Curiosity-- NASA Mars landing Monday

[Jimbone]

Is Mars habitable for humans as it is right now?

No, you say?

Then what's the big fucking point of going there, other than we may find a cure for cancer, of course?

You 'deep' thinkers kill me...

Just so I understand your oddly belligerent posts...

If a place is uninhabitable to humans, we should not go? So deep sea exploration is stupid, anything concerning the moon or space has been a waste, and we should spend all of our excess dollars on cancer research and restricting firearms.

Got it.

Do you even know how much money is spent per year on cancer research in the US compared to what is spent on space exploration?

No, you say?

$39 billion on government cancer research and programs... which of course does not include drug company cancer research OR non-profit organization cancer research.

$18 billion for NASA.

Don't be so critical of 'deep thinking'. You might want to try it sometime.

[Donovan]

Great case you made.

Bravo.

I could have made a much more thorough argument about how the medical and pharm industries have actually discovered a great many products that would retard or reverse growth of various cancer cells, and that they also have a very good idea what carcinogens we have pumped into our bodies are the likely culprits for a lot of the problems.

But,

Finding a cure for cancer using products that occur in nature happens all the time, but natural products cannot be successfully marketed because they cannot be patented. This is part of the reason there was so much resistance to medical marijuana legalization. Instead, bigpharm finds a way to MIMIC the natural product chemically, which can then be sold for vast profit as a patented medicine. Much of the millions donated by well-meaning idiots like yourself goes directly to this effort and into marketing, not into cures.

Consider: if AIDS and/or cancer were suddenly cured, thousands would be spared a painful death, but HUNDREDS of thousands would be put out of a job. Scientists, researchers, drug manufacturers, charity hawks, various shills who make their living on the fringes of said cottage industry...hell, even the fuckwits who make those useless ribbons you all buy would be out of luck if we suddenly cured breast cancer or something else with big press.

And before you accuse me of totally derailing the Mars landing thread with this stuff, I can tell you the circumstances are exactly the same for both causes. You ask WHY we go to Mars?

Because it gives thousands of people employment, and we as a civilization are ultimately better for it. Same as cancer research. People have jobs, careers and lives because of that little dune buggy taking pictures of rocks.

So shut the fuck up until you have a thought in your head that isn't spit from your average right-wing radio personality.

[Jimbone]

So shut the fuck up until you have a thought in your head that isn't spit from your average right-wing radio personality.

Just a small notation that most right-wing radio personalities would probably be in favor of continuing space exploration.

[Donovan]

Nah, they don't want to spend ANY taxpayer money on "fill in the blank". It's all rhetoric. Because it happened on Obama's watch it's frivolous and bad. I've even heard them bitching about the number of troops in Afghanistan and the cost of killing Bin Laden. RWRadio is funnier than shit.

[Midwest Spy]

Is Mars habitable for humans as it is right now?

No, you say?

Then what's the big fucking point of going there, other than we may find a cure for cancer, of course?

You 'deep' thinkers kill me...

Just so I understand your oddly belligerent posts...

If a place is uninhabitable to humans, we should not go? So deep sea exploration is stupid, anything concerning the moon or space has been a waste, and we should spend all of our excess dollars on cancer research and restricting firearms.

Got it.

Do you even know how much money is spent per year on cancer research in the US compared to what is spent on space exploration?

No, you say?

$39 billion on government cancer research and programs... which of course does not include drug company cancer research OR non-profit organization cancer research.

$18 billion for NASA.

Don't be so critical of 'deep thinking'. You might want to try it sometime.

Funny you'd actually have the nerve to bring up firearms as 6 more innocent people were slaughtered by a madman yesterday. What weapon did he choose again? Knife, rope, garden hose, hammer? No. Those aren't as easy as a legally obtained gun.

Now, back to exploring Mars.

What has potentially more impact for the everyday, average human being?

Funding for NASA or funding to fight a killer of mankind?

In our search for life outside of Earth, what are we hoping to find? Remnants of a lost civilization? Ice, which in theory would mean life could have existed at one point, or are we hoping to find a place to colonize in the event Earth becomes uninhabitable? If it's colonization, I'd be willing to listen to your argument.

Deep sea exploration makes sense, as it's actually ON our planet. I have no qualms with money spent (as long as it's reasonable) there.

I've also said I'm okay with a manned mission to Mars. Something that's not been done before. My biggest qualm with this particular mission is that it's been done 3 or 4 times already. Yes, science is more advanced now, and the machinery we can send to the surface is better.

