isc0003@discg1.UUCP (John L. Guy) (07/18/89)
In article <26383@agate.BERKELEY.EDU>, web@garnet.berkeley.edu (William Baxter) writes: > > Over 133 thousand people had arthroscopic surgery on their knee in the > US in 1987. Ten years ago this surgery involved a hospital stay and > small chance of a full recovery. Now it is an outpatient procedure, > with most patients walking the next day. Much of the advance in this > surgery is due to the frequency of knee injury in the NFL. > > Does this mean that Congress should appropriate billions of dollars to > support the NFL in order to benefit those in need of this surgery, or > that the spinoff argument is absurd? > If the "spinoff argument" is that space spinoffs justify the space program, then, yes, the argument IS absurd. If, however, one argues that the space program was without practical value, then that argument is also absurd. The space program is justified by the completion of its prescribed missions. The "spinoff argument" should merely be, that if one requires PRACTICAL results to "justify" something, then look at the multitude of spinoffs beyond the scope of mission accomplishment. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * JOHN L. GUY (AV 442) 215/697-6732 /\ * * Defense Industrial Supply Center / \ * * DISC-SPQ / /\ \ * * 700 Robbins Avenue / / \/ * * Philadelphia, PA 19111-5096 __ / / ____ * * / / / / /_ / * * {bpa,osu-cis!dsacg1}!discg1!isc0003 / /___/ /____/ / * * {OPINIONS ARE MINE! ALL MINE!} /______________ / * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *