is space travel ethical?

[averageJOE]

Funny thing, we're posting on a forum from all parts around the world. Our posts being sent over satellites, and we're discussing if there's any benefit of space research. The question should be, is it moral to use Internet?

Funny. This post just completly counters the point of the OP.

 

[gnostic]

Of course, space travel is immoral. Didn't you see HAL going homicidal on the crew?

 

[LuisDantas]

True, with our present knowledge and technology it is not possible. That does not mean this will always be the case.

Anything is imaginable, but I just don't see how we can realistically expect to ever build the conditions to make true space travel feasible. Some limitations are direct consequences of the very nature of the universe and natural laws.

We will have a hard enough time managing the levels of population and ecological waste. Manned space travel is a silly mirage IMO.

The distance and economics of landing humans on the moon was once considered insurmountable.

And it arguably was indeed. The expense was astounding, and that was with the moon attracting the vessels half the time. It shouldn't be taken as representative of space travel at all, for it is quite the anomaly, a cheat even.

Also, what is a "nest" proposal?

The idea of launching just enough people and resources into space to try and rebuild society from scrath with the bare minimum people.

It is a last resource strategy for avoiding the full extinctin of humanity. A fascinating sci-fi scenario, but even that is quite definitely beyond actual possibility.

 

[LuisDantas]

In fact from a non-Christian perspective it would be unethical and indeed foolhardy NOT to invest money in space travel.

No, it would not and it is not. It would make some sense if it could conceivably give results and if there were no more pressing matters.

It makes no sense, particularly moral sense, to try to reach for space before doing a serious effort at dealing with the many overpopulation, famine, slavery and severe economical disparity problems that we have now. It just can't be defended with a straight face.

 

[Ouroboros]

Of course, space travel is immoral. Didn't you see HAL going homicidal on the crew?

Well, he did because he couldn't lie and was given a direct order of US gov't to lie about its mission (mission was secret to the crew) so it created a conflict he couldn't resolve. Basically killing the crew was the only move he was forced to do because of that secrecy clause from the people in the top not knowing what it would do.

In "2010", HAL sacrifices himself to save the Russian/American crew from certain death.

(My daily snipped of totally useless trivia... LOL)

 

[Father Heathen]

I think willful ignorance and intellectual dishonesty are unethical.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

Funny thing, we're posting on a forum from all parts around the world. Our posts being sent over satellites, and we're discussing if there's any benefit of space research. The question should be, is it moral to use Internet?

Probably not. Think porn...no, I take that back, don't think porn...oh dang!

 

[sandy whitelinger]

Of course, space travel is immoral. Didn't you see HAL going homicidal on the crew?

Hal needs Jesus.:yes:

 

[Ouroboros]

Probably not. Think porn...no, I take that back, don't think porn...oh dang!

Internet is for porn, Avenue Q:
[youtube]T-TA57L0kuc[/youtube]
The Internet is for porn avenue Q original - Video - YouTube

 

[Harrytic]

No, it would not and it is not. It would make some sense if it could conceivably give results and if there were no more pressing matters.

It makes no sense, particularly moral sense, to try to reach for space before doing a serious effort at dealing with the many overpopulation, famine, slavery and severe economical disparity problems that we have now. It just can't be defended with a straight face.

What good is worrying about all that other stuff if there is no planet to live on? We need to find other planets so that we can inhabit them, because this one won't last forever.

I'm sure we can do both, don't you?

 

[Odi Brassicum]

There is a false dichotomy. Research into future space travel and ending current global suffering can be done in parallel. We are not limited to one or the other and we don't have to finish one before starting the other. Yes, lets fix the leaking ship but let's also build lifeboats.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

No, it would not and it is not. It would make some sense if it could conceivably give results and if there were no more pressing matters.

It makes no sense, particularly moral sense, to try to reach for space before doing a serious effort at dealing with the many overpopulation, famine, slavery and severe economical disparity problems that we have now. It just can't be defended with a straight face.

I don't know how anyone can argue, with a straight face, against exploration and progress in favor of the vain and fruitless endeavor of trying to fix unfixable problems of the human condition.

 

[shawn001]

Sorry, I should have clarified. It is my understanding that things used to be different in the 1960s and 1970s in this respect.

Of course, military expenses are hardly any more defensable... :sad:



Someone listed the research benefits of the space program, but that sounds a bit misleading to me. The same argument has been used to defend military budgets as well. But it seems kinda obvious that without space or military research to divert the resources those same benefits could be obtained even faster and with more results.

The military spends 600 billion a year, more then the entire NASA budget in 54 years.

"Someone listed the research benefits of the space program, but that sounds a bit misleading to me."

Did you read the research I posted?

Do you think weather satellites are important?

Or monitoring for meteor impacts?

Space and space and science education impacts every part of your life.



OPINION: Why Do We Have a Space Program Anyway? | Space.com

 

[Me Myself]

I don`t see the answer "none of above". Space travel and reigon could be related depending on the religion. Different religions may be related to different things and I kjnow more than once relates directly to space travel.

 

[Me Myself]

ok i will tell my reasons. first, god put us on earth because he wanted us to be here. he designed it specifically for us and even died right here on this planet to save us its inhabitants. oall other nearby planets are not in any way suited for human life.

With that reason we would have never got out of our huts into this keyboard typing apes we are today.

 

[Me Myself]

i think willful ignorance and intellectual dishonesty are unethical.

this!

 

[gnomon]

i believe that space travel is morally wrong. before i share my reasons, i would like to hear some opinions from some fellow christians.

The notion that space travel is immoral basically fails along the lines of the basic definition immorality. That human beings explore their surroundings is a basic phenomenon. Whether it be in space, another continent of a dominant cultural group, the deep seas, etc is to propose an ideological nonsense upon a species merely wondering about where they live.

Looking at the practical impact of exploring specifically space and the technological achievements to improve human life is irresponsible.

My poll question to you is are you an irresponsible human being?

 

[shawn001]

"Originally Posted by assyrianpride
ok i will tell my reasons. first, god put us on earth because he wanted us to be here. he designed it specifically for us and even died right here on this planet to save us its inhabitants. oall other nearby planets are not in any way suited for human life."

"he designed it specifically for us"

How did our moon form?

"all other nearby planets are not in any way suited for human life."

Which we know because we went into space, however we could live on the moon and Mars someday and even other ones in the distant future.

 

[Jupimartian]

No, it would not and it is not. It would make some sense if it could conceivably give results and if there were no more pressing matters.

It makes no sense, particularly moral sense, to try to reach for space before doing a serious effort at dealing with the many overpopulation, famine, slavery and severe economical disparity problems that we have now. It just can't be defended with a straight face.

Advancement has always occurred in the midst of these problems. I don't think space travel would be any different.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

No, it would not and it is not. It would make some sense if it could conceivably give results and if there were no more pressing matters.

It makes no sense, particularly moral sense, to try to reach for space before doing a serious effort at dealing with the many overpopulation, famine, slavery and severe economical disparity problems that we have now. It just can't be defended with a straight face.

Space exploration is one expression of a culture that embraces challenge and technological advancement. I think that this sort of culture would be of benefit for all the problems you listed.

If Chris Hadfield's tweets from the International Space Station are the inspiration for the next Norman Borlaug to go into science, then the space program will have done more to combat famine and suffering than all the food aid we could have done with the money that the space program cost.

Also, it's not a zero-sum game. For instance, the figure that's normally thrown around is that the economic multiplier for the Apollo program was 14:1... IOW, for every dollar that was spent on Apollo, there was $14 of economic benefit. That benefit can mean more resources to combat things like hunger and overpopulation.