...NASA’s Space Exploration Programs: A Beneficial Investment for Society Alex vanKooten COMM 1133, Section 40 Marc James Thursday, October 11, 2012 For my topic I have chosen to argue my stance that NASA and their efforts in the field of space exploration are important and beneficial to society. I plan to touch on how NASA has impacted the everyday life of the average North American and the contributions they have made while working to improve their own technologies. I will delve into both practical and abstract reasons for and against continuing space travel in addition to stating a few facts about past missions and their outcomes. The reason that I have chosen this topic is because NASA and the space exploration being done by the human race has always been a source of inspiration to me. I’ve enjoyed growing up in a world where travelling to something as distant as the moon was an attainable feat. In a sense, the entire concept of space and how humanity was working hard to map it and research all these different planets has always given me perspective on my own life. In more recent years however I’ve been noticing more and more people taking a stance against NASA and calling their work a “waste of money”. Therefore I have elected to write an argumentative essay where I argue in favour of NASA’s research. I will try to convince people who think the NASA’s funding should be cut that space exploration has a bigger impact on their lives than they may realize and it may be in society’s...
Words: 422 - Pages: 2
...The Final Frontier: The benefits of space exploration to provide a better life on Earth. Man once dreamt of flying, of touching the night sky and trampling the dirt on the surface of the moon. And for a long time we kept thinking it was only a dream. But on the 4th October 1957, Russia launched Sputnik 1, the first satellite into the depth of space, officially starting off the space age for us. And then on the 20th of July 1963, Neil Armstrong steps off onto the moon’s surface with the now famous line, ’That’s one small step for man, a giant leap for mankind’ and this marks the beginning of an new era of space exploration and many more discoveries. But now often times you will hear the cries of society claiming that space explorations are a waste of government funding and that it should be channelled to things that are more important. However, despite what the majority of society believed, space exploration is a highly beneficial investment as it has in turn, not just provide us with knowledge of our endless universe, it had also vastly improve the qualities of our life on Earth. Several outer space accomplishments had benefitted our life greatly such as the usage of foam insulation that was originally used to protect the shuttle’s external tank is now available for the production of master moulds for prosthetics. By doing so, they have replaced the older version of prosthetics that were made from heavy, fragile plaster and in its place, a new and improved material that is light...
Words: 1146 - Pages: 5
...This universe is only expanding, and the International Space Station is coming up with ideas to expand their comprehension on the way the world functions. NASA shows human endeavor at its greatest, funding a search for knowledge. Putting more effort into their human spaceflight program could possibly refurbish the faith and views on what mankind is capable of. NASA can reach great accomplishments if astronauts were sent on a mission to Mars. As existing, curious beings, it is normal to want to explore the vast matter that surrounds all living organisms. Ever since the beginning of time, society has been recording history so it is only right to keep on adding to that for future generations in order for them to repeat the cycle. The article “Why We Explore,” remarks that one who desires to explore and challenge the boundaries of what is known and what has been visited. It has provided many benefits to this nation for centuries. In order to continue pushing forward in exploration, disputes must be overcome and mistakes must be learned from. From here, astronauts could even start mastering the rest of the solar system and see what other living...
Words: 581 - Pages: 3
...– Advocates for space exploration say that there are much advantages that push humankind towards a better tomorrow. Opponents argue that there is an huge cost put into research and development C) Thesis Statement and Forecast – I think that the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages because of the benefits that people will inherit and that the economic benefit we receive is a lot more than the cost we put into it. II. Body (Arguments) A) Transition and Topic Sentence for Reason #1 – We can use the new technology 1) Supporting Detail - Not possible without NASA (Wilson, Space Program Benefits) 2) Supporting Detail -Things from fiberglass to GPS (Wilson, Space Program Benefits) 3) Supporting Detail - More investment, more commercialized (Wilson, Space Program Benefits) B) Transition and Topic Sentence for Reason #2 – The exploration development basic necessities 1) Supporting Detail - NASA started water program (Dunbar, “Water Water Everywhere!”) 2) Supporting Detail - Based off design for astronauts (Dunbar, “Water Water Everywhere!”) 3) Supporting Detail - Inexpensive, useful (Dunbar, “Water Water Everywhere!”) C) Transition and Topic Sentence for Reason #3 –The exploration extended to help people in medicine 1) Supporting Detail - Study osteoporosis in space, astronauts are guinea pigs (NASA Science, “Space Bones”) 2) Supporting Detail – Scientists were able to test different methods (NASA Science, “Space Bones”) 3) ...