It just seems like more rehashing of the same thing to me. Wasted $$$.

[Midwest Spy]

So shut the fuck up until you have a thought in your head that isn't spit from your average right-wing radio personality.

Well, I know I've struck a nerve when someone has to play the STFU card.

If you read what I was really saying it was, 'Let's do something other than the same things we've been doing.' Something that could have some sort of impact for mankind.

What that is, I'm not sure. I'm not on NASA's payroll. But, if we're truly spending money because we HAVE to (already in the budget), I'd like to see us do something different.

Also, I'm also not a FOX/Limbaugh guy. So wrongo, Jacko.

[Lady Cop]

love it!



Through a remarkable combination of engineering and mathematics, NASA precisely positioned a second satellite orbiting Mars to capture the split second when Curiosity fell from the skies. (NASA/JPL-Caltech)

And you thought quadratic equations were tough!

Thanks to a remarkable combination of engineering and mathematics, a NASA satellite in orbit around Mars was able to capture this picture of the split second when Curiosity fell from the skies to its successful landing on the surface of the red planet.

In the amazing photograph, the rover's parachute is fully deployed and the spacecraft is slowing from the screaming speeds of approach -- as Mars tugged on the spacecraft, it accelerated from 8,000 mph to as much as 13,200 mph -- to a gentle, 2 mph plunkdown on the planet.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/08/0...z22o9XPIqK

[Riotgear]

What if the find the cure for cancer on Mars?

[Duchess]

it accelerated from 8,000 mph to as much as 13,200 mph -- to a gentle, 2 mph plunkdown on the planet.

That's incredible!

[Donovan]

STFU, MS.

[HairOfTheDog]

What if the find the cure for cancer on Mars?

Good forward-thinking question, imo. It could happen, right?

I posed it to MS as a longshot possibility in post #24 upthread, but nothing gets by him and I was shot straight down.

The final answer is:
"Really, really, really, really, really, reaching."

[Riotgear]

I guess I should read rather than skim. How about this - What if the cure for cancer can be found only on Mars?

Why do I feel like this conversation would take place wherever money isn't being spent on The Cure for Cancer?

[Midwest Spy]

STFU, MS.

Ah... the comeback of a frustrated man who uses a buttplug.

[Midwest Spy]

What if the find the cure for cancer on Mars?

Good forward-thinking question, imo. It could happen, right?

I posed it to MS as a longshot possibility in post #24 upthread, but nothing gets by him and I was shot straight down.

The final answer is:
"Really, really, really, really, really, reaching."

I left out almost 100 'really's.

[HairOfTheDog]

Not everybody uses a buttplug, MS?

Has there been research conducted to support that contention? Would you support tax payer funding for it?

[HairOfTheDog]

What if the find the cure for cancer on Mars?

Good forward-thinking question, imo. It could happen, right?

I posed it to MS as a longshot possibility in post #24 upthread, but nothing gets by him and I was shot straight down.

The final answer is:
"Really, really, really, really, really, reaching."

I left out almost 100 'really's.

[Riotgear]

What if we find out buttplugs cure cancer?

Ad hominem bullshit.

[Midwest Spy]

Not everybody uses a buttplug, MS?

Has there been research conducted to support that contention? Would you support tax payer funding for it?

Pretty sure it's just the left-leaning crowd that uses them.

Check with Dono.

Sure, if by researching 'Americans who use buttplugs' we may inadvertently discover the cure for cancer, I'm up for using tax-payer dollars.

[username]

MS's logic is all fucked up. Rather than saying that $2.5 billion could have gone towards cancer research and disparaging a highly successful landing on Mars, he ought to be bitching about taxpayer money that is actually wasted. Government pensions, out of control social security, welfare fraud, corporate loopholes and subsidies, wars that we can't afford and a defense budget greater than all 11 countries combined (I believe) behind us.

This was money well spent. If we want to save money, we could start on Earth.

[HairOfTheDog]

Sure, if by researching 'Americans who use buttplugs' we may inadvertently discover the cure for cancer, I'm up for using tax-payer dollars.

Well, I'm just gonna aknowledge your stance that Mars exploration is a waste of money unless it's manned, and that the funding for it would be better spent on cancer research. I understand your point.

I'm happy to see that NASA continues to explore (man or unmanned), given the large reduction in its budget. The possible discoveries are endless, that's what's exciting. It has nothing to do with my feelings about the importance of cancer research.