Does NASA have a Pope?

Question

I hear people claim NASA says this or NASA says that. Do they have an infalable leader? Do they have to profess to a certain opinion before they are hired? Are NASA scientists like the Stepford Wives? Do they vote? Do they have an official template? If they say the wrong thing, are they fired? Are they like academic scientists who are afraid of the private sector because the private sector demands results?

Can anyone offer some insight here?

Answer 1

Does anyone think I could get a job working with Jimmy Hansen over at NASA, even with my PhD?

Somehow I don't think I would ever get hired. Only believers need apply.

Never forget that NASA is a part of the gvmt. They ARE NOT a pure scientific body. They have to play the political game just like the White House.

Answer 2

I assure you, NASA scientists and engineers (and janitors and artists and programmers and machinists and ...) come in all shapes and sizes and political flavors.

Infallible leader? Hardly.

No, there isn't some standard mold they have to fit to get hired, other than having the patience to get through the civil service application and hiring process. The rest of us got here by being lucky enough to work for a well-respected contractor.

There is the question of efficiency. It's my observation that things move very slowly around here and get analyzed to death. Probably a good thing when one considers that we can't exactly put a man and a toolbox in a truck to head up the road and fix a malfunctioning vehicle that's orbiting, say, Mars.
I suspect some folks have figured out they've got a pretty cushy ride if they keep their head down and generally look good, but you'll find Gold Bricks in any organization; NASA isn't especially blessed in that regard.

Do we vote - in a manner of speaking, yes. All kinds of decisions get reviewed over and over by boards with different interests and viewpoints. Even a small minority, if they're adamant and vocal, can steer what looks like an important decision.

Answer 3

NASA scientists do pretty nifty things. Including some pretty spectacular results.

They're hardly rigid. Ask the crew of Apollo 13 about their ability to cope with strange new situations. And innovate.

Contrast them to many of the undistinguished skeptics.