Quote: Captain Sammitch said: For example, why are we searching the skies for Earthlike planets if we generally agree that it'd be impossible to get to any of them in our lifetime?
I believe we do so in search of intelligent life on other planets. We're working under the assumption that good ol' water is one of the basic requirements for life. If we do, somehow, make contact with someone who can reach us, they will almost undoubtedly bring with them knowledge that we don't have.
Quote: Captain Sammitch said: Or why are we looking for remnants of a supposed 'Big Bang' when even its proponents agree that we are separated from it by billions of years?
For the same reason people read Genesis.
Quote: Captain Sammitch said: It's just that we have more imminent concerns right now. Like the fact that a sizable percentage of the people on this planet don't have access to clean water and regular medical care. I look at how much effort we're sinking into proving our own personal versions of the origin of the universe and life on Earth, in particular, and I look at how much effort we're sinking into those more imminent things, and I wonder about our priorities.
I agree with you that there are important concerns that go maladressed, but I don't think we allocate more resources to scientific endeavors. I can't back that up, though, and if you know some numbers that prove otherwise...
Quote: Captain Sammitch said: I've always had more of an engineer's perspective than a scientist's perspective, I think. I like to concentrate on application rather than theory when it comes to scientific research. But there's plenty of room for both.
