Post by Haku on Dec 5, 2013 7:05:56 GMT
Okay, obviously, my persuasive speech isn't going to come out like this but it's the goal. So if all goes well, assume I managed to say all of this in less than 8 minutes at a good pace, without choking, or forgetting my words. xD
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Why do we explore space? Mostly curiosity. Where did we come from? How was the universe formed? Are there other intelligent life-forms besides ourselves? These are questions that have eluded the human mind for many centuries, but even though our reasons may seem like an emotional plea, space exploration has already benefited society in so many ways: Weather forecasting, communications, energy, housing, human health, food and water, the list goes on.
However, many individuals around the globe insist that Exploring Space is a waste of money. They say that exploring space is nothing but a desire, a hobby, and they say it holds no real value to our lives. I'm here to disprove that. Partly with facts, and then with very credible theories.
First, lets consider how our weather forecasting system has evolved with the invention of satellites that now orbit around our planet. In the past, storms passed by regularly unobserved into inhabited zones. 4,000 lives lost in the Caribbean in 1928 by a hurricane and 1,500 lives in Mexico 1959. Now, with satellites monitoring the weather, compare this to Hurricane Sandy last year, only 286 reported fatalities.
Second, communication. We can communicate much more easily today through technology than before, reducing the costs of travel and time delayed. Our world seems so much smaller these days because we can speak to virtually anyone around the globe through our mobile smartphones, and watch international television. Without today's level of communication, the economy would suffer exponentially. We'd probably become more nationalistic and isolated with little chance of world trade, not to mention airlines would become disconnected from control towers; unable to receive guidance.
Another contribution involves human health, the cardiac pacemaker; a medical device that regulates the beating of the heart to an adequate rate.
Alternative energy sources? Solar Panels, Solar Energy... I could go on and on about all the contributions that space exploration has provided to society, but it would be best saved for another speech. Now that you understand how Space Exploration has already benefited us in so many ways, I feel it is more important that you start thinking about the bigger picture.
So I'll start with asking the audience. Is the earth getting any bigger? Would you say that the earth's resources are limited? Yes, that is why we trade and commerce, to find the optimal use of our limited resources. That is why our race has a history of conflict and wars, because they fought over territory and resources, because our living space is as limited as the goods and services we produce. Now, what happens when a hermit crab outgrows its shell? They search for a new one.
If you can understand this simple analogy, then I'm sure you can understand our position. According to the United Nations Population Division, there are currently over 7 billion human beings inhabiting the earth. And by the 22nd century, there will be over 10 billion. The world population is growing every year, every year we demolish nature in order to build more homes, and every year we are occupying more space in a planet that isn't getting any bigger. It might not be a problem for our generation, but it will for our future generations and we have yet to find a suitable planet capable of sustaining life. When we speak about expanding the human race into the cosmos, it's not a choice, it's the inevitable reality we will all face when the time comes.
But beware, overpopulation is not our only concern. The more we learn about space, the more we realize how small and fragile we are. You look at the earth from the moon's perspective and we're wide open. Meteorites land on earth every day, and although the grand majority are certainly harmless, occasionally bigger ones make their way into our atmosphere.
I'm sure many of you have heard of the Asteroid Theory from your history books in school; it is the popular belief that over 65 million years ago, Dinosaurs became extinct by way of an immense asteroid dubbed Chicxulub that struck the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.
Another one is the Tungunka Event, NASA reports that in 1908, there was an explosion near the Tunguska River in Siberia. The blast flattened and debranched over eighty million trees and killed all of the animals nearby. Although there is no evidence, the most credible theory based on the illustrations of witnesses and the radial pattern of the fallen trees, led scientists to believe that an asteroid had entered the atmosphere and self-destruct in the sky, which is why there was no crater left behind.
But enough about theories, there's a much more recent occasion with actual footage you can find on youtube by searching "Chelyabinsk Meteor." It occurred earlier this year in February 15th; a meteor landed in a city called Chelyabinsk in Russia. According to the Cable News Network, the shockwave produced by what NASA described as "a tiny asteroid" damaged over 3,000 buildings and sent approximately 1,000 citizens to the hospital.
That last event opened many eyes to the very real threat posed by asteroids. What if it were any bigger? What would you do -no, what COULD you do, if you were suddenly faced with a life-threatening meteor entering our atmosphere this very instant?
Our future lies in the stars. Space Exploration improves the quality of our lives and ensures the safety and continuity of the human race. Everything I have told you today probably doesn't even scratch the surface of how monumentally significant and relevant the space effort is. In the end, it all burns down to the future. Space exploration is an investment to humanity, a gift to the future generations. If we were born in this planet, and this planet is part of the milky way, and the milky way is a galaxy, and this galaxy is part of the universe, then we were also born in that universe.
