Slashdot Mirror
Japanese Begin Working On Space Elevator
thebryce writes "From cyborg housemaids and waterpowered cars to dog translators and rocket boots, Japanese boffins have racked up plenty of near-misses in the quest to turn science fiction into reality. Now the finest scientific minds of Japan are devoting themselves to cracking the greatest sci-fi vision of all: the space elevator. Man has so far conquered space by painfully and inefficiently blasting himself out of the atmosphere but the 21st century should bring a more leisurely ride to the final frontier. Japan is increasingly confident that its sprawling academic and industrial base can solve those issues, and has even put the astonishingly low price tag of a trillion yen (£5 billion) on building the elevator. Japan is renowned as a global leader in the precision engineering and high-quality material production without which the idea could never be possible."
An just think, after you've spend 70 times your initial estimate you've just about spent the same amount as the current banking bailout in the U.S. or five years of war in Iraq.
What do you think is better for the economy (if you're going to be spending taxpayer money anyway; let's keep the libertarians out of this rhetorical question :-) ) $700B of science and engineering funding or $700B of bailouts to investment banks?
Waltz, nymph, for quick jigs vex Bud.
The Japanese giving the best chance because of their technological superiority over the Chinese.
The Chinese just need to stand on each other shoulders