Remarks by NASA Administrator Michael Griffin at the
National Space Symposium
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.nl.html?pid=20189
"But no society can reasonably predict that a given venture will prove
to be worth its cost. Sponsorship of such a quest is always
an act of faith, not an act of science."
Oh my God!
Main Entry: 1faith
1 a : allegiance to duty or a person : LOYALTY
b (1) : fidelity to one's promises
(2) : sincerity of intentions
2 a (1) : belief and trust in and loyalty to God
(2) : belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion
b (1) : firm belief in something for which there is no proof
(2) : complete trust
3 : something that is believed especially with strong conviction; especially
:
a system of religious beliefs
synonym see BELIEF in faith : without doubt or question :
VERILY
I was afraid it would boil down to this. Verily we go!
Griffin gives us his Sermon on the Mount to
justify Nasa's future for the next forty years.
A mish-mash of small reasons, and inappropriate
historical analogies. A little something for everyone.
Nothing substantial for any of us.
Hasn't science always taught us that the truth of
an idea lies in it's simplicity? His compilation of
numerous small reasons are the opposite of that.
Where's the big idea the public can rally around?
As usual the world has it all backwards.
We should use science and rational thought
to design our /goal/. Then have faith we'll figure
out how to accomplish it. I have infinite faith
that our scientists will come up with the needed
breakthroughs for any ...rational...goal.
I have no faith whatsoever that scientists can
design a religious quest. They are not qualified.
The people should decide the goal.
Jonathan
"HE preached upon "breadth" till it argued him narrow,
The broad are too broad to define:
And of "truth" until it proclaimed him a liar,-
The truth never flaunted a sign.
Simplicity fled from his counterfeit presence
As gold the pyrites would shun.
What confusion would cover the innocent Jesus
To meet so enabled a man! "
E Dickinson
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