About an year ago, i had attended this general discussion held by SEDS-VIT (Students for the Exploration and Development of Space or call it the Space Club !!). It was a seminar on how the spacecrafts are launched and what all components go into it. But at the end of the seminar there was a discussion, which is the subject of my post.
The discussion was on the fact that given the poverty, suffering and inhuman standards of living suffered by poeople in so many countries, does it make sense in spending billions and billions of dollars on space research and technology.Isnt it better that, that money be used to feed poor, deprived people of underdeveloped countries and to help them develop ?
Does it make sense ? Ponder .
I think it does not make sense. What is the point in carrying out experiments which we donot even know will yeild anything fruitfull ? and the worst part being that you spend huge amounts of money on it. Money that can bring a smile on many a childs face in somalia or some other backward economy.
I think you should always do things that will satisfy the lot and lead to the greater good. Obviously in this case, the greater good lies in the fact that the money put into space research be diverted towards the development of backward countries. After all, to the average guy how does it matter what NASA is doing ? I think he would be more happy knowing he( his taxes) helped feed dying babies or helped a child get educated, rather than that his money was involved in some complex project of which he cant figure the head or tail and is not sure if its of any use.
Then there is this other train of thought which says, if we never explored new things, never invested on innovation and inquesitiveness, then would columbus ever have landed on the americas or would edison invented the electric bulb ?
This train of thought makes you dream of life in mars, or a holiday in space. It shows how the money going into NASA(or any other space research ageny) is causing so many innovatiove new machines and mechanisms to come out.How solar power and nuclear power are the future.How nanotechnology is going to change the world.Many other such amazing things.
well then it remains upto the individual to decide whether the investment in research would be more frutiful or whether he would rather use the money to satisfy the less fortunate lot around him.
I think, a proper balance between the both should be the perfect way to go about it.
Though it doesnt seem to be the case now. The governments (of the developing, slightly developing and developed countries) are all more tilted towards the reseach cause(for their own selfish reasons) than the humanitarian cause.
Is this attitude is good for the future ?? we'l just have to wait and watch ..!!
people laugh at me coz i am different ..
i laugh at them , coz they are all the same ..
thats 'attitude' ..
and i live it !
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3 comments:
First of all... thanks for bringing this up. space technology and research is about more than a life on mars or a holiday in space. this is all that the average joe knows about because its glam and gets more media and 411 coverage.
but there is much more serious work going on which touches every little part of our life, believe it or not.
it is therefore logically impliable that this would lead to technology that would put a smile on your poor somalian kids face or may be ensure that somalia actually exists as a country and not get blown to smithereens by a stray asteroid!
you'd probably be interested in the following link:
NASA spinoff
just the first page is enough to silence the points most skeptics raise: health-care, environmentalism, and others. and thats only the tip of the iceberg.
closer home, ISRO's not idle either.
ISRO-VRC
the ISRO village resource centers(VRC)are a boon to all of rural India and have made possible things that couldn't have been a reality without ages of dedicated work by thousands of highly talented Indians and the vision of great minds like Sarabhai decades ago.
and in reference to your previous post, though i have to grudgingly admit that that indeed is the attitude that prevails in a good majority of engg grads, atleast people around you are trying something. the same SEDS-VIT u referred to has started working with VRCs and you can contact the chapter if you're interested in going out there and taking ISRO technology to the rural poor.. "for the greater good".
nice blog. keep the good work going...
chudaaap blogger......only when ther are rich people ther r poor ppl.....so u try getting poorer :P
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