Should have docked their pay until it was paid for!

 

Greta Thunberg is upset by the amount of money being spent on Mars exploration and space exploration in general. She would rather the money be spent on earth addressing climate issues. Too bad it isn't her money so she can't say how it is to be spent.

 

Many people complain about how much is spent on space exploration but no one looks at the return we have gotten on those dollars.

 

^ On the face of it I'd like to homelessness eliminated as it is so widespread and seems to be getting worse. No person should be living on the street IMO. But the reality is that homelessness is far more complicated than what it appears to be, and it can't really be eliminated no matter how much money you throw at it. .

 

NASA's budget is less than one half of one percent of the total federal budget.

 

To all those that question basic science research.....
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...us/4533258001/

it's a good read. besides creating the high accuracy testing capability in the US for Covid, it also spawned the entire BIOtech industry which of course is worth trillions of dollars.
that has brought an incredible deluge of lifesaving and lie-enhancing medical products to market.

and then there is https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24121034/
Epub 2013 Oct 8.

Proteolytic activation of the SARS-coronavirus spike protein: cutting enzymes at the cutting edge of antiviral research

if one looks at the date that was 7 years ago. that expanded on research that started in '04 investigating common coronavirus protien spikes.


Obviously those were just crazy wastes of money back then.... crazy little slivers of folks doing research academic and otherwise.
those of course formed the basis of the vaccine delivery system in use in ALL of the covid-19 vaccines and testing strategies.

but basic science is a terrible waste of money not to mention this whole crap about STEM in schools.

 

Take a look at what has happened with the International space station. I think i am correct in saying that the project had a long or no rate of return, but spawned a number of private competitors that now take responsibility for satellite and replenishment duties. It took some ground breaking research and development to only nation governments can underwrite. And yes, you do wish conditions like homelessness were, "controllable in a test tube".