February 05, 2003

I got curious....

The following items have been brought to you by the friendly people at
NASA:

CAT scans. Weather satellites. Eye trackers. Virtual reality systems. Scratch-resistant lenses. Portable coolers/warmers that plug into a car cigarette lighter. Dustbusters. Smoke detectors. Sports bras. Automated eye screening. Firefighters' air tanks. Better brake linings. Laser angioplasty. MRI imaging. Digital image processing. Artificial hearts. Kidney dialysis. Water purification techniques. Cordless power tools. Velcro. TV satellite broadcasts. Clear orthodontic braces. Aircraft lightning protection systems. Freeze-dried foods. Foams used in mattresses and athletic pads. Bar code scanners. Fishing forecasts. The use of vacuuum chambers to dry out water-damaged books. Early forms of laptop computers. Breast cancer detection. Riblets (tiny grooves that help reduce drag) used on America's Cup yachts, Olympic rowing shells, and competition swimsuits. Robotic arms (waldoes) used for surgery. Waterbeds. Telemedicine. Volcano tracking. Earthquake prediction. Oil spill detection techniques. Fuel cells. Solar energy research. Insulation barriers now used in cars and trucks. Athletic shoe design. NASTRAN structural analysis software. Automatic implantable defibrillator. Remote patient monitoring systems. Improvement of hang gliders. Fire-resistant aircraft seats. GPS systems. New cheaper ways to evaluate bone density. DirecTV. Prosthetic materials. Chromosome analysis. Golf ball aerodynamics. Blue-blocker sunglasses. Ear thermometers. Heated ski boots. Space pens. Aerodynamic bike wheels. Joystick controllers. Quartz watches. Portable medical equipment on ambulances. Fireproof clothing. Emergency blankets. New low-power anti-icing system. Self-righting life boats. Balance evaluation systems. Blood analyzer. Land mine removal device.

That, by the way, is a partial list. Mouse over the items on the list above to see my comments. After seeing and hearing some discussion on whether NASA is worthwhile, I got curious, so I did a little research. I have, by the way, used or benefited by two thirds of the items listed above, either through direct encounter or by having them used to help someone I love. NASA did not invent everything listed above; in some cases they were just the ones to develop a good idea until the point where it could become commercially viable.

I don't actually think that the spinoffs are the best reason to keep exploring space, but if someone has a soul so dead as not to understand the lure of space, its effect on potential scientists and explorers, and our national need for a frontier, it may not be possible to explain it to them. It's usually easier to explain monetary benefits - and note that conservative estimates by U.S. space experts say that for every dollar the U.S. spends on the space program, it receives $7 back in the form of corporate and
personal income taxes from increased jobs and economic growth. And then there's the US Professional Jobs Program, aka the space centers. Besides the obvious jobs created in the aerospace industry, thousands more are created by many other companies applying NASA technology in nonspace related areas that affect us daily.

Honestly I would rather see commercial competition to get to space, but this is the model we have and NASA's reasearch has helped develop space travel to the point where commerciasl companies are just beginning to edge into space. Historically, though, large-scale exploration has always been funded by government -- think of Ferdinand and Isabella. It's only after that that business men and women begin to set up trade routes, to import spices, farm new ground, or mine for new riches. (Let's hope we can do that part a bit more responsibly this time.) I know that most people are still saying NASA should continue, but those few dissenters bug me. Besides, it's one of our better investments.

Posted by dichroic at February 5, 2003 04:59 PM
Comments

Beware the ides of March. chuck Rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind.

Posted by: chuck at December 3, 2004 11:46 PM
Post a comment









Remember personal info?