Space Travel: None of you presented any positive reason for putting people into space. The benefits of GPS and communication satellites are obvious, but can you name any benefit of putting a human into space? (And no, "To see if we can" and "To get better at doing it" are not valid answers. We know we can. And there is no point in getting better at it if it has no other value.)
No one died so that Marla could have GPS. Nothing about any manned space program has been necessary for the benefits generally associated with putting satellites into space.
Claiming "It's rocket science" does not make it "okay". Saying, "We, collectively, aren't smart enough to do this safely" is NOT a reason to do it. It MIGHT be a reason not to do it.
Saying that the counter argument to "spending on space" is "well, you're spending on the military and your car!" is pathetic. Even if your imaginary opponent advocates spending on bullets and cars, that person can probably explain the merits of the bullets and cars -- shooting people and moving people around. If you can't do that for "putting people in space", then you should face that and openly admit you just have "high hopes" that something wonderful will happen if you throw enough money and bodies into space.
(So as to be clear -- I am all for throwing money and bodies into space. But I am not going to claim something wonderful is bound to happen. It's just part of human nature to want to do this -- like it is part of human nature to make war, spread disease, neglect the homeless, and give more money and more attention to already-rich celebrities. People don't belong in space. Putting people in space is insane. But so what.)
Cognitive bias: "We have sent crap into space. Many good things have happened. So sending crap into space is worthwhile (at any price)."
Actually, your discussion of bias was fairly nice.
