<Benefits of the Space Station

Quotes:

"Now with a permanent human presence in space aboard the International Space Station, the practical benefits to mankind are almost infinite." [As are the costs.]

"....combustion, which accounts for approximately 85 percent of the world's energy usage, .... The testing of combustion aboard the International Space Station will help humans deal better with the problems of pollutants, atmospheric change and global warming, unwanted fires and explosions, and the incineration of hazardous wastes...." [Fire was invented by astronauts, really!]

"Aboard the International Space Station the field of fundamental physics has a grand opportunity. [mapping of] gravitational waves .... to develop new, more precise atomic clocks." [I just looked at my watch, it's oh 5 o'clock, no wait, it's 4:59 pm, no wait, 4:59 and 46 seconds, wait, wait, it was 4:59 and 46.3453453452423445687987 seconds. Yeah, just about quittin time.]

"...aboard the orbiting laboratories of the International Space Station protein crystals can be grown to almost perfection. This will allow the development of more pure pharmaceutical drugs, foods and an assortment of other crystalline-based products including insulin for diabetes patients." [It is a little-known fact that astronauts invented food, insulin, and an assortment of crystalline drugs including crack.]

"The ability to understand the Earth and its environmental response to natural and human-induced variations such as air quality, climate, land use, food production as well as ocean and fresh water health are some of the benefits expected from Earth science research aboard the International Space Station. The astronauts onboard, their work and the instruments used will provide a "window on the world", enabling scientists to monitor and understand the factors affecting quality of life." [Factors affecting quality of life... like unemployment? In know exactly how they can study that problem! Guess how!]

"the International Space Station will assist in answering some very basic scientific questions in a different environment. For example, what is the role of gravity in the processes of biological evolution? " [oo ooh!!! I know !!! Gravity keeps us from floating away into space where we'd all die !! Yay!]

"...the International Space Station will lead to .... new lower-cost building construction techniques." [ !!! ]