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• 6/13/2010 6:43 AM Ed Scott wrote:
  Ed Lyell,
  
  I have enjoyed your program and very often agree with your comments. I have a BFA degree in film/photography and BSEE with emphasis in computers but never took a course in economics so may try to take your course at Adams one day. I strongly agree that we have to get back to manufacturing things here in America. I took my first renewable energy course in 1975 and have continued that interest over the years. My belief is that a very strong effort to develop and implement renewable energy is the very best way for America to extract itself from its problem - addiction to petroleum, balance of trade, involvement in Middle East wars, Global Warming, etc. America has not one government R&D lab dedicated to renewable energy innovation. We have NASA and talk about sending people to Mars (hugely wasteful of resources with little ROI) but has no comparable overall research institution dedicated to research on Earth problems, of which we have an abundance.
  
  Manned space flight consumes 90% of NASA's budget but produces only 10% of the real science ROI. NASA does manned space flight as a dog-and-pony show to keep the public interested in funding NASA. The smart move would be to double unmanned space exploration budget to 20% of NASA's budget thus increasing science ROI to 180% of what we do now. Then put an extra 10% into advanced robotics to do all space maintenance and exploration robotically. Design satellites, telescopes and etc. to be serviced robotically. This would have industrial spin-off advantages for the nation. Then take the remaining 70% of NASA's budget and apply it to Earth issue research and problem mitigation.
  
  Read Dr. Feynman's report on the Challenger disaster to see the problems with NASA - a bloated, hierarchical and pompous institution. Consider that the Challenger disaster involved managers ignoring engineering concerns for political reasons. Then the Discovery disaster involved managers ignoring engineering concerns to save money. Nothing learned! America badly needs an Earth Research institute. Amazingly 50% of Americans and the Senate do not believe that Global Warming is occurring.
  
  I look forward to your coming programs on KRZA and learning more about economics, a subject I ignored and realize now I need to understand better. You are an excellent instructor. Thanks so much for your efforts.
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• 5/31/2011 6:03 PM Jace wrote:
  The forum is a brihgter place thanks to your posts. Thanks!
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• 5/31/2011 10:53 PM Latrice wrote:
  The forum is a brighter place thkans to your posts. Thanks!
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