Manned space exploration is not unique in that regard. Any field of research will lead to new ideas and new technologies if we throw enough money at it.

You don't need to put people into space to study astronomy. There is nothing that a person can do in space that a robot can't do better.

Plenty of species managed to survive the last rock from space. If birds and crocodiles managed to survive, then humans have a good chance, too. No matter what catastrophe you can imagine happening to Earth, there is no way other planets in the solar system would be more suitable to life.

Why? If an AI can be created that can do a better job running the world than human governments do, why shouldn't we let it? And honestly, doing a better job than human run governments isn't setting that high of a bar.

That falls into the first category. Using a computer program to govern society is no longer the mind-blowing concept that it once was in 1942.

Foundation might have been ground breaking and original when it was written. But its best ideas have either been adapted by other science fiction (Look! A city-planet, just like Coruscant!) or rendered quaint by the progress of technology (A handheld calculator! How amazing!). HBO has had success adapting contemporary fantasy, they should try adapting some contemporary science fiction.

Most movies and TV shows take place in a universe where the only sentient beings are humans from Earth.

"Social Justice Warrior" is a sarcastic label. No one actually calls themselves that.

Your definition also includes gas giants and possible even planets Earth-like planets. Consider that most of Earth's matter is engaged in Brownian motion except for the solid core and thin outer crust.

Note that your wedding wasn't really cheap, you just spread out your costs through expected reciprocal obligations. The biggest cost is that you'll be expected to continue giving 10% of your income to the Church for the rest of your life. At future weddings, you'll be the one expected to provide food, cash, gifts, etc. You probably consider your tithe and participation in your community barter economy to be a sunk cost, so it seems like a good deal. But from a outsider view, you're actually spending a whole lot more than someone who just rents a banquet hall and hires a caterer.

I was trying to provide a broad overview and I don't disagree with your minor corrections. But there's still nothing about BRIBES.

Fossil fuels sustain life. Without heat, millions would freeze. Without fuel to operate machinery, modern agriculture would be impossible and billions would starve.

Almonds, though? You can live without almonds. We definitely don't need use a trillion gallons of water each year to grow almonds in a desert during a drought.

The Citizens United decision has nothing to do with bribes. In 2004, Citizens United (the group) wanted to block Micheal Moore's anti-Bush movie from being advertised during an election. The FEC rejected that, ruling that documentaries were protected by the first ammendment. So in 2008, Citizens United made an anti-Hillary movie and started to advertise it during an election. They were quickly struck down by FEC, who were then struck done by the Supreme Court. If you're such a "staunch defender of the near-absoluteness of the first amendment", how can you honestly say that Micheal Moore (and Miramax films) can make a political documentary, but other people (and corporations) can't?

Huge amounts of water, compared to what? Total US fracking water use is 70 to 140 billion gallons per year.

http://www.sourcewatch.org/ind...

California almond farms use 1.1 TRILLION gallons of water per year.

http://www.slate.com/articles/...

You seem to operating under the assumption that the only insights that are valid are those that can be supported by per reason. Is there no music in your world? No art? If someone smokes some weed and writes a song, is that song less valid that one that's written sober?