?

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    The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
    1. Re:What? by CRCulver · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Yes it is wonderful for tracking NEOs and providing quality information to astronomers, but what has the return been for ME on MY tax dollar?

      Anything that tracks NEOs gives you a return on your tax dollar in that it keeps you aware of any catastrophic threats.

    2. Re:What? by TheOnlyJuztyn · · Score: 4, Insightful

      To put this in perspective, this $6m cut will save the average US taxpayer about $0.024/year. Meanwhile, the Iraq War has cost the average taxpayer about $12,000 each over the last five years. With that money, you could fund Arecibo at its current level for more then 300,000 years.

  2. Well - kinda by spineboy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The F-22 does stuff TO people, Aricebo does stuff FOR people.

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    ..........FULL STOP.