Although the money costs are simply astronomical, I think this the least serious side of the matter. I think the manpower and facilities requirements are more serious. If we put the suggested effort into the space program we will simply have to curtail certain other scientific activities. Such is the glamour of this field that we will, moreover, have a generation of young men largely headed for the moon, so to speak, rather than headed for a wide range of other scientific careers. I especially deplore the major emphasis upon the physical sciences, to the extent that this must unhappily involve a diminution of effort on the biological and medical sciences. It is of course intellectually important that we gain more knowledge about the universe in which we live. But the fact is that a very large fraction of the scientific data which we need to collect in space and bring back down to the earth can be collected by purely electrical and mechanical packages of equipment and can, through the marvels of modern telemetry and radio, be returned to listening and recording devices on the earth. The total cost of this kind of experimentation, although substantial, is small indeed as compared with the costs of attempting to put men on the moon and, eventually, even on the more distant planets. It is this frantic and to me rather cheaply dramatic aspect of the space program that seems primarily objectionable. The sum of $30 billion, which is undoubtedly an underestimate of the total cost of "putting a man on the moon," is a sum so large that the ordinary human being can simply not grasp its magnitude. It was for that reason that Ĭ wrote a short article (in Saturday Review, Aug. 4, 1962) to point out what alternative things could be done with $30 billion. With that sum one could give a 10 percent raise in salary, over a 10-year period, to every teacher in the United States from kindergarten through universities (about $9.8 billion required); could give $10 million each to 200 of the better smaller colleges ($2 billion required); could finance 7-year fellowships (freshman through Ph. D.) at $4,000 per person per year for 50,000 new scientists and engineers ($1.4 billion required); could contribute $200 million each toward the creation of 10 new medical schools ($2 billion required); could build and largely endow complete universities with liberal arts, medical, engineering, and agricultural faculties for all 53 of the nations which have been added to the United Nations since its original founding ($13.2 billion required); could create three more permanent Rockefeller Foundations ($1.5 billion required); and one would still have left $100 million for a program of informing the public about science. I want to emphasize that I am sure that the individuals who are energetically sponsoring the U.S. space efforts are competent and sincere and patriotic individuals. But I do not think that the magnitude and character of this effort is justified on scientific grounds alone, and I have in fact never discussed this matter with any responsible and experienced scientist in the United States who has not agreed with the general views which I have here expressed. (The biography of Dr. Weaver follows:) DR. WARREN WEAVER, VICE PRESIDENT, ALFRED P. SLOAN FOUNDATION Born Reedsburg, Wis., July 17, 1894; s. Isaiah and Kittie Belle (Stupfell) W.; B.S., U. of Wis., 1916, C.E., 1917, Ph.D., 1921, L.L.D., 1948; Sc.D., U. of Sao Paulo (Brazil), 1949; m. Mary Hemenway, Sept. 4, 1919; children—Warren, Helen Hemenway, Asst. prof. math., Throop Coll., 1917-18, Calif. Inst. Tech., 1919-20: asst. prof mathematics, U. of Wis., 1920–25, asso. prof., 1925-28, prof. and chmn. dept., 1928-32; lecturer U. Chicago, summer 1928; dir. div. of natural sciences, Gen. Edn. Bd., 1932–37; dir. div. of natural sciences Rockefeller Foundation, 1932-55, vice pres. for natural and medical sciences, 1955-59. Chairman basic research group Research and Development Board, Department of Defense, 1952-53. Served as 2d It. Air Service, 1917-19; chmn. Section D-2, 1940-42, chief of applied mathematics panel Nat. defense research committee of Office of Scientific Research and Development, 1943-46; chmn., Naval