Why explore the unknowns (space and deep sea) when the knowns ( health, education e.t.c.) are yet to be solved?
Why explore the stars and seas when suffering dwells in our homes?
The very first time I saw the amount of money governments spend on deep sea and space research, I was very furious, disappointed and also honestly, very annoyed. This is because it seems very illogical to me as to why they will spend that amount of money just on that whereas people here on Earth struggle to get a meal, to access a good healthcare and even to get properly educated, all these which are basic human needs.
But even if such research is necessary, do you think a country like Nigeria should be involved in doing this act at least in this point of our growth?
One thing I know about science is that scientists go at length in getting things done because of the curiosity spell It casts, lol. Under-developed countries and developing countries should be focusing more on maintaining the Earth and her citizens, there are lots of work to be done to make life habitable for their citizens ranging from our shabby healthcare system, our educational infrastructure down to the availability of basic needs and amenities (I mean, all these affects us directly and immediately) rather than research on deep sea and space which I'm sure curiosity will drag scientists from developed countries to come and do just with our permission.
I am never saying that research into space or the deep sea is a waste of investment, nah! That's not the point because many of the things that make our lives bearable and fun were discovered from those research... The MRI machine that is currently helping us with many diagnosis just to mention but a few. But it's just that when you try to logically arrange our needs based on the scale of preference, you see that space and deep sea exploration will be down the chain.
In summary, while I may argue that there's law of relativity where the ecosystem of the deep sea and space will invariably affect our lives on Earth, I still would be of the opinion that the big chunk of the money goes to Land or Earth where our immediate habitat and needs are.
No one lives in space, no one lives in deep sea, so why make preference to there over here? Isn't that a clear picture of what misplaced priorities are?
Thanks for reading and have a nice day ahead 👍