Exploration: Space vs. Ocean

[durbster]

Is there any reason we put significantly more resources into exploring space than our own oceans?

I heard the point raised on an old episode of The Infinite Monkey Cage and it does seem completely illogical when you think about it. Almost every time we explore a new part of the ocean we find something new, whereas space exploration hasn't really offered a comparable return on investment. Despite this, we still seem obsessed with looking up rather than down.

Is it too technically challenging, an emotional or cultural thing, or is it just that the sea is reasonably predictable whereas space offers more potential to surprise us?

I must admit, I do find space exploration far more exciting but I can't really explain why.

[Tonsko]

I'd argue that the difficulty of space exploration and the solutions needed has offered far more technological advancement than oceans. That's not to denigrate oceanic exploration, but that's my layman's view.

[Eric Mc]

Do both.

[mondeoman]

Oceans are harder - the engineering challenges are greater in terms of dealing with the pressure and lack of visibility.

[MartG]

There are a lot more resources ( energy, metal ores, etc. ) available in space than there is under the sea, though of course some undersea resources are already being tapped they are limited - and engineering something to withstand the pressure in the deep ocean along with the saltwater environment is quite difficult

[annodomini2]

durbster said:

Is there any reason we put significantly more resources into exploring space than our own oceans?

I heard the point raised on an old episode of The Infinite Monkey Cage and it does seem completely illogical when you think about it. Almost every time we explore a new part of the ocean we find something new, whereas space exploration hasn't really offered a comparable return on investment. Despite this, we still seem obsessed with looking up rather than down.

Is it too technically challenging, an emotional or cultural thing, or is it just that the sea is reasonably predictable whereas space offers more potential to surprise us?

I must admit, I do find space exploration far more exciting but I can't really explain why.

Because it's simply much more expensive to explore space, if you want to do it, then it will cost more.

Yes we don't know everything about the oceans, but in contrast to some statements, the reality is we do know less about space than the oceans.

There is much more advancement to be made in space, we've been sailing since before pre-history, we've been in space less than 60years.

I think this is what make it more interesting, the relative freshness of the capability.

[Eric Mc]

Which perhaps shows you get more scientific return for your investment in space than you do grubbing about on the ocean bottom?

[MartG]

Comsats don't work underwater

[Simpo Two]

Lots of photos of the ocean?

[Caruso]

I'm not sure we have put more money into exploring space if you count the amount of money spent on sub sea oil & gas exploration and recovery?

[Simpo Two]

Caruso said:

I'm not sure we have put more money into exploring space if you count the amount of money spent on sub sea oil & gas exploration and recovery?

One is blue-sky (black sky to be accurate) expenditure whilst oil and gas exploration is carefully calculated investment for profit.

Maybe the Chinese are secretly building cities under the ocean?

[Eric Mc]

If it was only a matter of "return on investment" we'd still be in caves.

[Simpo Two]

PW said:

A lot of "space" expenditure is carefully calculated investment for profit - SpaceX for example, GPS, communications...

I excluded comms satellites because he said 'exploring space'.

[durbster]

Eric Mc said:

If it was only a matter of "return on investment" we'd still be in caves.

Just to clarify, I didn't intend that phrase to mean financial only. It was more what we have learnt against the time, effort and money put in.

[Shaolin]

Maybe part of it is that space provides a better visual experience and it's all more exiting with big loud rockets almost exploding but not quite.

Going underwater, the visibility is always going to be a bit crap, not able to see more than about 10-20m from the sub. Dropping a submersible into grey swirling water is hardly as exciting as a rocket launch.

[RacerMDR]

If we were to build under sea cities, would they be a safe haven in the event of nuclear war? Or natural disaster such as another massive meteor strike?

Would the vast water barrier protect us fragile humans from such an event?

If I were a government I think I'd be looking down as well as up. Surely as long as oxygen exists, we could survive under the ocean?

[MartG]

RacerMDR said:

If we were to build under sea cities, would they be a safe haven in the event of nuclear war? Or natural disaster such as another massive meteor strike?

Would the vast water barrier protect us fragile humans from such an event?

Nope - in some ways worse than being on the surface due to the massive pressure wave you'd get from a nuke or meteorite strike

[RobM77]

It's a really good point. I think a large part of space exploration in the past has been an advertisement for a country's scientific prowess, cold war posturing, and moral of the people. The average guy in the street is more interested and captivated by space exploration than deep sea exploration. Part of this has to be because space is going somewhere totally new, whereas exploring the deep oceans is filling in the gaps.

Personally, my heart's in both. I studied Astrophysics at Uni and have always been captivated by space travel. However, I very nearly took the biology route instead of physics though and love the natural world, and since Uni I've got into scuba diving. As Eric Mc says, it's nice to have both

With regard to exploring the deep oceans, it amazes me how much we've yet to discover about our planet. Did anyone see the news report the other week of a new species of tarantula 20cm across in Sri Lanka? It's amazing that something the size of a dinner plate has been scuttling around without us ever cataloguing it.