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"Space travel is utter bilge" is correct, in my opinion, from one viewpoint: specifically with respect to its cost effectiveness along any axis you care to measure save one: the emotionally-driven ego/pride/curiosity axis.

I really wish the trillions "invested" in manned space travel over the decades had instead gone to basic research in biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, and some of the applied research disciplines that derive from these.

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Trillions? The total amount (2014 nominal) given to NASA since 1958 is less than 1.1 trillion. If you don't think there have been advancements in biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics as a result of NASA's research then I'm at a loss.

> Trillions? The total amount (2014 nominal) given to NASA since 1958 is less than 1.1 trillion.

Thus it's likely that the sums involved across all nations in the world are 2 trillion or more.

> If you don't think there have been advancements in biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics as a result of NASA's research then I'm at a loss.

Oh, they certainly were, but those advances were for the most part accidental and incidental.

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