Is There Life On Mars

Is there life on Mars?  Was there ever bacteria life on Mars?  Why do I give a sh..?  How will my life change for the better if we find life on Mars?  Is there life on other planets in the universe?  With trillions of planets going around a crap load of suns, the very strong odds say yes.  Therefore, why do we have to search for them - let them find us.


As you know from my blog on "Electronics and Happiness", I'm all in favor of using space or physics to discover new things that will improve our lives here on earth.  There are very critical minerals on our Moon.  These minerals can be used to enhance or create capabilities here on Earth that will make life better for all of us.  Spending money to go to the Moon and bring them back could be a good value to mankind.


Spending billions maybe trillions of dollars on trying to find life on a distant planet makes no sense to me.  There are very rich people, organizations and companies that want the answer.  Therefore, I say, let them pay for the answer.  


What does my government have to do with it?  What's it there business?  The government's role is to spend my money on things that will enrich our life.  Finding bacteria on Mars will do no such thing.  Finding a cure for cancer is a much better investment by the government than spending billions to see if, on a galaxy far far away, someone is watching TV.


It amazes me that we are not standing outside Washington with signs saying: "Star Trek Has Already Given Us The Answer."  "New Roads and Bridges Yes - New Frontiers No."  "Cure Alzheimer Not Miseries Of The Universe."  "Feed The Poor Not NASA." "Make A Movie Not A Spacecraft", "I've Already Seen Them - Just Take My Word For It."


We have grown up in a world where books and movies have tingled our imagination about life on other plants.  I grew up with "ET", "Close Encounters Of The Third Kind", "The Day The Earth Stood Still."  I always wanted to be an Astronaut.  I would be the first in line to take a trip to another planet and I probably would still be first today).


However, now I'm retired and the government is considering reducing my Medicare.  I've lost dear friends to Cancer and AIDS.  I'm watching the infrastructure in LA deteriorate.  I'm talking to people, I care about, struggling to find a job.  I'm watching my taxes being spent on a few Mars rovers digging up dirt.


Why is this happening?  The answer is the usual - follow the money.  Government is not always practical or logical, however they are always political.  Someone a lot richer than us wants this to happen.  Scientists always want to explore, but I don't see them putting their money where their mouth is.


I do want to know the answer to life.  I do want to know if we are alone.  However, I want safety, health and happiness more.  I know our government's money could be spent to make me healthier and happier.  If they just took half the many billions or trillions of dollars being spent on exploration five things would happen:

1. Yes, it would take longer to find the miseries of the universe.  Why do I care if it takes a hundred years or two hundred years to find these answers - I'm not going to be around and neither are you.
   
2. I might not die of Cancer,  Alzheimer, heart disease, diabetes, etc. if the government would stop mapping Saturn.
   
3. I would not be afraid to travel over the Brooklyn Bridge if the government used my money to fix infrastructure and create more jobs.
   
4. My Grandchildren would go to better schools if our government cared as much about education as they care about whether there is water on Mars.
   
5. I would be safer and happier because the government would spend my money on safety and other programs that would enrich my life.

Number five is what I want my government to do for me.  I realize I can't count on the outside world (in this case the government) to make me happy, but as my father would say:

"It wouldn't hurt."