Why Manned Space Travel Is Necessary

Ask ten different scientists about the environment, population control, genetics - and you'll get ten different answers. But there's one thing every scientist on the planet agrees on: whether it happens in a hundred years, or a thousand years, or a million years, eventually our sun will grow cold, and go out. When that happens, it won't just take us, it'll take Marilyn Monroe, and Lao-tsu, Einstein, Morobuto, Buddy Holly, Aristophanes - all of this. All of this was for nothing, unless we go to the stars.

-Babylon 5, Infection

I don't think it was all for nothing, exactly, but I think it's an excellent point.

(no subject)

What's more annoying than spending an hour on the phone putting impossibly complicated travel plans that may involve driving 100 miles to catch a plane and the prospect spending Valentine's day on airplanes and in airports? Why, drafting a long LJ entry about it, then losing it completely because the database is read-only, that's what!