Words: 987 - Pages: 4
...While President Kennedy may not have appealed to every American as a beneficial leader to the nation, shown by the assassination, he provided for the nations in a variety of aspects that led to a successful presidency. Kennedy managed to make great strides in advancements in civil rights, the space race, and banning of nuclear weapons. In all these situations he used his presidency to his advantages and made wise choices that would benefit the citizens of America. At the time his presidency began, civil rights issues were continuing to be a major issue. Kennedy made sure to keep this as one of his main focuses throughout his time as president to ensure a change be made for the African Americans. While Kennedy did have to remain cautious with certain aspects of civil rights, in order to continually appeal to both the African Americans and the whites, he did several things in order to integrate them into society. Kennedy assisted in African Americans integrating themselves into...
Words: 736 - Pages: 3
...Electric and flying cars:- In the next twenty years, the world will have solved the major problems of transportation today. Global warming news will no longer be splashed over news screens nation wide in the area of transportation making life much more enjoyable for all. .. Emissions from millions of vehicles on the road add up and cause the global warming problem talked of earlier. . Electric vehicles or EVs, are vehicles that are powered by an electric motor instead of an internal combustion engine. EVs use electricity as the "fuel" instead of gasoline or some other combustible fuel. The power for the vehicle is stored in many large batteries in the bottom of the car, from there the power goes to a power regulator where it is changed from DC power to AC power The solution is to have much more efficient vehicles that produce fewer emissions with every mile. This is why in twenty years the electric vehicle, or EV as most scientists refer to it, will see its nation wide introduction to roads everywhere. Electric vehicles are actually present in the world today. Unfortunately, the price of these EVs well exceeds the price of a normal car. Traffic jams will be a thing of the past as some cars take to the air. In fact, traffic jams will be documented at the Smithsonian to ensure future generations have a sense of what traffic jams were. The next twenty years will see huge advancements In numerous cities across the country, the personal automobile is the single greatest polluter In...
Words: 804 - Pages: 4
...Space exploration has been in the minds of people most likely since the first man or woman looked up at the stars, its always been around for as long as we can remember. It started out small, with singular scientists working out their own theories, going off of ideas of what they thought may be true. In fact the oldest known record we have of the use of “Astronomy” was the greek scientist Eratosthenes (276 B.C.- 195 B.C.), who used the sun to calculate the size of the earth, and got very close with his ancient measurement. This and many other events in history lead to what we call space exploration today. What is space exploration you ask? “Isn’t it just a huge waste of money?” is what some individuals would have you believe. The space program here in the united states is currently expanding as it is, but it still all stems from one fundamental place: NASA. But, It is a sad fact, that in reality, NASA does not get as much money, contrary to what is perceived by the american people, and what it does with that miniscule amount of funding is amazing; therefore, NASA should continue to gain funding for its many programs, such as the unrenown research of the universe benefiting both space, and earth at home, and how NASA helps bring closer the ideals and promotes the coexistence of humans across the world; And so,...
Words: 2440 - Pages: 10
...NASA is the main organization for space exploration in the United States, and is apart of the governments funding. NASA is a critical part of the worlds future in many different ways. Lots of people believe their tax money is going to a waste since NASA is funded by the US government. One thing people might not realize is how beneficial the NASA program is. Many life saving and convenient inventions have been made by NASA. These inventions are referred to as spinoffs, and NASA has documented more than 1,500 spinoff success stories. For example the WARP 10, which is a hand-held, high-intensity, LED unit developed by Quantum Devices Inc. The WARP 10 is intended for the temporary relief of minor muscle and joint pain, arthritis, stiffness, and muscle spasms, and also promotes muscle relaxation and increases local blood circulation. Another example would be infrared ear thermometers which you see all the time going to the doctor’s office. People may talk about the need to cut back funding because our budget deficit. But, you fail to realize that we can cut many other things like the billions of dollars we spend on foreign aid rather than one of the proudest and most beneficial programs in the US. The President's 2012 Budget provides 18.7 billion dollars to NASA which is only about 0.5 percent of the United States Federal Budget.Cutting NASA’s funding wouldn't magically climb us out of debt. If anything the money gained from cutting NASA would be spent immediately on other stuff...
