Why are scientists so attracted to outer space?

[cupoftea]

We know more about our moon then about our oceans. Is space that much more interesting then water? Who knows what hidden treasures there may be found in the oceans, snails who might have a cure for cancer. Isn't it more logical that we first explore and discover our world before we go on a search for another?

[uos_spo6]

We know more about our moon then about our oceans. Is space that much more interesting then water? Who knows what hidden treasures there may be found in the oceans, snails who might have a cure for cancer. Isn't it more logical that we first explore and discover our world before we go on a search for another?

I understand your perspective and hear it alot, but the workings of the ocean are understood and while we will definitely find some interesting provacative things down there it is as you said, a part of our world. So it's only human nature for scientists to want to go beyond our world, even though you could characterize the unexplored depths as another world, it really isn't. There will be quite interesting things down there, but I don't think anything that is going to blow our mind like space. We already know life exists in the deep, we're still trying to find it in space.

To sum it up another way relating to pop culture which definitely shapes a human beings interests and ideas, because Star Wars was a better movie than Jaws.

[Yosemite]

the view from space is so much better

[Gaidin]

We know more about our moon then about our oceans. Is space that much more interesting then water? Who knows what hidden treasures there may be found in the oceans, snails who might have a cure for cancer. Isn't it more logical that we first explore and discover our world before we go on a search for another?

Don't worry, there are plenty of biologists and ecologists more interested in the oceans than deep space. They just suck at getting publicity.

[A pimp named Slickback]

Space is where star wars happened. Did star wars happen underwater? Didn't think so.

[Adar]

I think a more appropriate question is, "How does space related science get so much money?"

I might be somewhat bitter considering that I work with biology but phycisists and cosmology in particular seem to be able to pull insane amounts of money. Meanwhile biologists have to fight extremely hard to do trivial things like curing cystic fibrosis or combatting cancer.

The HUGO project is the largest biology project ever concieved. It cost a total of 437 000 000$ for the sequence related issues and 3 billion USD in total. Laying the foundation for essentially all modern biology and biotechnology. In my current field of research (protein interactions) it's pretty much impossible to use data from before 2005. Everything we use is derived from the finished HUGO project in 2003, a few weeks ago I even discovered previous estimations based on data from 2001 being fatally flawed becuase it didn't have enough unbiased information of genes to rely on.

The Human Genome Project was sometimes reported to have cost $3 billion. However, this figure refers to the total projected funding over a 13-year period (1990–2003) for a wide range of scientific activities related to genomics. These include studies of human diseases, experimental organisms (such as bacteria, yeast, worms, flies, and mice); development of new technologies for biological and medical research; computational methods to analyze genomes; and ethical, legal, and social issues related to genetics. Human genome sequencing represents only a small fraction of the overall 13-year budget.

The Large Hadron Collider at operated by CERN costs approximately the same and it's potential use is described on wikipedia as

Once the machine is up and running, CERN scientists estimate that if the Standard Model is correct, a single Higgs boson may be produced every few hours. At this rate, it may take up to three years to collect enough data to discover the Higgs boson unambiguously. Similarly, it may take one year or more before sufficient results concerning supersymmetric particles have been gathered to draw meaningful conclusions.[20]

The same amount of money ($3 billion) would be able to cost slightly less than 3 space flights with the space shuttle (source). I can promise you that more scientists shared the 3$ billions spent on HUGO than the ones spent on the space shuttle. Therefore the question should not be "Why are scientists so attracted to outer space?", the question should really be "How does space related research manage to get so much funding?".

Obviously I support the idea that other areas should get as much money as space research, not that space research should be brought down to our levels .

[Phier]

Because its SPACE.

Its 99.9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999% of the universe.

Its freaking awesome.

Its also our future if we want to avoid extinction.

[Kanaric]

Because its SPACE.

Its 99.9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999% of the universe.

Its freaking awesome.

Its also our future if we want to avoid extinction.

pretty much.

[Keravnos]

Agreed.

[Nikos]

It also has much to do with Scientists wanting to make names for themselves by discovering new things, with space being such a large unknown quantity, the potential for new discoveries in space is almost endless.

[cupoftea]

It also has much to do with Scientists wanting to make names for themselves by discovering new things, with space being such a large unknown quantity, the potential for new discoveries in space is almost endless.

Well i'd rather make my name as the curer of cancer or malaria then giving my name to one of the 1 000 000 000 000 000 000 etc etc heeps of stone floating around in our universe.

And why wouldn't we be able to build colonys on the ocean floor? If we can make a habitable home for our space explorers on mars then we sure can conquer the pressure of the ocean?

[Nikos]

Well i'd rather make my name as the curer of cancer or malaria then giving my name to one of the 1 000 000 000 000 000 000 etc etc heeps of stone floating around in our universe.

And why wouldn't we be able to build colonys on the ocean floor? If we can make a habitable home for our space explorers on mars then we sure can conquer the pressure of the ocean?

It's not what they would rather find, it's just that finding something new in space is way easier then finding the cure for cancer and malaria in the Ocean, hence more scientists exploring space. And as of right now, Space exploration is easier then deep Ocean exploration I'm afraid/

[Markas]

Because every scientist wants to be the first to build a space-based laser cannon.

Exploration and colonisation out of Earth will more or less guarantee our survival as a species, taking into consideration the vast majority of extinction threats come from Earth, and how it reacts to collisions.

[chamaeleo]

Space is sexy. Oceans are...wet. It's easier to inspire the masses with fantastic "what-if" speculations about other planets, aliens, etc, than say: "that pool of water out there, yeah, it's a lot more interesting than it looks...here's a crab we've never seen before!".

Plus, controlling space has obvious strategic advantages. Submarines are easier to locate than ever.

I'm all for space exploration, but less so now that I'm a little older. We need to stop wasting resources blowing each other up, first, then we'll be ready for space. Then we can have real battles, zero-g and all...

[C-Rob]

because Star Wars was a better movie than Jaws.

Yep. Pretty much.

[Ulyaoth]

Space is a pointless endeavor. We'll never go there, and knowing how the universe formed won't really help us with anything now will it?

[Nikos]

Space is a pointless endeavor. We'll never go there, and knowing how the universe formed won't really help us with anything now will it?

Well we'll never go there to live, but our descendants will some day! Our future lies in the stars.

[A pimp named Slickback]

Well we'll never go there to live, but our descendants will some day! Our future lies in the stars.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but chances are that our species dies an very painful death right on this rock.

We ain't goin nowhere. Settling moon and mars is as far as we'll get I think - at the most.

[Nikos]

Sorry to burst your bubble, but chances are that our species dies an very painful death right on this rock.

What makes you take this pessimistic attitude?

We ain't goin nowhere. Settling moon and mars is as far as we'll get I think - at the most.

I disagree, with the advancement of technology the possibilities are infinite.

[Ulyaoth]

What makes you take this pessimistic attitude?

I disagree, with the advancement of technology the possibilities are infinite.

Unless we find out ways to do things science says is impossible presently, we won't be spreading all over the place. Besides, even if we do take on ridiculous stupid projects like generation ships which would be the only remotely possible plan, what's the point? We'll never see those people again, it's just throwing resources away unless we simply felt like getting rid of some problem group of people(like some atheists would like to do with christians)