Obama Speaks

No, you cannot get them interested. They're dead inside. They lack curiosity and initiative. You could expose them to all sorts of magnificent and awe-inspiring stuff and all you would get is a blank, twitching stare.

For a lot of the people I go to school with, I guarantee you this is just a phase. I can think of more than a few that aren't ever going to care about anything meaningful, but I can think of way more that are just putting on that face to fit in. Peer pressure is a terrible, terrible thing.
 
lol for the Ritalin xD

No, childrens are always children and almost everything of the character/interests of an human being is brought by education, not genetics. I agree with T.Neo, the main point is the cultural background. In the 60's, the space program was "fashion" (everything was new !). Nowadays, it isn't anymore (and we can understand why : the russians are running a 40 years old rocket/ design, NASA's future seems unclear for the moment, and commercial launches aren't really exciting).

It's also why ideas like "mission to an asteroid" are in my opinion better than "return to the Moon". It's new and exciting, even if it seems a bit unrealistic with today's technology. And a "Mars program" is even better. New, ambitious objectives, are required to keep the people's (and childrens) attention. And communication has to be better and more interesting. Nowadays, children want Medias. Hundred of photographs, quality movies, live mission updates, are needed. The NASA site could be better on this, even if they have an "education" page (its good to see that someone understood it was important !).

To Ark : they also have a full scale replica of the Mir station, it was a model the cosmonauts used for ground training. It has been bought at the price of the scrap metal when USSR collapsed (lol). And the Soyuz capsule has been bought after a reentry, so you see how the metal itself has partially burnt, it's impressive, weird colors !
 
I was one of the first,children in America to be put on Ritalin,for my hyper activity,and when I was on it, I would feel like a zombie.I still have those feelings once in awhile,I think they were caused from taking the drug too long.My mother finally put her foot down,and fought with the doctor to take me off it.I would like to do research on ritalin,and write a book on it.I encourage parents to keep there children off this dangerous,and harmful drug.
 
I was one of the first,children in America to be put on Ritalin,for my hyper activity,and when I was on it, I would feel like a zombie.I still have those feelings once in awhile,I think they were caused from taking the drug too long.My mother finally put her foot down,and fought with the doctor to take me off it.I would like to do research on ritalin,and write a book on it.I encourage parents to keep there children off this dangerous,and harmful drug.

Phew, I'm really glad I never had to go through that. Zoloft was my childhood drug of choice.
 
(In best Homer Simpson voice) "Mmmmmmm, chocolate."
I'm too old (my brothers too) to have been put on ritalin, et al. When we acted up we got our butts whipped.
 
Atlantis rolled out to pad...

Forget the X-37b...We need our Shuttle fleet back...I watched the NASA 2011 budget hearings on C-SPAN & was heartened to hear so much support for reversing the administrations misguided space policy...A lotta' talk about extending the Shuttle program & reinstating Ares 1...Seems like someone might actually be listening...

---------- Post added at 02:31 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:27 AM ----------

& Atlantis just got rolled out to the pad...

---------- Post added at 02:32 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:31 AM ----------

& Atlantis just got rolled out to the pad...
 
Forget the X-37b...We need our Shuttle fleet back...I watched the NASA 2011 budget hearings on C-SPAN & was heartened to hear so much support for reversing the administrations misguided space policy...A lotta' talk about extending the Shuttle program & reinstating Ares 1...Seems like someone might actually be listening...

---------- Post added at 02:31 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:27 AM ----------

& Atlantis just got rolled out to the pad...

---------- Post added at 02:32 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:31 AM ----------

& Atlantis just got rolled out to the pad...
It is not a misguided plan. It's not perfect, but no plan is. Shuttle is simply too expensive. We can't continue to to run a manned launcher that requires 10,000 people. Besides, if congress thought Constellation was so great why didn't they fund it properly? They were just using it as a jobs program thats why. I watched the senate subcommity hearing today too and most of what Shelby and Hatch said was total BS.
 
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It is not a misguided plan. It's not perfect, but no plan is. Shuttle is simply too expensive. We can't continue to to run a manned launcher that requires 10,000 people. Besides, if congress thought Constellation was so great why didn't they fund it properly? They were just using it as a jobs program thats why.

As Elon Musk (SpaceX) says:

"By the time President Obama cancelled Ares I/Orion earlier this year, the schedule had already slipped five years to 2017 and completing development would have required another $50 billion. Moreover, the cost per flight, inclusive of overhead, was estimated to be at least $1.5 billion compared to the $1 billion of Shuttle, despite carrying only four people to Shuttle's seven and almost no cargo.

The President quite reasonably concluded that spending $50 billion to develop a vehicle that would cost 50% more to operate, but carry 50% less payload was perhaps not the best possible use of funds. To quote a member of the Augustine Commission, which was convened by the President to analyze Ares/Orion, “If Santa Claus brought us the system tomorrow, fully developed, and the budget didn't change, our next action would have to be to cancel it,” because we can't afford the annual operating costs."
 
I saw this on NASA Watch this morning.

Lawmakers Question NASA's Plan for Private Rockets, Wall Street Journal
"But it's the panel headed by Sen. Mikulski, who has been wooed by the White House in recent weeks, that could play the leading role in shaping NASA's future. Unbtil Thursday, Sen. Mikulski hadn't expressed her views publicly. At this point, however, many veteran lawmakers predict Congress will adopt a continuing resolution for the agency, which wouldn't resolve the controversial issues this year."

I can't think of a more outragous scenario. If the congress simply uses a continuing resolution which means the same budget and rules for 2010 would apply for 2011 that would nullify any argument by congress against Obama's space plan. And how would this effect shuttle? This is the wrong year for a contituing resolution. Although I hate most of the Tea party movement I think I would be forced to join them at that point. :suicide:
 
Although I hate most of the Tea party movement I think I would be forced to join them at that point. :suicide:

Great idea. Join the forces of evil. More Astroturf for all!
 
My own little conspiracy theory is that the Tea Party is a bunch of Republicans trying to get the Libertarians to drink the kool-aid.
 
So a group of tea-drinkers are trying to get another group to scoff soft-drinks? I say we drink Coke and confound them all.

I think the chances of Frédéric Prinz von Anhalt have just grown to become governator of California. For the right to arm beers!
 
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