Words: 297 - Pages: 2
...and Social What are the issues: The issue and aspects that are socially positive and beneficial are also ethically sound. It is ethical to be socially responsive and careful in its activities for NASA. Toxic chemicals are used in manufacturing rockets that are injurious to the health of humankind. During operation of rockets, carbon dioxide is used in high quantity that contains adverse impact on atmosphere. In addition, huge amount of energy is used in manufacturing equipment’s and vehicles that are used in spatial programs. It is however, unethical if NASA does not take care of these negative social impacts on the society. In addition, the chances of failure of any space operation should also be minimized so that NASA can be socially...
Words: 768 - Pages: 4
...to accomplish. The Mission to Mars project is a huge exploration venture for man-kind and can possibly cause a paradigm shift in our world as we know it today. I will describe the Mission exactly as it planned and many flaws that come with their plans. NASA has been defunded so this mission has been privatized by a nonprofit organization (Mission One). Mission One is seeking individuals to volunteer for their mission to Mars. The individuals they choose for the mission will have to expect to live on Mars and colonize the red planet. Most of their plans are just theory and I will research more of their plans like growing vegetation, using solar power, and survival. Introduction to “The Mission to Mars” Project Many great men and women have been able to experience the glory beyond our atmosphere. Retired NASA astronaut, Frank Borman, was one of those great men. Borman was one of the first 24 individuals to fly around the moon. Borman is a modern explorer, beyond the constraints of the seas, or land, Borman was able to reach new heights. This great explorer once said, “Exploration really is the essence of the human spirit, and to pause, to falter, to turn our back on the quest for knowledge, is to perish.”As human beings it has always been in our nature to explore. Exploration has been a large part of our history for many years now. From the discovery of the New World, to the first man on the moon, our society has yearned for expansion to every corner of the world...
Words: 2419 - Pages: 10
...recently, developing building and houses are speedier by cutting edge instruments, successful in communication with better flag and more extensive secured ranges, go to any place in the world. A human will have a great world if innovations do not habitually have adverse reactions. In any case, technology has affected positively to our societies and the risks are worth taking. This paper will give a thorough argument in support of the fact that technology is beneficial and worth taking any risk for it. Technology is Beneficial Technology brings people numerous approaches that ease communication between one another. Communication should be possible through area line telephone, mobile phone, instant messages, email and visit on PCs. Communication technology (rapid web) additionally contributes to medicinal services, working at home, trade, diversion, group, exploration, and instruction. . Mass communication medium is the procedure of conveying and imparting to loads of individuals utilizing various strategies, for example, TV, radio, daily papers, or films. In the advanced aggressive environment of offering daily papers, promoting, the media impacts society, attempting to convince our decisions, affect our qualities, and control our choice making (Alter, 13). For instance, Adolf Hitler utilized mass communication to shake different nations to surrender adequately. By utilizing...
Words: 1541 - Pages: 7
...Nanotechnology Applications Kareema L. Smith Argosy University Nanotechnology can be described as manufacturing and or engineering on a small scale, this can be related to numerous areas of study and development – nanotechnology is utilized by several fields such as medicine, engineering, information technology, wild life, agriculture and the list goes on. When thinking of nanotechnology there is no way to tell what the future holds for scientist who research and study this field and how it will affect humans daily, but I will go on and describe some of the applications we and our society has benefited from the study of nanotechnology. In the medical field nanotechnology has be utilized as a tool to offer early detection of an oncoming disease or virus. Nanoparticles are deposited into the body, these particles has small fluorescent blotches that were engineered to mark antibodies. By doing so these fluorescent marks can find or identify disease even at the very onset of contracting the virus. Nanotechnology is also offering faster diagnoses of diseases, in some cases results of diagnoses can take weeks to come back in causing the patient to stress and worry. Utilizing this technology doctors are now able to use a nano-device known as ‘lab-on-chip’, by only using a small sample and this small chip. The samples can be analyzed quickly, so quick that some diagnoses can be read almost instantly. The study and application of nanotechnology is also benefitting the food...
