This morning I watched a bit of the "Fact or Faked" episode where they tried to replicate the moon landing. And I found myself once again pondering a question that's downright heretical in some circles: so what?
It has been well established that the government had, in the parlance of murder investigations, the means, motive, and opportunity to fake the moon landing. It is at least credible to suspect that the moon landing was faked. (Credible enough for the Mythbusters to take it on!) And given the circumstances at the time, it's frankly more plausible that the landing was faked than that we actually launched a successful moon mission.
Personally, I'm convinced that the moon landing was real. But I respect the opinions of those who believe otherwise, because it's certainly plausible.
But again I ask… so what?
Let's assume for the moment that the moon landings were faked.
So what?
Our space program clearly continued to proceed. I don't hear anyone grumbling that the ISS is fake, or the Hubble telescope, or the Mars rovers. The moon continues to exist. We either went there or we didn't. What does it matter either way?
I suspect a lot of people cling to their belief that the landing was fake because it cements their overall world view, which is that no government agency is ever to be trusted. That's fine, I suppose, although it's a somewhat limiting way to live your life. And even if it turns out to be true, so what?
If NASA made a public announcement today that they had faked the whole thing, would you like to know what would change? Not a single thing. The world would keep spinning, the dishes would still need washing, and you would still have to figure out what to have for dinner tonight.
The conspiracy theorists have really been coming out of the woodwork with the end of NASA's space flight program, and recent announcements that we will never return to the moon. They assume that it's to cover up the fact that we never went there in the first place (i.e. that we would land and NOT find footprints, a discarded feather, and the other signs of former American occupation).
There is one way in which their closely-held beliefs may be valuable: if they spur someone to encourage or develop private space flight. Private space flight is clearly going to be the way to go, and the X Prize brings that goal a little closer every day.
In other words, why not figure out a way to get up there and see for yourself?
It has been well established that the government had, in the parlance of murder investigations, the means, motive, and opportunity to fake the moon landing. It is at least credible to suspect that the moon landing was faked. (Credible enough for the Mythbusters to take it on!) And given the circumstances at the time, it's frankly more plausible that the landing was faked than that we actually launched a successful moon mission.
Personally, I'm convinced that the moon landing was real. But I respect the opinions of those who believe otherwise, because it's certainly plausible.
But again I ask… so what?
Let's assume for the moment that the moon landings were faked.
So what?
Our space program clearly continued to proceed. I don't hear anyone grumbling that the ISS is fake, or the Hubble telescope, or the Mars rovers. The moon continues to exist. We either went there or we didn't. What does it matter either way?
I suspect a lot of people cling to their belief that the landing was fake because it cements their overall world view, which is that no government agency is ever to be trusted. That's fine, I suppose, although it's a somewhat limiting way to live your life. And even if it turns out to be true, so what?
If NASA made a public announcement today that they had faked the whole thing, would you like to know what would change? Not a single thing. The world would keep spinning, the dishes would still need washing, and you would still have to figure out what to have for dinner tonight.
The conspiracy theorists have really been coming out of the woodwork with the end of NASA's space flight program, and recent announcements that we will never return to the moon. They assume that it's to cover up the fact that we never went there in the first place (i.e. that we would land and NOT find footprints, a discarded feather, and the other signs of former American occupation).
There is one way in which their closely-held beliefs may be valuable: if they spur someone to encourage or develop private space flight. Private space flight is clearly going to be the way to go, and the X Prize brings that goal a little closer every day.
In other words, why not figure out a way to get up there and see for yourself?