Government spendings and budgets are always a point of discussion globally, and their expenditure on discovering life on other planets has forever been under the magnifying glass. There are opposing views on the issue. Is government spending on discovering one of the most revered extraterrestrial questions justified? Let’s try to understand and analyze both point of views.
The proponents of government spendings on alien life discovery would argue that understanding and discovering any alien life in this universe would hep us answer impossible life mysteries, give access to unknown biological knowledge and possibly advanced technologies. All of this might help us find a cure for deadly diseases like cancer, or maybe even a cure for ageing. The possibilities are endless and there is no downside to it.
On the other hand, the critics could not disagree more. The sheer amount of money that governments sometime spend on alien life discovery is beyond any justification, and that too with countless internal problems these governments overlook. The human race has advanced quite a bit over the last few decades, however, we have still not found a solution to world hunger, poverty, and economic disparity. The situtaion has worsened after the covid pandemic, with governments worldwide struggling to keep their economies afloat. All things considered, there are plently of problems that the governments should solve before looking at something which we may never find. Additionally, can anyone guarantee that an alien life would be willing to help or would be an useful enough discovery for the world governments to justify the expenditure?
Chandrayan, the recent moon rover launched by India into outer space is one simple example. India was lauded internationally for successfully developing and launching one of the most efficient, quick, and affordable rovers ever made by humankind. However, there was a decent faction of the society who was against the development and wished the Indian government had used the money to improve the infrastructure or generate additional employment in the country.
Altough, I understand where the proponents of the alien life discoveries are coming from, I believe the problems on this planet deserve more attention and money than discovering alien life. If there is something out there more advanced than us, maybe they are not willing to be found and/or help us in anyway or maybe they are. Whatever the situation might be, the current global scenario could benefit with a larger focus on solving internal problems rather than looking for a needle in the haystack. The needle just might not be the life saving one. For all we know, the needle might be the worl-ending one.