Originally Posted by festivalnut

but the panama canal has an instant and recognisable cash benefit for the massive outlay, while space exploration sadly does not, now if the moon was full of unobtainium... :P

Originally Posted by Dollyknot

The decor for some people has more importance for some folk than the context.

Are you aware of the difference between 'top down' thinking and 'bottom up' thinking?

Or perhaps you think 'thinking' has no verticality of direction?

Originally Posted by rpgAmazon

Of course hasn't.
Thoughts, by nature, expands in cloud shape, no way to direct it.
Why are you supposing directionality in the essence of human think?
How arrogant that assertion is, how can you introduce a concept obviously pointing to deterministic theories which only can result in failure?

Originally Posted by Dollyknot

Plz try to imagine we are having this debate after http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_de_Lessepshad had succeeded with building the Suez canal, but failed at trying to build the Panama canal.

And before the Americans had a try, imagine yourself standing before the American establishment and trying to raise the capital?

Originally Posted by festivalnut

Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. Please search for Ferdinand de Lessepshad in Wikipedia to check for alternative titles or spellings.... good link!

and the search for alternative spellings failed too, forgive me for not immediately addressing the issues of advanced space flight with my mind in a previous century with a timescale referenced by a persons efforts i know little about. my bad!

Originally Posted by Dollyknot

So you disagree with the idea that once an elephants trunk started to grow due to evolution, it had an inherent teleology then?

Originally Posted by Dollyknot

The high cost to the human race's colonisation of space is caused by the complexity and danger of reaching and leaving escape velocity within the earth's atmosphere.[...]