Although I rarely have time to participate in the conversations (I have what is quaintly called a “day job”), I do read most of the comments posted to this blog. A few days ago, one commenter, in an aside to the point being made, suggested that the US should stop “wasting” money on space exploration.
I disagree, because I think the evidence is overwhelming that money spent on exploration and research is invested, not wasted. And the return on that investment has been impressive, as articles from Investopedia and elsewhere have documented.
Leaving aside the benefits that cannot be monetized– satisfaction of our human urge to explore, to understand, to seek out new life and new civilizations (okay, I’m a Star Trek fan)–here are just some of the very concrete returns on America’s investment in NASA:
- Aircraft collision-avoidance systems
- Cordless power tools
- Corrosion resistant coatings for bridges
- Digital imaging
- Ear thermometers
- GPS (global positioning satellites)
- Household water filters
- Hydroponic plant-growing systems
- Implantable pacemakers
- Infrared handheld cameras
- Kidney dialysis machines
- LASIK corrective eye surgery
- Memory foam mattresses
- Scratch-resistant sunglasses
- Safety grooving on pavement
- Shoe insoles
- Virtual reality
- Weather forecasting