2008 Woodie Awards
Point-Counterpoint: Should we be spending money on space tourism?
QUID: What is it good for?
Jenica Simon
Issue date: 10/24/07 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
QUID, or the Quasi Universal Intergalactic Denomination, is useless. Developed to be a space safe and able to withstand cosmic radiation, the QUID is covered with Teflon. Teflon is the material covering many plates today. The exchange rate is roughly eleven American dollars to a QUID, but when are we going to spend them?
Space tourism was once a product of science fiction novels. Today we seem to be fairly close, or at least we are told. Scientists are living months at a time in the Space Station, but the average person seems to be grounded. I am fairly certain that the Space Station isn't going to open its gates to tourism just yet. Other technologies obviously need to be developed first like… I don't know reliable transportation into space or mass production of space suits. I think the QUID is a little ahead of itself and under sited. What in space is going to cost 11 bucks? Space tourism is obviously going to be another pasttime of the very RICH.
For the rest of us who live on Earth and will continue to despite possibility of Moon hotels, is it really fair to invest so much time and effort (not to mention money) into space? Tourism on Earth already has its problems and expenses. Very few Americans can say they have seen the natural wonders of the Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls.
Or how about falling economies and inflation around the world? Economics should be focusing on ways to balance current economies versus guessing about the exchange rate of a newly invented one. Earth is the only viable planet for life to our knowledge. To be honest, we aren't taking great care of it, either. British scientist could be tackling London's air pollution problem rather than space currency. A space currency made of Teflon, whose byproduct, perfluorooctanoic acid, is considered a carcinogen.
So let's keep ourselves Earth-bound for a while, then move on to the final frontier.
Space tourism was once a product of science fiction novels. Today we seem to be fairly close, or at least we are told. Scientists are living months at a time in the Space Station, but the average person seems to be grounded. I am fairly certain that the Space Station isn't going to open its gates to tourism just yet. Other technologies obviously need to be developed first like… I don't know reliable transportation into space or mass production of space suits. I think the QUID is a little ahead of itself and under sited. What in space is going to cost 11 bucks? Space tourism is obviously going to be another pasttime of the very RICH.
For the rest of us who live on Earth and will continue to despite possibility of Moon hotels, is it really fair to invest so much time and effort (not to mention money) into space? Tourism on Earth already has its problems and expenses. Very few Americans can say they have seen the natural wonders of the Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls.
Or how about falling economies and inflation around the world? Economics should be focusing on ways to balance current economies versus guessing about the exchange rate of a newly invented one. Earth is the only viable planet for life to our knowledge. To be honest, we aren't taking great care of it, either. British scientist could be tackling London's air pollution problem rather than space currency. A space currency made of Teflon, whose byproduct, perfluorooctanoic acid, is considered a carcinogen.
So let's keep ourselves Earth-bound for a while, then move on to the final frontier.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
liera
posted 11/15/07 @ 10:50 AM CST
i know
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