Submitted by Master Shake (not verified) on Wed, 07/02/2008 - 18:28.
"The X prize generated a solution that ought to embarrass NASA."
-Not really. NASA isn't in the business of flying rich people into space. Prizes like this should remain private sector initiatives. Putting up $300 million in tax money for a battery contest is idiotic. The money, of course, would be much better spent on development grants and tax credits. Most people need research money up front
"For extra credit, name some major technological development that originated with government. Penicillin? Telegraph? Railroads? Automobile? Radio? Transistor? Internet? anything????"
-You must be retarded. Perhaps you should read up on your history. The internet did, in fact, originate with government. So did the the human genome project, almost every medical advancement in the last 50 years (NIH-sponsored research), the Manhattan project, the discovery of the AIDS virus, the ENIAC computer. The list goes on and on. Flemming discovered penicillin while working for a Hospital in London, which are Government-funded. Every University gets a huge chunk of its research funding from Government grants. Medical and biotechnology research would grind to a halt without Government funding.
McCain's brainchild is one of the most ridiculous ideas ever put forth by a politician. To call it a "gimmick" is being way too nice.
Response to stupid comments
"The X prize generated a solution that ought to embarrass NASA."
-Not really. NASA isn't in the business of flying rich people into space. Prizes like this should remain private sector initiatives. Putting up $300 million in tax money for a battery contest is idiotic. The money, of course, would be much better spent on development grants and tax credits. Most people need research money up front
"For extra credit, name some major technological development that originated with government. Penicillin? Telegraph? Railroads? Automobile? Radio? Transistor? Internet? anything????"
-You must be retarded. Perhaps you should read up on your history. The internet did, in fact, originate with government. So did the the human genome project, almost every medical advancement in the last 50 years (NIH-sponsored research), the Manhattan project, the discovery of the AIDS virus, the ENIAC computer. The list goes on and on. Flemming discovered penicillin while working for a Hospital in London, which are Government-funded. Every University gets a huge chunk of its research funding from Government grants. Medical and biotechnology research would grind to a halt without Government funding.
McCain's brainchild is one of the most ridiculous ideas ever put forth by a politician. To call it a "gimmick" is being way too nice.