Asri-unix.644 net.space utcsrgv!utzoo!decvax!duke!chico!harpo!mhtsa!ihnss!cbosg!teklabs!ucbcad!ARPAVAX:C70:sri-unix!POURNE@MIT-MC Tue Jan 26 02:12:27 1982 Cage Shaking "THERE REMAIN those enterprises of such great value to all, and of so little value to any one, as to require public investment." Adam Smith, THE WEALTH OF NATIONS What institution has the task of looking ahead twenty years? Surely not investment combines; stock companies usually look at the quarterly report. Families once worried about the future, but the Government as a matter of policy has ruined the family (death taxes) as a long-term institution. So: if it's desirable to have basic research and find out if we're alone in the universe and whether or not there are resources out there--who is going to do it? ----------------------------------------------------------------- gopher://quux.org/ conversion by John Goerzen of http://communication.ucsd.edu/A-News/ This Usenet Oldnews Archive article may be copied and distributed freely, provided: 1. There is no money collected for the text(s) of the articles. 2. The following notice remains appended to each copy: The Usenet Oldnews Archive: Compilation Copyright (C) 1981, 1996 Bruce Jones, Henry Spencer, David Wiseman.