Why chose between "help the poor" and "Explore space"? Why not do both?

Question

Many discussions here veer off on this tangent, and I say we can do both. What do YOU think?

Answer 1

Exploring space is helping the poor. Think of all the people that would be out of a job if it was not for space exploration.
Best estimates is that any dollar spent in space exploration yields a return on investment of $16 as new business. That, evidently, creates more job and more wealth that can be used to support the community, giving a job to some who would otherwise be poor.
Anyone who claims that money spent on space is wasted simply don't know what they are talking about.

Answer 2

In order to explore space efficently you eventually have to take chemistry to higher levels to the point where you can "make" air, water and food out of other materials that normally wouldn't do anything for you.

If we, for example, could make the Star Trek food replicator it would end world hunger.

Going into space forces you to do that. It costs $20,000 a pound to send things up into space right now and the average human drinks 3 pounds of water a day and eats 3 pounds of food a day and needs 6 pounds of air.

That's certainy not the $1 menu! It's the $100,000 dollar menu!

The idea is to get the air far for a 14 day vacation down from the current $20 million dollars to $250 dollars.

Answer 3

Both are being done and have been for many years.

I think it is time for the poor to help themselves. I do mean that. In most places the poor will and do not get together and work together to make a better life for them all.

There is a lot out there for them if they really try.

those that are physicaly or mentaly not capable of making it then definately we can help

Answer 4

Let's send the poor into space. Solve both problems!

Answer 5

space i can't do, i don't do well in very high places, i sort of freeze feel scared