Congratulations on wasting $100 billion dollars...

Image used without permission and made by some daft idiot or other

Somehow scientists have managed to fly something 140 million miles through space which finally touched down on the surface of Mars yesterday, the 6th of August 2012. Let's think about that. 140 million miles is a hell of a long way - I sometimes miss the bin when I'm throwing things at it, and thats no more than 10 FEET away.  The Curiosity Rover (all 1 ton and 6 wheels of it) emerged and is currently trundling around on the surface of the red planet conducting experiments which, amongst other things, will reveal whether it is habitable.

However, the above picture seems to be doing the rounds on social networking sites, and attracted my attention when some of my friends (rightfully) pulled it to pieces.

Let's look at the facts, shall we?

For one, I'm not sure where the figure of $100 billion comes from, when it in cost a fraction of that - approximately $2.5 billion. Suddenly seems quite good value for money now, doesn't it? You know, what with it being a fantastic achievement for mankind and everything? 140 million miles, remember? 140 Million fucking miles!

Still not convinced? Don't believe that space travel is worth the value?

Well, feel free to complain about it. But don't do it via social media, or via the comments on this blog post - Modern computers wouldn't exist if not for the advances made through the necessity to make computers small enough to fit into a space capsule, so if you're going to be truly aggrieved, you'll have to complain the old fashioned way and write me a letter - Oh, but be sure it won't pass through an office with electronic sorting, or you'll have broken your own rules. In fact you're a bloody hypocrite for even reading this blog post in the first place, unless somebody read it out to you. Smoke signals should let me know you don't agree. Or just shout really loud and then  - Oh.

Don't shout too loud though, you might give yourself a sore throat. If you do, don't pop to the chemist though - odds are that those fancy medicines you use were made considerably better by the advances made through space travel. Perhaps shouting isn't the best plan - probably best if you register your disgust for space travel by giving me a ring, and -

Oh no. That won't work, will it? Mobile technology is pretty reliant on those big flashy spacey things hovering up there - Satellites, I think they're called. You could use your landline I guess, but I suspect that even that is passing through big fancy electronic systems now. Smoke signals it'll have to be then.

In fact, instant television from around the world, the Internet, Meteorology, Microwave cooking, Navigation, fuel cells, medical health, robotics as well as lighter and stronger building materials - all down to scientific advances introduced through Space Travel.

Have fun in your cave. Remember, no portable lighting in there. Perhaps if you want to blame somebody for the poor people on Earth you'll pick your targets better next time.