Space exploration-a waste of money?

And a real shortage of cocoa beans too- don't worry they will just put more and more cr*p and palm oil in it- and as our taste buds are slowly being blown to bits by the we won't even notice.

And yes- exploring space it in total denial of the massive damage we are doing the planet- thinking we can just escape elsewhere when it's too late.

I realise this is an old thread but I was interested to see this report in The Guardian on Saturday:

Rise in space junk could lead to armed conflict, says scientist

Apparently there is a huge, and increasing, amount of space junk hurtling around earth and if any of it collides with and destroys a country's military or other strategic satellite it could lead to suspicions of that another country has done it deliberately - thus creating a potentially dangerous situation. In 2013 a Russian satellite collided with debris created by China shooting down one of its old satellites, and Nasa's space shuttle has also been struck several times.

Estimates suggest there could be half a billion fragments ranging from one to 10 cm and trillions of even smaller particles.

Humans appear to have a yearning for discovery and adventure which can never be satisfied. Personally, I think we should make sure all our people here have the basics to live a reasonable life rather than spend vast amounts of money to pollute space in the same way as we have been polluting our own planet.

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It's going to be a case of 'Let them eat cake!' all over again.

There is a shortage of hazelnuts this year too....

www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/20/hazelnut-shortage-nutella-prices_n_5691755.html

Don't forget Nutella was invented in Italy when the wartime shortage of chocolate meant they had to add hazel nuts to bulk it out. Perhaps they will just add more and more nuts?

No one who spent their childhood sitting under the table listening to Journey Into Space could think that space exploration was a waste of money!

Whatever will the French do without nutella? Actually - what will I do?

I should stop the stockpiling now Pompa before you explode.

OOH, that's a good idea Apricot

Major discovery to rival space exploration - use Nutella, mixed with whipped cream to make it more spreadable, as a filling for chocolate cakes like Swiss rolls.

A little tip - start saving cocoa. It keeps for years. Anything else will start to taste a bit off after a while.

And I thought my hiding place was secret, pompa.

I've been stockpiling chocolate for years now, I have at least 5 stone packed around my waist.

I will start stockpiling Belgian and Swiss choc right now.

Cadbury's chocolate is awful and has been for years, the sugar content... yuk. You need a glass of water after eating 2 chocs.

I agree with most others, that space exploration is important; it should never stop. I had to laugh at Janerownea's post about eating recycled OAP's. We would be useful for something then! This happens in the book 'The Ice People' by Maggie Gee.If every disease were cured the world would be in trouble.

Chocolate! Nooo!
I agree that some is tasting different.
Nuttela seems to have altered a lot [only actually started buying it last year]

Sea wise, people wouldnt have to live far out.

Why, not who! I had wondered why chocolate tasted so awful now, it's already a bit short as more of the world becomes richer and becomes more addicted to it. The demand is starting to beat the supply and land is not available.

Weather conditions in colder areas here are too dangerous as it is. The sea, likewise, plus there is always the worry about the sea rising because of melting ice.

DBH would love to live in space. I think if they asked for volunteers he would apply, no matter how dangerous. Yet I can't get him anywhere near water.

New Scientist is a good magazine if you are interested in new ideas.

By the way - of even more worrying interest is the fact that the world can't keep up with the demand on its chocolate supplies! I first heard about it a couple of years ago, but it's being said now that it will be quite serious by 2020. It's also apparently who the sugar content is higher now. I think we should probably be growing some sun-loving crops above us. How we water them is a bit of a problem though.

Really really cannot see many people living in space longer term.

I cant hope that scientists dont find cures for everything either.

If the planet stayed crowded, more could live at sea than they do now. Plenty of space on the waves.
And a surprising number of people dont mind boat living.

Also ways could be explored that more people could exist happily in colder weather? Again, plenty of space on the planet for that too.

Interesting post though jr.I like ideas I have never heard before.

I worry about scientists finding cures for everything though. I think the planet is getting rather overcrowded. If they do find a cure for every awful disease that causes suffering that would be great, but at the same time I would then hope that an option to terminate life so as not to cause overcrowding and famine would be available.

I fear that we could all end up living in a sc-fi hell of 1000-floor skyscrapers and eating recycled OAPs and waste products, if cures for everything are found. I think a lot of other people fear that too, and our resources are running out, so space exploration should continue. All it is, is future planning.

As usual I am in the minority. I just think we could give it a rest having discovered the world is not flat ( joke) and use the money to explore ways of curing Alzeimers,Cancer and Ebola for instance . Plenty of employment opportunities there I think.Feed some hungry mouths, provide better education I could go on. I wasn't suggesting the money was used for weapons

Hopefully we shall never stop man wanting to know more about the universe, although I do think that some money could be better spent. There are good things about this exploration, one of them being that it has kept people employed, and provided those of us who are not naturally curious some insight to what is 'out there'. It was lovely to see the reaction of all those who had worked so hard, when the craft actually landed, not many people can get that excited about their work.

I just went to see the film The Imitation Game. A huge amount of money, thought wasteful by some, spent on an unproven theory which solved the Enigma Code and saved lives, went on to become computers!

I think if mankind stops exploring it would be a retrograde step but I agree we could focus more on researching solutions to flood and famine which might also reduce war.

Good to see such generally positive reactions...