Today the call-in question on the Maritime Noon radio show (CBC of course) was: “Are you in favor of space exploration?” It seemed nine out of ten callers were male and all of them were in favor of conquering space. They offered two reasons: one that we are destroying the earth so we will soon need another place to go if we wish to continue the human race; second, space study leads to inventions valuable to life on earth. These discoveries might include lighter batteries or new ways to cultivate food in usually barren lands.
The two women who called in both thought it would be wiser to use the available funds to better life on earth, to help the poor, provide better education for everyone and such. An interesting divide: women taking the classical role of nurturer, the men wanting to push out, conquer space.