There is no other reason to go to space than pure curiosity - see what's out there; it might be worth lots of money, it might just make "us" smarter, it might kill us all. We don't know and we never will if we don't try.

In 1492 some ships left Europe to see what was on the other side of the ocean. It might be India, it might be oblivion, it might be nothing. We just don't know. A large part of the Portuguese gentry railed against the voyage of Christopher Columbus - "it's a waste of time", "nothing good can come from this", "we can spend this money better here at home", "God will kill us all for this", etc... The voyage was taken however, and it's really worked out quite well for everyone* you know - and that's the idea behind good science; to do something and see what happens. To push the big red button!

Whining about the small amount of money spent on science is really gay. It's statements like that, and the people that make them, that enable the BBG's (Bush, Blair, Gordon) of the world to rise to power. It's really quite sad.

* Does not include natives, heretics, or anyone remotely brown.