Re: NASA Mars mission funding - better spent on paleo?

[Dann Pigdon <dannj@alphalink.com.au>]

There are many people who would argue that money 'wasted' on a discipline like
palaeontology would be better spent elsewhere! It's not like palaeontology will
ever find a cure for HIV, or prevent people from dying from malnutrition (unless
you're a poor farmer who digs up and sells fossils illegally, which the
palaeo-crowd frowns upon).

Look at it this way; you are on an aeroplane. The pilot and co-pilot both
collapse into unconsciousness for some unknown reason. One of the flight crew
asks "is there a doctor onboard, or anyone who knows how to fly a plane?"
Someone stands up and says "I have a doctorate in palaeontology, and although I
can't fly a plane, I'm really good at cladistic analyses!" Would anyone onboard
feel relieved? :)

Palaeontology seems to be one of those 'curiosity' desciplines (like
archaeology, astronomy or history), which can all discover fascinating things
about the past, but are all some-what lacking in practical benefits to society.
We should feel lucky we get any funding at all.

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Dann Pigdon
GIS / Archaeologist              Http://geo_cities.com/dannsdinosaurs
Melbourne, Australia             http://heretichides.soffiles.com
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