The space shuttle: The Folly of Our Age

This article while taking a potshot at the space shuttle, also questions the
necessity of humans becoming space faring. While the first may be justified,
criticizing the second is shortsighted.

Before humans made their presence felt on this planet, there was already a
science, a living system, an order (call it what you will), more complex
than anything that our science is capable of visualizing. Hence, our science
has in no way improved the original planet.

Yet, being an intelligent species, and not ready to give up our scientific
curiosity, and our desire to meddle with things around us, we need a safety
valve. Clearly our planet is not the place to release this pent up energy,
because we have inherited something which it will be advisable for us to
preserve in its original state.

Hence we can only welcome the enormous opportunities thrown up by space, to
extend our science and our spirit of adventure without limit and
constraints.

Selvaraj.

On 29/07/07, R.A. Hettinga wrote: