[ScienceD] NASA identifies ice cloud above cruising altitude on Titan

[Science Daily]

NASA identifies ice cloud above cruising altitude on Titan

NASA scientists have identified an unexpected high-altitude methane ice cloud on Saturn's moon Titan that is similar to exotic clouds found far above Earth's poles.

http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/science...200554.htm

[mirandam]

When NASA invents and launches a satellite capable of finding and pinpointing water sources in Africa, maybe they would finally be doing something really useful for humanity. And that would definitely generate global public interest instead of just of few people.

[NexusTrix]

It's very possible that the discoveries NASA and similar agencies make now will be our only hope for the future.

We're not going to be living off Earth in our lifetimes, but the technology needs to be developed and knowledge gained at some point.

Beyond the possible future necessity of it, we, as humans, are genetically programmed to explore and discover.

It's downright fantastic we are living in an age, where we are able to gain a true glimpse of what man has wondered since we first looked to the stars - What's out there?

It's fascinating.

[mirandam]

It's very possible that the discoveries NASA and similar agencies make now will be our only hope for the future.

We're not going to be living off Earth in our lifetimes, but the technology needs to be developed and knowledge gained at some point.

Beyond the possible future necessity of it, we, as humans, are genetically programmed to explore and discover.

It's downright fantastic we are living in an age, where we are able to gain a true glimpse of what man has wondered since we first looked to the stars - What's out there?

It's fascinating.

True, and I for one agree with you totally, but I also realize that we live in the day of today, meaning people are starving because they just do not have access to what we commonly regard as "normal", like drinking water.

While developed countries spend millions of dollars on finding discoveries that may or may not be of interest to our future, at the same time people are dying because they do not form part of these developed countries. I think it would be far more sensible to spend a part of those large sums and technologically advanced methods to help those that do not have access to half of what we are accustomed to.

Do we have the right to deprive those that do not have access to basic needs in our quest to satisfy our genetically programmed need to explore and discover?

In all honesty I think it would be right to first look after our own species before searching for answers that do not solve our current problems. Which doesn't mean I am against space exploration, I just think it should be realistic and reasonable, justifiable against ethical and sociological backgrounds.

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My 14 year old daughter asked me the other day: "why do we send a robot to mars to look for water when people in Africa are dying because they do not have water? Shouldn't that robot be in Africa?"

[NexusTrix]

Developed countries do contribute a huge amount of aid to less fortunate developing countries.

That aid is in the form of technology and any other possible modern means of helping.

And these are just the government statistics, not including the help that comes from private agencies.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_g...opment_aid