From: trumpins@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu (Barbara Trumpinski)
Subject: Re: Justification for the Space Program
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Distribution: usa, world
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1992 17:04:40 GMT
Keywords: Flame retardants are needed.

In <Bzt8Dw.Fzs@mentor.cc.purdue.edu> blumb@sage.cc.purdue.edu (Bill Blum) writes:

>Yes, I believe in space exploration.  I don'T subscribe to the belief that
>it is absolutely necessary for survival...I do think that it serves a
>purpose, and should be continued.

>I believe that there are some amazing possibilities out there, beyond
>Earth'S orbit.  
>I've noticed that many people consider "dreaming" about such things and
>working towards it with all we can bring to bear too overzealous.
>May I remind some of the skeptics that the Internet itself was the product
>of a bunch of people who's sole puropose was to ensure a network by which
>NORAD could communicate.   Zealotry pays off in ways you can't imagine in
>the short term.


[    ]

>It is a FACT that the future is uncertain.              
>(_Introduction to Nuclear Engineering_, 2nd Edition, John Lamarsh)
>-begin quote-
>	Whether sufficient uranium will be available to fuel expanding
>world nuclear capacity is an issue of continuing controversy even among
>experts.  Uranium itself is not an especially rare element.  It is present
>in the earth's crust at a concentration by weight of about four parts per
>million, which makes uranium more abundant than such common substances as
>silver, mercury, and iodine.  There are an estimated 10^14 tons of uranium
>located at a depth of less than 12 or 13 miles, but most of this is at such
>low concentrations it WILL PROBABLY NEVER BE RECOVERED, (boldface added by
>me) 
>-end quote-

>Yes, Mr Dietz, there are abundant supplies of some materials on Earth.
>But be nice to the zealots...they occassionally come up with some brillant
>ideas which influence a lot of people.  Like the Internet.

>Often, zealots lose sight of reality.  YEt just as often, skeptics lose
>their clues.

i am probably going to regret this....

i don't usually read this group and haven't really followed the debate
between mr. dietz and mr. blum...

however, people have mentioned steve jobs...and garage industry.  and
people have mentioned (repeatedly) the internet...how it happened
because of zealotry, etc.  

y'all ought to stop and think...those of us who have access to the
internet (i am one, thank the gods...) are really a very small, select
group... there are millions of people out there...even very well
educated people...who not only do not have access but have never heard
of the 'net.  there are lots of folks who do not UNDERSTAND the
importance of the net...and who could care even less....who think that
it is silly...from "religious" wars about the importance of the space
program to the importance of tad martin's return to 'all my children'
(r.a.t.s.) .... and the bigots aren't only in the non-technical world.
after all, i am sure some of you would scream if anyone questioned
your access to the net....but would you care so much about your
secretary's access...

this is a ramble...and i fully expect to be flamed (i will probably
ignore flames :)  )...there's nothing wrong with your
discussion....but you should count your blessings....

barbara

--
***************************************************************************
conan the librarian a.k.a. kitten           /\ /\  barbara ann 
"my life's a soap opera, isn't yours?"      {=.=}
                                              ~   trumpins@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu 
"love is the wild card of existance"
                          rita mae brown