I saw many here bad mouth the Mars Rovers.
Matt Yglesias thinks it's just bad entertainment.
Once again I'm driven to wonder why the government is exploring outer space. I mean sure, yes, it has always been the human dream to watch televised versions of photographs taken by robots but what's the point? I'd rather have a Formula One team. The sad fact of the matter is that television shows about space exploration (particularly partial to Star Trek: The Next Generation, but Enterprise is fun too) are way more interesting than actually existing space exploration. Call me when we figure out how to travel faster than light and I'll sign on.
He defends his position again today here
In response to a defense of mine for the value of scientific research, a poster here said this rover isn't about science, it's just sending a "stupid camera" to Mars.
Fact is, this mission has a lot of scientific value, and the cameras are just one set of instruments on there, and I do not believe those "uninterested" are just now uninterested after checking out the scientific mission in detail, they didn't believe ahead of time. They are biased. And wrong.
Scientific research isn't something that liberals traditionally support? It better be, it's got truth on it's side. You want to side with stupid?
Do liberals have funny staid notions about science and what it is?
Let's clear this up... some liberals might be luddites, but so are some conservartives. Over all, I won't make claims for "liberals", but progressives MUST embrace science.
Fear of science and technology is not a part of liberalism, just as it's a lie that all technology must be bad and ultimately poisonous. I think the idea that liberals have to had technology, and the idea that all technology is poison is one wedge the conservatives may have over liberals. People like technology, they are fine with you making the technologies clean, but they are not fine with you taking them away.
I'm fine with you cleaning up space program spending (perhaps the ISS is useless compared to it's cost), but I'm not fine with you doing away with it.
The benefits to humanity from the space program are so numerous I'm not even going to list them, it'll make me too angry. Maybe later.
Further, it's a Noble kind of national pride which seeks to be the most accomplished in science, and that definately incoludes space. And the odd fact is, we learn more about physics here on earth by looking into space than you might know. Right now the oddest unsolved phenomenon are things like Dark Matter, which we find peering deep into the universe at things that will never peer back.
THE OLD CANARD: Money better spent on social programs.
To me this is like saying you should not go to college unless you have all your needs fully met otherwise, and moreover, that everyone in your family does, and everyone on earth.
You have to do multiple things at once, especially those that educate you into who new areas of potential accomplishement.