Reply to: India and Asian Space Race

[Central-Scrutiniser]

Observatory Report : Survival Outlook of EarthBound Carbon Based Units - Non-Prometheus/Solaris/Neutron-Centric Body

Hong Kong (AFP) Jun 14, 2006

Life on Earth

British physicist and mathematician Stephen Hawking said Tuesday that the human race should reach for the stars in order to survive. Speaking on a six-day visit to Hong Kong, Hawking said: "It is important for the human race to spread out into space for the survival of the species.


"Life on Earth is at an ever increasing risk of being wiped out by a disaster such as sudden global warming, nuclear war, a genetically engineered virus or other dangers we haven't yet thought of.

"But if we can avoid killing ourselves for the next hundred years we should have settlements that can continue without support from Earth," he said, predicting a lunar settlement within 20 years and a Martian colony in 40.

[Flashman]

Of course it's not all one way traffic. Britain gives lot money to India but India gives a lot to Britain.

This man has donated £4.2 million to the Labour party alone !

http://www.order-order.com/2008/10/f...-contrast.html

[Cyberman]

I preferred this explanation

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/i...-200810221345/

My McAffe firewall gives me a massive warning on the above site !!!!

[lilelvis2000]

One way of reducing poverty is to provide jobs... something which a space programme and related industries will provide plenty of.

Don't forget that in countries like India, a job which in the UK might employ 1 (or less) people, in India labour is so cheap that about 5 would be employed.

Except of course that people in the lower castes find it difficult to get an education nevermind a job. Which is why many are inclined to convert to christianity or bhudism. And then, of course, they are beheaded by angry hindus.

[cupidstunt]

OK, I admit it. A piece of insight from Cyberman.

I was going to post this counter-intuitive assertion (that it's a good move for India, not a waste), and I expected to be almost alone in it.

I'm not even sure that competition comes into it: Indian spacecraft, but with a British camera on board! Great.

I preferred this explanation

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/i...-200810221345/

[expat]

It will actually increase India's technical know-how, create employment and have knock-ons for other industries in India and worldwide. It's good for India and not so good for us because it means yet more competition !!

OK, I admit it. A piece of insight from Cyberman.

I was going to post this counter-intuitive assertion (that it's a good move for India, not a waste), and I expected to be almost alone in it.

I'm not even sure that competition comes into it: Indian spacecraft, but with a British camera on board! Great.

[BrilloPad]

I wish we could outsource parliament to India - give them a taste of their own medicine.

[Masher]

Looks like the India noon mission has gone about as well as our outsourcing.

"India fireworks blast 'kills 18'"

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7685583.stm

[Diver]

All aid to foreign countries should be scrapped until this country sorts itself out.

The government just refused to increase pensions here, saying they couldn't afford it.

WTF.

They can afford to send money to India, so that the Indian government can buy Nukes and fund space exploration.

They make me so fekin mad

[Prometheus]

Fly me to the Moon
Show me what the spring is like - on Jupiter and Mars
In other words
Darling Kiss Me
In other words
Hold my hand

[GreenerGrass]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7198546.stm



Money well spent eh? Way to go Gordon 'Saviour of Britain' Brown !

Are you trying to say spending hundreds of millions of tax payers money on educating the citizens of another country, at the expense of our own, so they can eventually provide further cut-price competition to our own "service sector workers" isn't in our national interest?

[Flashman]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7198546.stm

Brown announces India aid package

Gordon Brown has announced a new package of development aid for India, worth £825m over the next three years.

Money well spent eh? Way to go Gordon 'Saviour of Britain' Brown !

[TimberWolf]

Should India be focussing on going to the moon, or helping it's people out of poverty.

It's great that India is doing science like this, but the money would have been better spent on condoms. Unless they sort out their population problem they, like us, are Doomed. It's almost unbelievable that they manage to feed the poulation they have now. Population control obviously isn't rocket science. Just can't keep humans from breeding. As the article goes on to say, India will be only the fourth country to have put a flag on the Moon (finders is keepers), and that doesn't include us. China also receives UK aid, and they've done a space-walk.

[Stan.goodvibes]

The Indian attempt to get into space is doomed to fail - Mission control will probably outsource the IT and support functions to a Call Centre out the back of Dehli somewhere...

Astronaut: "Mission Control, I am experiencing problems with my portside thrust controller"

Call centre drone: "I'm sorry sir, I do not understand the problem. It must be something you are doing..."

etc

<insert rest of personally most annoying indian call centre conversation that failed to resolve any of your issues>

[Churchill]

Sounds a bit like the USA <cough>Katrina <cough>minimum wage less than cost of living.

Your point being?