Re: Divert NASA budget to robotics

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Article #595

#595

From: Kevin Sharp
Date: Wed, 18 Jul 1990 16:56

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I'd like to make two points. One for either side of this argument.

1) If manned space flight is seen as valuable for seducing the young
into science, is robotics not able to compete? Personally I find the
idea of creating autonomous intelligent machines far more exciting
than taking a space flight. I'm sure that I'm not unique in this view.

2) In comparing the cost of human life with that of a machine it's as
well to remember that there's no problem finding volunteer astronauts.
The calls to ban manned space flight on account of the danger to
individuals amounts to gross protectionism. Such an attitude is
extremely patronizing towards those who are willing to risk their
lives for experience of traveling outside the Earth's atmosphere.

--
--
Kevin Sharp,                      UUCP : {WALES}!ukc!aber-cs!kas
AI and Robotics Research Group,   JANET: kas@uk.ac.aber.cs
Department of Computer Science,   PHONE: +44 970  622450
University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, Dyfed, UK. SY23 3BZ

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References: <2787@dftsrv.gsfc.nasa.gov> <18608@ttidca.TTI.COM> <9935@pt.cs.cmu.edu>

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Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!utzoo!attcan!uunet!mcsun!ukc!edcastle!dcl-cs!aber-cs!casandra!kas
From: kas@cs.aber.ac.uk (Kevin Sharp)
Newsgroups: comp.robotics
Subject: Re: Divert NASA budget to robotics
Message-ID: <KAS.90Jul18175627@casandra.cs.aber.ac.uk>
Date: 18 Jul 90 16:56:27 GMT
References: <2787@dftsrv.gsfc.nasa.gov> <18608@ttidca.TTI.COM>
 <9935@pt.cs.cmu.edu>
Sender: kas@aber-cs.UUCP
Organization: Robotics Research Group, UCW, Aberystwyth
Lines: 19
In-reply-to: gerry@cive.ri.cmu.edu's message of 17 Jul 90 15:41:57 GMT

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