Entry 2437, on 2026-04-08 at 16:24:58 (Rating 4, News)
The Guardian newspaper hasn't exactly got the best reputation as a moderate and well balanced source of real news. Well, I'm sure the more left oriented and naive (or are those two things the same?) people think it is great, but I don't think so.
Some news sources (and I use that word in a somewhat inexact sense because many of what we might traditionally call news services are really just a place to maintain propaganda and activist opinions) do provide some fairly thoughtful and interesting perspectives, and I'm fine with that, even when they differ from mine. But it's been a long time since I read anything which was even interesting or original in the Guardian, although I have to admit I rarely read it, so no doubt I have missed some of their better material.
Anyway, what is all ranting this leading up to? Well, an article by some silly woman by the name of Zoe Williams, who seems to be against the American space program in general, and especially the Artemis mission which launched recently.
You've probably guessed by now what sort of thing she is saying, because it is the same tired old nonsense we have heard for years: that the money and effort put into exploring space is wasted and would be better spent back here on Earth. Yawn... boring!
Here are a few statements from her article, along with my response to them...
Statement: It is absolutely self-evident to me that space exploration is pointless, and the more urgent the crises besetting this planet we live on, the more pointless it becomes.
Response: At least she starts by saying that this is effectively her opinion ("self evident to me") rather than an alleged fact, so I give her credit for that. But I don't know what these "crises besetting this planet" might be, although I can have a good guess! The fact is there are no major crises besetting the planet, except in the mind of silly, ignorant, hysterical people like her. There are problems we should be alert to, sure, but the state of the world is actually fairly good if you look at the stats.
Statement: there might be little green people out there - who wouldn’t want to meet them?
Response: There are real scientific programs which attempt to find extraterrestrial life and even other intelligence in the universe, but that is not a significant aim of this one, and not an aim of most of the space program. Of course, finding life on other planets would be an amazing discovery, and NASA is very aware of the need to look, but that's not what Artemis is all about. And this "little green people" thing (the original phrase was "little green men" but this is the Guardian so it must be gender inclusive!) is so trivial and childish that you've just got to laugh.
Statement: There’s nothing out there except planets infinitely less beautiful than this one.
Response: This time her ignorant opinion is presented as a fact. How does she know? Who decides what is beautiful? It's just another very naive, ignorant piece of meaningless nonsense presented as if it had some level of intellectual value. Well, it doesn't.
Statement: others act as though I’m opposing innovation and modernity, which I absolutely am not.
Response: Yes, she is. Modernity is not defined by her woke ideology, that is just a temporary glitch in our overall forward progress (at least, I hope so). It's not necessarily just space programs themselves which drive innovation and modernity, but it is the attitude of wanting to explore, to do difficult things, and to take risks which do. Her attitude seems to be reminiscent of the Luddites more than anything else.
Statement: point to all the discoveries that wouldn’t have been made without the space-based wanderlust, most of which seem to involve finding better ways to kill each other.
Response: While there are some elements of the space program which are closely connected to the military, in general that is not so significant. Here are some technologies derived from the space program: memory foam, scratch-resistant lenses, freeze-dried food, cordless power tools, space blankets, CMOS image sensors, cochlear implants, implantable heart monitors, wireless arthroscopes, minimally invasive surgical tools, ear thermometers, infrared medical sensors, advanced water purification, firefighting equipment, fire-retardant materials, shock absorbers for buildings and bridges, aerogel insulation, grooved roads, wireless headsets and comms, laptop computers and miniaturised electronics, robotics advancements, 3D printing, additive manufacturing for habitats, improved personal locator beacons, AI and data tools, rugged video cameras, advanced air purifiers, electrostatic sprayers. I don't see too many related to warfare there, do you?
I could go on, but I've go to wonder why I would waste my time criticising such a stupid person. Why does the Guardian allow such ignorance to be published? Well, I guess it is sufficiently anti-western (especially American) and is silly and hysterical enough that it fits their preferred style. All I can say is: what an absolute moron!
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