dejerine
07-28-2006, 06:33 AM
I told you so.
The NIH scientists, who have been treated like stepchildren are feeling vindicated. Mike Griffin, NASA Administrator, has just told Congress that NASA plans to give up research and just try to get the space station built. What kind of research was even envisioned in the first place? According to NASA, the research was "materials, fluid physics and other basic microgravity phenomena". Even a two year old can see this was all spin. Fluid physics? That is NASA speak for "watch the globs of liquid whatevers move around in zero grav." Not to mention that the European Space Agency already has the Foton 2 FluidPac module which can do all the same stuff in unmanned spacecraft.
Congress, which has never been very bright on what science actually is, is upset. They thought, delusionally, that all the hype about space research was actually true. Now that the truth is out that it is all about the symbolic finishing of a hunk of junk out in space, they are begging for research to be put back into the equation. Here is one example: "Cutting science programs would suggest that it is merely a joy ride to the moon," said Katie Boyd, spokeswoman for Alabama Republican Sen. Richard Shelby. "It would mean that we as a nation have wasted billions of taxpayer dollars." Duh!!! Does she realize what she is saying?
Here is a tip. If you want research, you have to hire scientists who DO research, not engineers who merely want jobs. Real researchers publish articles in real journals. You can find an entire group of authentic researchers over at the National Institutes of Health, who actually pay attention to what is likely to benefit mankind. In particular, the six million per year devoted to PAIN RESEARCH is looking downright miserly compared to NASA's 1.3 billion attempt to build an albatross 300 miles up to study "fluid physics". Next time the pain has really got you on the mat, and you cannot think of a single reason to endure any more, just pick up a book on fluid physics. What is that, you never heard of fluid physics??? That is because even the college bookstore here does not have a text on that topic. No problem, you can order one at Amazon.com. The topics are fascinating, thermal flow, plasmas, incompressibility, etc. Fluid physics is you would have thought a few years ago, worth all the money we can beg or borrow, EXCEPT it has no practical benefit for mankind. No, Plasma TV's are something different than what they were going to do on the space station.
Vaccines, pain treatments, cures for cancer, what is that next to incompressibility? When Congressmen get their cancer, their bad backs, or whatever, they can just hustle on over to NASA, which has already announced that they are not into research any more, but since all the money is there, it will do them as much good as heading for the National Institutes of Health, which didn't get enough in the first place. It is true that NIH gets nearly as much money on paper as NASA, but more than 70% of NIH money goes to AIDS treatments, which doesn't leave much for every other illness in the world. Is anyone running the show in Washington. NASA giving up research??? Then, what was all the hoopla about in the first place. Shut NASA down. Who would miss them. Ship the money over to NIH. They will never give up research.
I suggest PAIN as a good place to start for research. It is also the most humanitarian and would be one of the few reasons for the Almighty not to allow this stupid planet to blow itself up, for its sheer stupidity.
"Space is our new Tower of Babel", from a speech by an NIH researcher. Walter Cronkite said sixty percent of Americans should not be allowed to vote because they are too stupid. Now if he would just give similar data on how many congressmen are qualified to allocate scarce research funds. Pain first, Cancer second, Heart Attacks third, Stroke fourth, Infectious Diseases fifth. Although only one in five Americans will contract a chronic pain state, more money is spent on pain than ANY OTHER MEDICAL PROBLEM. So that is how I justify some research on the topic. The fluid physics devotees can go suck an egg.
The NIH scientists, who have been treated like stepchildren are feeling vindicated. Mike Griffin, NASA Administrator, has just told Congress that NASA plans to give up research and just try to get the space station built. What kind of research was even envisioned in the first place? According to NASA, the research was "materials, fluid physics and other basic microgravity phenomena". Even a two year old can see this was all spin. Fluid physics? That is NASA speak for "watch the globs of liquid whatevers move around in zero grav." Not to mention that the European Space Agency already has the Foton 2 FluidPac module which can do all the same stuff in unmanned spacecraft.
Congress, which has never been very bright on what science actually is, is upset. They thought, delusionally, that all the hype about space research was actually true. Now that the truth is out that it is all about the symbolic finishing of a hunk of junk out in space, they are begging for research to be put back into the equation. Here is one example: "Cutting science programs would suggest that it is merely a joy ride to the moon," said Katie Boyd, spokeswoman for Alabama Republican Sen. Richard Shelby. "It would mean that we as a nation have wasted billions of taxpayer dollars." Duh!!! Does she realize what she is saying?
Here is a tip. If you want research, you have to hire scientists who DO research, not engineers who merely want jobs. Real researchers publish articles in real journals. You can find an entire group of authentic researchers over at the National Institutes of Health, who actually pay attention to what is likely to benefit mankind. In particular, the six million per year devoted to PAIN RESEARCH is looking downright miserly compared to NASA's 1.3 billion attempt to build an albatross 300 miles up to study "fluid physics". Next time the pain has really got you on the mat, and you cannot think of a single reason to endure any more, just pick up a book on fluid physics. What is that, you never heard of fluid physics??? That is because even the college bookstore here does not have a text on that topic. No problem, you can order one at Amazon.com. The topics are fascinating, thermal flow, plasmas, incompressibility, etc. Fluid physics is you would have thought a few years ago, worth all the money we can beg or borrow, EXCEPT it has no practical benefit for mankind. No, Plasma TV's are something different than what they were going to do on the space station.
Vaccines, pain treatments, cures for cancer, what is that next to incompressibility? When Congressmen get their cancer, their bad backs, or whatever, they can just hustle on over to NASA, which has already announced that they are not into research any more, but since all the money is there, it will do them as much good as heading for the National Institutes of Health, which didn't get enough in the first place. It is true that NIH gets nearly as much money on paper as NASA, but more than 70% of NIH money goes to AIDS treatments, which doesn't leave much for every other illness in the world. Is anyone running the show in Washington. NASA giving up research??? Then, what was all the hoopla about in the first place. Shut NASA down. Who would miss them. Ship the money over to NIH. They will never give up research.
I suggest PAIN as a good place to start for research. It is also the most humanitarian and would be one of the few reasons for the Almighty not to allow this stupid planet to blow itself up, for its sheer stupidity.
"Space is our new Tower of Babel", from a speech by an NIH researcher. Walter Cronkite said sixty percent of Americans should not be allowed to vote because they are too stupid. Now if he would just give similar data on how many congressmen are qualified to allocate scarce research funds. Pain first, Cancer second, Heart Attacks third, Stroke fourth, Infectious Diseases fifth. Although only one in five Americans will contract a chronic pain state, more money is spent on pain than ANY OTHER MEDICAL PROBLEM. So that is how I justify some research on the topic. The fluid physics devotees can go suck an egg.