Katie Couric's Notebook: To The Moon
October 4, 2006
In today's Notebook, Katie remembers the dawn of the space age, with the launch of Sputnik on this date -- and wonders if all the money for space exploration has been well spent.

Today, Oct 4, is the 49th anniversary of Sputnik 1's launch. I just had the misfortune to watch the CBS Evening News (which, for our non-US members, is arguably the most venerable major TV newscast in the US; it's the one that had Walter Cronkite & Robert A. Heinlein cover Apollo 11's landing) and listen to the new anchor, Katie Couric, complain during an editorial about the size of the NASA budget and rehash that tired old saw about "money being better spent on the ground".

Sorry to be the bearer of this, but it's just another reason why those of us UMSFers in a position to educate and enlighten--which is all of us, really, to some degree--should never, ever give up. Not once did she mention weather sats, comsats, fundamental breakthroughs in science & technology, etc...keep fighting the good fight!!!!

[EDIT] Emily, are you out there? Do you suppose TPS could do something to edify Ms. Couric, such as a meeting (ideally) or a point paper? In fact, Mr. Cronkite is a well-known space aficianado and still one of the most respected public figures in America; any way at all to get in touch with him & ask him to do a guest editorial on CBS News? (They'd definitely let him, I'm sure!)

I merged the two topics but did it in reverse. I intended for yours to be the lead, nprev. Sorry.

No prob, Alex; thanks for the quick action! I sent a message to Emily as well; this really needs to be addressed, IMHO.

FYI, her editorial is already getting radio play on some of the LA talk news stations...not good, esp. in a US election year.

Just off the top of my head, one might note that Katie Couric is a very visible supporter of colorectal cancer treatment and prevention. Maybe someone could trace the development of the colonoscope and see how (and if) space technology had any effect. That might hit home with her and CBS more than, say, weather satellites (Hurrican Katrina), aircraft safety, etc.

Excellent suggestion, Alex.

I still think that we should draft Uncle Walter somehow...gonna go surfing after this & see if he has a Web presence. The man is a demigod at CBS, after all...he's almost literally the Chuck Yeager of television journalism, named via multiple polls as "the most trusted man in America", and he would certainly be capable of gently yet firmly refuting this outrage.

[EDIT] Rats. I did find a snailmail address, but that's it:

Mr. Walter Cronkite
51 West 52nd Street.
New York, NY 10019

Still, I'll write to him. Also, it's quite possible that he might have seen Couric's editorial...one might hope that he would share our dismay... In any case, I can't think of a worse moment for a major TV journalist than when s/he hears "I told Walter Cronkite on you!"

[EDIT YET AGAIN]: Forgot Doug was glogging!!! Doug, man, please, pick up on this & tell Emily!!! Trust me here from a PR perspective: this issue cannot be taken lightly, especially again because this is a US election year, the political climate is unsettled, & the Federal coffers are running dry for a variety of reasons. US spaceflight is an easy target for perceptually inflated expenditure savings, and the fire has to be put out before it starts...after is just too late. It would be really easy for some Congressional candidate having trouble garnering votes to make this a cause celibre, and that can't happen.

I see that Cowing has come out firing with both barrels, one on NASAWatch and one at Couric's blog.

Nice response - that's some heavy duty debating artillery.

Ohhh, Keith! SNAP!


I don't think the colonoscopic/space spin off angle will lead to much -it's going in the wrong direction!

It appears that the good doctor's invention spunoff TO the telecommunications industry.

Although I didn't try very hard, the only NASA-related reference I could find via Google was:

Frazer, Robert E., "Self-Propelling Self-Locating Colonoscope", NASA Technical Briefs, Winter 1978, pp. 563-564.

...yeah. I'm thinking that if I was a potential freshman student volunteer, testing that out would cost you a free ride with ample weekly beer money plus a guaranteed six-figure starting salary upon graduation regardless of GPA...and then I'd have to sit down & think about it.

Well, let's put THAT behind us. Loved Cowing's comments, and the rest of the posters on Couric's blog were also opposing her 100%. In fact, one poster had a truly impressive, extensive list of spin-off technologies from SF that should be put on a bronze plaque in front of the Capitol so that the congresscritters can see it every time they enter the building.

I am reassured. It seems that the public is more aware of the true value of SF than I assumed, and the power of the Internet does much to dispel misinformation (quite quickly at that!)

[EDIT] Okay, I hate to write this, but I can't stand it anymore. Alex, by any chance was this device known as the GastroEntrological Remote Bowel Inclusion Locator....?[/EDIT], hopefully not [BAN FROM UMSF]...

Doesn't the stupid idiot realise you can't spend money in space and that every single penny of the NASA budget is spent ON THE GROUND.

Doug

It really amazes me how little people realise the extent to which the space program has changed day to day life on earth... what stupid women she is. And its pretty rich coming from someone who gets $60 million for reading an autocue. Shutup and read the news idiot.

Katie is indeed nothing but a "pretty" evening news autocue reader. She'll always be in 3rd place too in the ratings. CBS also had a guy on that had lost a child at the Columbine shooting, and before you knew it he was spouting off about how Abortion was bad, sheesh !.

Woah Doug, don't hold back tell us what you really think.

I'd best not - I'd end up banning myself

Doug

That was exactly my reaction and is exactly what I relate to people too. Not one penny is put inside a space capsule at the launch pad. Diverting money away from NASA has NOT led to solving earths problem. Its just the opposite in fact !

Its quite sad, pathetic, coming from the network of the news giant and space enthusiast Walter Cronkite

Doug: dont ban yourself its exactly what we all think.

ken

My reaction was similar to most of you: what a bul... <censored>.

What is sad is that even if we all agree on that this are bad and wrong news and even we can see her blog almost full of complains from people who are really aware about the fact that this money is worth put on space related things and not spent elsewhere, the average people seeing her on the news will still think: "well, she should be right, shouldn't?".