Why bother exploring the Moon or Mars? Why bother collecting space dust or sending probes to the outer reaches of the solar system?
Aren't astronauts and other enthusiasts just dreaming when they expect to find life? Aren't they kidding themselves by denying the fact that despite the good chance of life existing on other planets, the chance of us ever encountering any is prectically zero?
Even if we were able to reach near light speed, wouldn't it still take years to reach anywhere of significance (and then you've gotta think about how to slow down...). Is this a result of a generation bought up on Star Trek and Star Wars where gravity is turned on and off at will and spaceships can leap into lightspeed and back down again in a matter of seconds?
Or is it an expression of the nature of the human spirit - curious, ambitious, always seeking answers and learning to understand our surroundings...