Words: 814 - Pages: 4
...Google continually invests huge amounts of resources, whether monetary or people, into their research and development section; where technology is working at its best with projects that range from app developments that are applied to your mobile device to elaborate robotic devices. Some recently introduced technology is the Google Glass that has hit the shoppers market for just under a cool $2300. There are other Google technologies that are not commonly known, but by far are more interesting and have more of a positive future and social impact. Google offers the following technologies which will be discussed; which includes robotics, elevator to space, clean energy, smart thermostat, and smart contact lens are the unique possibilities to the future and mankind. In the past five years, Google has been known for acquisitioning robotic companies in order to develop their own robotics division; this Research and Development (R&D) laboratory is called Google X. Little is known about Google X and their doings, for security and privacy, just what is permitted and released by their Public Relations office. One of their most important acquisitions was Boston Dynamics who formally worked on robotics projects for the Pentagon (Smith, 2014). Google X is focusing on developing robots to perform the most ordinary of simple tasks around the home and workplace (Mack, 2011). But a more positive aspect is Google’s contribution to the War on Terrorism with their AlphaDog which is currently...
Words: 3424 - Pages: 14
...behind this was Brendan Eich. Moving to Java, it was James Gosling's dream come true. The most popular one, C was the work of Dennis Ritchie. Adding two plus signs to it, C++ was created by Bjarne Stroustrup. Then its PERL, the work of Larry Wall. SQL was designed by Donald D. Chamberlin & Raymond F. Boyce. Moving forward, Python was designed by Guido van Rossum. And the last and famous coding language used by masses, PHP, was designed by Rasmus Lerdorf The World Economic Forum's Technology Pioneers programme recognizes companies, normally in a start-up phase, from around the world that are involved in the design, development and deployment of new technologies, and hold promise of significantly impacting the way business and society operate. Technology Pioneers must demonstrate visionary leadership and show signs of being long-standing market leaders – their technology must be proven. Each year, hundreds of innovative companies from around the world are reviewed, with approximately 30 selected as Technology Pioneers in the following three categories: AFP - Charles Kao, Willard Boyle and George Smith won the 2009 Nobel Physics Prize Tuesday for pioneering "masters of light" work on fibre optics and semiconductors, the Nobel jury said. The Hong Kong-based expert Kao and his two American counterparts were hailed for creating the two tools that helped unleash the Information Technology revolution of today. "This year's Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded...
Words: 1049 - Pages: 5
...conclusion. Today, the controversy takes the shape of public protests, press releases from public figures, web-campaigns, and popular media coverage. Why is it that so many in the past have cared, and so many in the future likely will care, about the marbles? Perhaps they offer insight into the human condition, providing us with a global and cultural identity. Or maybe we simply enjoy the aesthetic appeal. Yet the reasoning behind a global interest in the marbles is not what lies at the heart of the controversy. The real issue is ownership. And allowing arguments based on national sentiment rather than legality and preservation to dictate the fate of the Elgin Marbles is irresponsible and, to some degree, disrespectful. Before a meaningful exploration of ownership can be pursued further, critical details regarding the actual acquisition of artifacts must be examined. First of all, Thomas Bruce (more commonly known as the Seventh Earl of Elgin, or Lord Elgin), and his crew brought back to Britain 247 feet of the 524 foot long Parthenon frieze. In addition to the frieze, Lord Elgin acquired 15 of the 92 metopes that “surrounded the top of the Parthenon’s outer colonnade and recounted assorted historical mythical battles.” Seventeen pedimental figures and a few architectural fragments were also included in Lord Elgin’s acquisition. While yes, ninety-five percent of the removed artifacts are currently in the British Museum, it is important to note the...
Words: 1431 - Pages: 6
