Reply to: Space, HUH! What is it good for?

[barry_abs]

Oh dear! How did you cost the immense amounts of human suffering caused?

i need a clue to which human suffering you are referring.. there is one particular railway line which springs to mind, is it that?

NotAllThere - checking out your list, thx.

[DBA_bloke]

I think that the only thing space mission type stuff has really done is get satellites in orbit. The rest would have happened on terra firma anyway.

[King Cnvt]

Without space exploration we wouldn't have the space suit, which would make travelling in space much more difficult.

HTH

[DBA_bloke]

Didn't they invent those biros that work upside down?

I can't imagine how I'd live without them.

No - next.

[PRC1964]

Didn't they invent those biros that work upside down?

I can't imagine how I'd live without them.

[gingerjedi]

Sky TV, how else would I watch programmes about how NASA faked the moon landings?

[KathyWoolfe]

Non stick frying pans.

End of story.

Non stick frying pans...BEEEEEEEEEEP

(QI)

[DBA_bloke]

NASA has, let's not forget, provided some of the best fireworks displays ever... Challenger being the best.

[Zorba]

By the way, there's a B52 on the moon too.

Not a lot of people know that.

You do, you parked it there.

[ThomasSoerensen]

Non stick frying pans.

End of story.

Good progress since they come off your head easier when wife smacks you with frying pan after a piss-up with the guys.

[Moose423956]

And a monolith, according to Arthur C Clarke, and he correctly predicted lots of things.

[SallyAnne]

is noone going to say: -

Absolutely Nothing!!

Say it again!!

[Pondlife]

but apart from that. What have the romans done for us.

[NotAllThere]

Space is immensely useful in the long term. Sooner or later there will be a global disaster. ( Dinosaur killer, super volcano, nearby supernova etc. etc. ). There's a distinct possibility that if we're still only living on the earth then the human race will be wiped out.

There's also a lot of useful stuff up there. The asteroids contain huge amounts of minerals, there's almot unlimited energy available from the sun. And being so big and empty (between the useful stuff) you don't have to worry about pollution.

The space programme itself has developed many technologies of value here on earth. Here's a list.

The most accurate topographical map of the Earth. This data is used to develop safer navigation techniques and better communication systems.
Ultraviolet protection suits for people with rare intolerance to UV light, known xeroderma pigmentosum.
Heart pump based on technology of space shuttle's fuel pumps. It's two inches long, one inch in diameter, and weighs less than four ounces.
Efficient autos and planes benefiting from NASA wind tunnel and aerodynamic expertise.
New metal alloys based on research for the space station program.
Thermal protection blankets used in everything from fire fighters suits to survival gear for cold environments.
Robots and robotic software with wide-ranging uses that include auto-assembly plants, hazardous material handling, monitoring in dangerous environments, distribution and packaging facilities, etc.
Lightweight composite materials that benefit cars, airplanes, camping gear, etc.
Perfect protein crystals grown in zero gravity; used for more pure pharmaceutical drugs, foods and an assortment of other crystalline-based products including insulin for diabetes patients.
Better understanding of the Earth and its environmental response to natural and human-induced variations such as air quality, climate, land use, food production as well as monitoring quality of our oceans and fresh water.
Commercial space communication systems for personal phones, computers, video transmissions, global positioning satellite systems, etc.
Improvements in energy use efficiency.
More responsible use of air and water in private and commercial buildings.
Automated maintenance functions for buildings and new lower-cost building construction techniques.
Smoke detectors for homes and commercial buildings.
Air purification systems used to by hospitals to provide pure oxygen for patients.
High-bandwidth and optical communications systems.
Technology for cordless tools such as drills, shrub trimmers and rechargeable flashlights.
Growth of zeolite crystals that have the potential to reduce the cost of petroleum and to store new types of fuels like hydrogen, which is abundant and pollution-free. This technology could be used in hydrogen-powered cars.
Fire-fighting systems that battle blazes with a fine mist, rather than environmentally harmful chemicals.
Sunglasses that block certain types of light - blue, violet, and ultraviolet - that could hurt the eyes. These sunglasses block the hazardous light, while allowing light that is good for vision to pass through the lens.
Solar power collection.
Air filtration systems that can kill all types of harmful bacteria - even anthrax -- and remove allergens from the air with better than 90 percent efficiency.
Ultralight solar concentrators that gather power from the Sun and efficiently convert it into electrical power. Applications for this technology on Earth are limitless.
Water purification methods using ions (an atom or group of atoms carrying a positive or negative electrical charge). Used in water filtering systems to remove lead, chlorine, bad taste and odor. Newer purification systems also remove contaminants such as perchlorate and nitrate.
"Power Pads" to cushion a horse's hooves, protecting against injuries and helping ease discomfort associated with brittle hooves or arthritis.
Disposable diapers.
Devices for collection and real-time analysis of blood, and other bodily fluids, without the need for centrifugation. Huge potential for hospitals and for remote units to monitor individuals with health problems.
Lighter artificial limbs that are virtually indestructible; based on foam insulation used to protect the Shuttle's external fuel tank.
Computer-aided tomography (CATScan) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for imaging the body and its organs.
Light-emitting diodes used in photodynamic therapy. These diodes are used in a form of chemotherapy that kills cancerous tumors.
Infrared sensors used in hand-held optical sensor thermometers. These devices can measure temperature in the ear canal in two seconds or less.
...

[DS23]

Oh dear! How did you cost the immense amounts of human suffering caused?

with the wave of a hand.