Being an astronaut is not a choice, it is what we are: natural born explorers.
--------------------------------------------------------
Why do we explore space? Mostly curiosity. Where did we come from? How was the universe formed? Are there other intelligent life-forms besides ourselves? These are questions that have eluded the human mind for many centuries, but even though our reasons may seem like an emotional plea, space exploration has already benefited society in so many ways: Weather forecasting, communications, energy, housing, human health, food and water, the list goes on.
However, many individuals around the globe insist that Exploring Space is a waste of money. They say that exploring space is nothing but a desire, a hobby, and they say it holds no real value to our lives. I'm here to disprove that. Partly with facts, and then with very credible theories.
First, lets consider how our weather forecasting system has evolved with the invention of satellites that now orbit around our planet. In the past, storms passed by regularly unobserved into inhabited zones. 4,000 lives lost in the Caribbean in 1928 by a hurricane and 1,500 lives in Mexico 1959. Now, with satellites monitoring the weather, compare this to Hurricane Sandy last year, only 286 reported fatalities.
Second, communication. We can communicate much more easily today through technology than before, reducing the costs of travel and time delayed. Our world seems so much smaller these days because we can speak to virtually anyone around the globe through our mobile smartphones, and watch international television. Without today's level of communication, the economy would suffer exponentially. We'd probably become more nationalistic and isolated with little chance of world trade, not to mention airlines would become disconnected from control towers; unable to receive guidance.
Another contribution involves human health, the cardiac pacemaker; a medical device that regulates the beating of the heart to an adequate rate.
Alternative energy sources? Solar Panels, Solar Energy... I could go on and on about all the contributions that space exploration has provided to society, but it would be best saved for another speech. Now that you understand how Space Exploration has already benefited us in so many ways, I feel it is more important that you start thinking about the bigger picture.
So I'll start with asking the audience. Is the earth getting any bigger? Would you say that the earth's resources are limited? Yes, that is why we trade and commerce, to find the optimal use of our limited resources. That is why our race has a history of conflict and wars, because they fought over territory and resources, because our living space is as limited as the goods and services we produce. Now, what happens when a hermit crab outgrows its shell? They search for a new one.
If you can understand this simple analogy, then I'm sure you can understand our position. According to the United Nations Population Division, there are currently over 7 billion human beings inhabiting the earth. And by the 22nd century, there will be over 10 billion. The world population is growing every year, every year we demolish nature in order to build more homes, and every year we are occupying more space in a planet that isn't getting any bigger. It might not be a problem for our generation, but it will for our future generations and we have yet to find a suitable planet capable of sustaining life. When we speak about expanding the human race into the cosmos, it's not a choice, it's the inevitable reality we will all face when the time comes.
But beware, overpopulation is not our only concern. The more we learn about space, the more we realize how small and fragile we are. You look at the earth from the moon's perspective and we're wide open. Meteorites land on earth every day, and although the grand majority are certainly harmless, occasionally bigger ones make their way into our atmosphere.
I'm sure many of you have heard of the Asteroid Theory from your history books in school; it is the popular belief that over 65 million years ago, Dinosaurs became extinct by way of an immense asteroid dubbed Chicxulub that struck the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico.
Another one is the Tungunka Event, NASA reports that in 1908, there was an explosion near the Tunguska River in Siberia. The blast flattened and debranched over eighty million trees and killed all of the animals nearby. Although there is no evidence, the most credible theory based on the illustrations of witnesses and the radial pattern of the fallen trees, led scientists to believe that an asteroid had entered the atmosphere and self-destruct in the sky, which is why there was no crater left behind.
But enough about theories, there's a much more recent occasion with actual footage you can find on youtube by searching "Chelyabinsk Meteor." It occurred earlier this year in February 15th; a meteor landed in a city called Chelyabinsk in Russia. According to the Cable News Network, the shockwave produced by what NASA described as "a tiny asteroid" damaged over 3,000 buildings and sent approximately 1,000 citizens to the hospital.
That last event opened many eyes to the very real threat posed by asteroids. What if it were any bigger? What would you do -no, what COULD you do, if you were suddenly faced with a life-threatening meteor entering our atmosphere this very instant?
Our future lies in the stars. Space Exploration improves the quality of our lives and ensures the safety and continuity of the human race. Everything I have told you today probably doesn't even scratch the surface of how monumentally significant and relevant the space effort is. In the end, it all burns down to the future. Space exploration is an investment to humanity, a gift to the future generations. If we were born in this planet, and this planet is part of the milky way, and the milky way is a galaxy, and this galaxy is part of the universe, then we were also born in that universe.
Being an astronaut is not a choice, it is what we are: natural born explorers.
