Well, over all, scientific progress means adding information, knowledge, and understanding to the database of humanity. The quest to know what is out there, where we came from, are we alone, is as old as human history. Science - the process of critical evaluation and assessment, stands alone, by far, as our best chance to answer these questions. For most of human history, the planets were deities. Now we know they are other planets bound by the same laws of physics as the Earth. For most of human history, illness was caused by evil spirits or angry gods. Now we know they are caused by pathogens challenging the body's defenses. Scientific progress brought us out of the dark ages of ignorance and fear and will continue to light the way to real understanding of the universe and our place in it.

@AstroLou Scientific Progress got us to this moment on history were the Stockpile of Nuclear Weapons is Large enough to Destroy life on earth SEVEN TIMES!

@goldenvalleyguy because Rosie isn't screwing up what's left of this country as a whole... Just the small immediate area she occupies... lol

@goldenvalleyguy Because I used to work for her! LOL but seriously, she's not the worst of the worst right now....

@Bierbasstard Yeah that sort of thing but with D-list celebs like reality tv show people. Have a cull.

I think that the most famous Hawaiian would be an appropriate sacrifice. It would certaintly be a fitting cap to his political legacy.

@bigpawbullets No not Magnum !!!!

@MissKathleen, @bigpawbullets Since one of your suggestions is treasonous and I am unsure if conspiracy to kill a former president counts as treason under US law. (They are still called Mr President) Which carries the death penalty I presume. You would both have to be tied to said former west wing resident, as you pushed them in. So does that change your mind any?
What I propose is a big brother in reverse. As each housemate is evicted , down they go till the gods are appeased.

@273kelvin
Ha. Ya got me.

This.

Wrong on multiple counts. First, NASA is an independent executive agency. It's not part of the Department of Defense, it has its own budget directly allocated by Congress, and its operations are explicitly civilian, not military.

Also, the land on which the observatories sit is owned by the state of Hawai'i, which leases it to the University of Hawai'i, which in turn manages and sub-leases the site. It's neither owned nor operated by either NASA or the DoD.

Finally, although there are other places to locate observatories, the peak of Mauna Kea is arguably the best location on earth for ground-based astronomy due to its elevation, isolation, seismic stability, and aridity, plus the US's political stability.

As others have pointed out, military activities in space are the province of the military; NASA's mission is strictly civilian. I think a lot of people assume that NASA is in charge of anything being sent into space, but it's not. The confusion may be partly that NASA and the military often use the same launch vehicles / systems (which are developed by private industry and sold to civilian AND military customers).

Although the land on which the observatory exists is state-owned, the general feeling in the Islands is that the US improperly appropriated land, culture, and a lot of other things from the indigenous peoples and so the reason some credence is being given to the claims of sacredness for the site as well as desire for input of indigenous citizens, is based on that. While I personally feel that religion is being used as a wedge by some people who probably don't seriously follow the old religions very much and are looking for political advantage, and that to the extent their beliefs are sincerely held they are doing society more harm than good -- it is nevertheless laudable that the government is not simply running roughshod over the locals, even though they legally could.

@mordant
Well their you go, a professionalist.. i am not an astronomer... and Im pretty sure Nasa gets funding from DOD. I will recheck ... and yes i understand the placement. However said, peoples and said cultures have rights, and science should take a back seat to this one and find some other place, like space.... respect, honor, dignity, even if the indigenous lower conscious beings deserve a say when it comes to their home land. We have done enough in the name of Science and War.

Thank you not trying to be disrespectful.

@Etre "Professionalist" ... you just taught me a new word! "A person that supports a professional attitude". Thanks for the complement. I think. But just so you know ... I did not think of you as being unprofessional. Misinformed perhaps, as we all are from time to time. This professional included

@cmadler Sorry. The so-called "State of Hawaii" is the trustee of the public trust of the subject lands - held in trust for the (Hawaiian) public AND for the betterment of native Hawaiians. The "state" does not OWN the land.

See Section 5 of the Hawai'i Admission Act -
f) The lands granted to the State of Hawaii by subsection of this section and public lands retained by the United States under subsections and and later conveyed to the State under subsection , together with the proceeds from the sale or other disposition of any such lands and the income therefrom, shall be held by said State as a public trust for the support of the public schools and other public educational institutions, for the betterment of the conditions of native Hawaiians, as defined in the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, 1920, as amended, for the development of farm and home ownership on as widespread a basis as possible for the making of public improvements, and for the provision of lands for public use.  Such lands, proceeds, and income shall be managed and disposed of for one or more of the foregoing purposes in such manner as the constitution and laws of said State may provide, and their use for any other object shall constitute a breach of trust for which suit may be brought by the United States.  The schools and other educational institutions supported, in whole or in part out of such public trust shall forever remain under the exclusive control of said State;  and no part of the proceeds or income from the lands granted under this Act shall be used for the support of any sectarian or denominational school, college, or university.

@cmadler Sorry. The so-called "State of Hawaii" is the trustee of the public trust of the subject lands - held in trust for the (Hawaiian) public AND for the betterment of native Hawaiians. The "state" does not OWN the land.

See Section 5 of the Hawai'i Admission Act -
f) The lands granted to the State of Hawaii by subsection of this section and public lands retained by the United States under subsections and and later conveyed to the State under subsection , together with the proceeds from the sale or other disposition of any such lands and the income therefrom, shall be held by said State as a public trust for the support of the public schools and other public educational institutions, for the betterment of the conditions of native Hawaiians, as defined in the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, 1920, as amended, for the development of farm and home ownership on as widespread a basis as possible for the making of public improvements, and for the provision of lands for public use.  Such lands, proceeds, and income shall be managed and disposed of for one or more of the foregoing purposes in such manner as the constitution and laws of said State may provide, and their use for any other object shall constitute a breach of trust for which suit may be brought by the United States.  The schools and other educational institutions supported, in whole or in part out of such public trust shall forever remain under the exclusive control of said State;  and no part of the proceeds or income from the lands granted under this Act shall be used for the support of any sectarian or denominational school, college, or university.

@mkeaman
I knew the Hawians had rights. It was a Kingdom.

@Etre The problem is that the Hawaiian people opposed annexation - that helped to stop it in Congress. The necessary 2/3 vote wasn't forthcoming. However, some folks came up with an Annexation Resolution instead of the necessary Treaty - realizing, for instance, that a resolution is a domestic document and has no force of law outside the boundaries of the sponsoring country. For just about a hundred years, the Hawaiian folks, after being brainwashed by the educational system, and deception of all kinds, finally started realizing that they were duped - and that they were actually occupied. At this time, a rigorous anti-occupation movement has started and a re-independence movement is happening.

@mkeaman i knew there were some efforts to gain independence, which I fully support.

Mauna Kea is a dormant volcano. It last erupted about 3,500-6,000 years ago, and is not expected to erupt again within the next several centuries.

@cmadler the Guatemala's Fuego volcano showed no warning signs before it killed at least 25 this weekend.

@Shelly_Y Volcán de Fuego has been erupting nearly continuously for the last 16 years, and regularly erupted for centuries. It's not at all comparable to Mauna Kea; a better comparison for Volcán de Fuego is Kilauea, which has erupted fairly steadily for 35 years now.