Jacob Aron, reporter
To borrow an oft-repeated phrase from the Star Wars universe: they got a bad feeling about this. The White House has declined to build a Death Star - the fictional planet-destroying space station that features in the Star Wars film series - but has taken the opportunity to inspire a new generation of scientists.
The request for a Death Star appeared on 14 November on the White House's We the People website, which allows anyone to set up a petition and promises to respond to those that receive enough support. The petition, which got more than 34,000 signatures, suggests that construction of a Death Star could "spur job creation in the fields of construction, engineering, space exploration, and more, and strengthen our national defense".
Now the White House has posted a good-natured response. Paul Shawcross, chief of White House budget office's science and space branch, writes:
The Administration shares your desire for job creation and a strong national defense, but a Death Star isn't on the horizon.
Reasonably, Shawcross cites the lack of US support for blowing up planets, plus the high cost - estimated at close to $1?quintillion - of the Death Star as reasons for rejecting the project. He also points out the station is already known to have a fatal flaw, as demonstrated by one Luke Skywalker (in the original Star Wars, he destroys the Death Star by exploiting a loophole in its design).
Shawcross uses the petition to highlight the success of the US's existing space projects, including the International Space Station, the Mars Curiosity rover and the exoplanet-hunting Kepler telescope.
He also plugs the benefits of working in science or technology as a means of "ensuring the United States continues leading the world in doing big things".
If you do pursue a career in a science, technology, engineering or math-related field, the Force will be with us!
memorial day ivan rodriguez planetary resources mothers day gift ideas natalee holloway scotty mccreery megan fox pregnant
No comments:
Post a Comment