research adv. com., 1946-47; mem. War Dept. Research Adv. Panel 1946-47; mem. adv. com. on Grants, Research Corp., 1947-51; mem. bd. sci. consultants, Sloan-Kettering Institute on Cancer Research, 1951–54; trustee Sloan-Kettering Institute, 1954—, chmn. com. on sci. policy, 1955–59; mem. exec. com., 1956—, v. p., 1958–58; mem. research council Pub. Health Research Inst. City of N.Y., 1951–57; mem. nat. sci. bd. Nat. Sci. Found., 1956–60; trustee Alfred P. Sloan Found., 1956—, v. p., 1959—, mem. exec. com., 1956—, nat. adv. cancer council USPÍS, 1957—; member, vice chairman, member executive committee Health Research Council New York City, 1958-; bd. mgrs. Meml. Center for Cancer and Allied Diseases, 1958-59; vice chmn. bd., chmn. com. sci. policy Meml. Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1960-; mem. exec. com., mgr. Meml. Hosp. Cancer and Allied Diseases, 1959. Asso. trustee U. Pa.; trustee Acad. Religioa and Mental Health. Awarded King's medal for Service in Cause of Freedom, 1948; U.S. medal for Merit; Officer, Legion of Honor (France), 1950; Pub. Welfare medal, Nat. Acad. Scis., 1957. Fellow Am. Acad. Arts and Scis., A.A.A.S. (ret. pres., chmn. bd. 1955), American Physical Soc.; mem. American Math. Soc., Math. Assn. Am., Am. Phiols. Soc. (councillor), Am. Soc. Naturalists, Am. Soc. for Symbolic Logic, Council on Library Resources (director 1956-59); mem. Nat. Research Council Div. Phys. Scis., 1936-39; 1944-47. Corr. mem. Chr. Michelsens Institutt, Bergen, Norway, Phi Kappa Sigma, Tau Beta Pi, Sigma Xi. Presbyn. Clubs: Cosmos; Century (N.Y.C). Author: The Electromagnetic Field (with Max Mason), 1929; co-author: Elementary Mathematical Analysis, 1925; the Mathematical Theory of Communication (with C. E. Shannon) 1949. Editor: The Scientists Speak, 1947. Contbr. papers on math. research in sci. jours. and on gen. aspects of sci. in gen. jours. Home: Second Hill, R.R. 3, New Milford, Conn. Office: Alfred P. Sloan Found., 630 Fifth Av., N.Y.C. 20, N.Y. INDEX A Abelson, Philip Hauge, Director, Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie In- stitute of Washington and editor of Science: Biography--- Discussion on Senator Smith's questions. General testimony-- Letter to Senator Anderson_ Prepared statement.. Acceleration. Advisory committees. tion, advisory committees; scientists, advice to Government; Space Air pollution problem Page 3, 4 13 3-9 13 (See National Aeronautics and Space Administra- Air Force (see also Department of Defense). Alouette, topside sounder satellite___ American Association for the Advancement of Science. American Physical Society. 64, 65, 67, 68, 80 238 3 147 147 1 Anderson, Senator Clinton P. 9-12, 34-39, 49, 55, 56, 59, 60, 69-74, 87, 88, 94-96, 102-105, 115, 1, 241, 242 243 Opening statement on purpose of hearings. Scientists to be included in later missions_- 247 241, 242 5, 33, 35, 41, 44, 84, 90, 116, 117 Space Science Board, memo, SSB-264, April 20, 1962. 78, 94, 96, 110, 111, 122, 142, 180, 183, 185-189, 223-235, 55, 56, 106, 154, 163, 166, 169, 176, 177, 182, 216 181 Biography.. Balloons, 107, 153, 180 Berkner, Dr. Lloyd V., president, Graduate Research Center of the South- west: Discussion on Senator Smith's questions. General testimony. 104-105 Prepared statement_ 105-115 13, 32, 55, 73-80, 91, 111, 113, 114, 123, 124, 131, 132, 182, 183 238 101 Committee on Science and Public Policy, National Academy of Sciences - - Compilation of optical tracking station list_ Meetings and symposia Committee on Undersea Warfare, National Academy of Sciences.. Communication satellites. - 239, 240 239 208-212, 238-240 New numbering system for space launches_ 239 238 103 5, 43, 44, 107, 116, 117, 146, 180, 242 129 240 154 239 174-178 Congressional hearings, use to obtain scientific advice on programs. Corning Glass Co., development of fused quartz techniques.. Cospar. (See Committee on Space Research). Cospar International Reference Atmosphere (CIRA). Du Bridge, Dr. Lee A., president, California Institute of Technology: 21, 44-46, 54, 60, 65, 68, 71, 109, 112, 113, 155–157, 164, 165, 169 171-174, 178, 230, 231, 248. Effect of space program. 125, 156, 157, 164, 169, 172 Secondary |