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Apollo

A Teaching Moment For NASA

By Keith Cowing
NASA Watch
December 12, 2018
Filed under ,
A Teaching Moment For NASA

NASA Head Jim Bridenstine Claps Back At Curry, TMZ
“Enter Bridenstine … who says Curry’s claim is so outrageous — the point guard just cannot be serious. “I think it’s funny,” Jim tells us … “I can’t imagine he really believes that. It’s outside the realm of what’s possible.” In fact … Jim REALLY set Steph straight, saying, “Here’s the thing, we didn’t just go to the moon once, we went to the moon six times! And, we did it from 1969 to 1972!!!” Bridenstine also doubled down on NASA’s invitation to have Curry come check out all their evidence — saying he’d LOVE to prove Steph wrong and get him involved in the space program afterward! “My son is a HUGE fan of Steph Curry. So, if we can get him involved in space, I’m for it!”
Warriors’ Stephen Curry says he was joking about moon landing, will visit NASA, ESPN
“But in terms of the reaction that I’ve gotten, I am definitely going to take [NASA] up on their offer. I am going to educate myself firsthand on everything that NASA has done and shine a light on their tremendous work over the years. And hopefully people understand that education is power, informing yourself is power. For kids out there that hang on every word that we say, which is important, understand that you should not believe something just because somebody says it. You should do your homework and understand what you actually believe.”
Keith’s note: There are a lot of people who did not pay attention in science class when they were growing up. A lot of other people are hit from a hundred different directions by conspiracy theories and fiction portrayed so realistically that they think it is fact. Other people just like to kid around. Some people simply do not care about NASA or space. Its not NASA’s fault that people get these ideas in their head – for whatever reason they end up thinking these things.
The easy thing to do is to dismiss instances like this when other people genuinely doubt the Moon landings. But then there’s the chance to take a celebrity’s incomplete knowledge of the historic achievements of NASA’s Apollo program and convert it into a teaching moment. Stephen Curry has quickly admitted that he was kidding but sees the chance to turn a bunch of arm waving by the news media into something far more useful. As former NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe used to say in reference to his Jesuit schooling, “you make converts one at a time”.
Suggestion for Jim Bridenstine: your new marketing phrase is to “Go forward to the Moon” Fine. However saying “Go back to the Moon” might help dial back some of the Moon landing hoax stuff. If we are going back it means that we’ve already been there. Your “forward” thing could leave the question open in some people’s minds. Just sayin’

NASA Watch founder, Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA, Away Teams, Journalist, Space & Astrobiology, Lapsed climber.

16 responses to “A Teaching Moment For NASA”

  1. Matthew Black says:
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    I had yet another, er, discussion recently about Apollo with let’s just say a very religious person. To his credit; he isn’t a Flat Earther (shudder) but claims Apollo is all fake because he saw a ‘documentary’ saying Stanley Kubrick faked it all. I asked him if he has ever seen ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’. He said no: ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy’ was more his style. I informed him that the Moon of ‘2001’ doesn’t even LOOK like the Moon from Apollo photographs. This discrepancy just made him angry enough to change the subject. People who mount arguments and adopt positions should at least TRY to be informed about what they’re saying…

    • Tom Mazowiesky says:
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      Too much work for a lot of people.

      I was lucky enough to be on KSC for Apollo 16 and 17 launches. When you felt that power from 3 1/2 miles away, there was no doubt that the spacecraft could get to the moon!

      Got to give some credit to Steph Curry for taking the time and effort to make it clear to fans that it is real.

    • Bob Mahoney says:
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      Be careful regarding 2001 & ‘real’ lunar imagery. The long shots of the Aries 1-B approaching the Moon were shot against actual images of the Moon. Surface stuff, of course, was filmed in England on movie stages, etc.

      Why the mention of the person’s religion? What does that have to do with the issue? I think his taste is movies is probably more relevant. I’m a very religious person (at least I try to be(?)) and know full well we went to the Moon.

      My aunt (also very religious, same religion) originally accepted that we did but then convinced herself over the years (with various details about it being just ‘too dramatic’ or ‘too perfect’ and her general suspicions about LBJ) that we didn’t…mostly because we stopped going! This stabbed me in my engineer’s heart because she knew full well I worked in the Shuttle program and she was placing more confidence in the politicians of the time than in the engineers who achieved the landings!

      Human attitudes & perceptions about such things come from a variety of sources. I think religious beliefs color the perspectives of a fairly small percentage of folks in this matter.

      • Matthew Black says:
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        The reason I mentioned his religion – I wasn’t specific – was because MOST discussions that *I* have had over the years with religious people about Space (I have a Catholic background) have included the old chestnuts “The Earth is only 5 or 8000 years old, it’s flat, we can’t get beyond Earth orbit, or the Bible says (these) things aren’t possible, etc…” As for the Lunar images, I should clarify: the Aries 1B approach scenes etc used real lunar images etc…

        Yeah, I know that – so have many other Science Fiction films in many years previous to ‘2001’. I was of course referring to the lunar surface scenes from ‘2001’ and their differences to Apollo. And as for religion and Space: in the last few years, it is often the Religiously argumentative types who have escalated and weaponized arguments against Apollo, Probes and even the existence of satellites themselves – NOT people like me.

        • fcrary says:
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          The most common problem I have with a certain sort of emphatically religious people, when they find out I’m a scientists, is being asked if I “believe” in Jesus Christ. I just can’t get them to see the distinction between the historical figure and his moral philosophy, and the whole vigrin birth, son of God, miracle thing. Admittedly, that came up more often when I was living in San Antonio than it does now that I live in Boulder.

        • cynical_space says:
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          ” …it is the Religiously argumentative types who have escalated and weaponized arguments against Apollo…”
          Not to discount your personal experience, but I completely disagree with this statement. Of all the times I have heard that Apollo was fake (or for that matter that the Earth is flat), either through personal interactions, or through media stories, I have never, ever, heard these items talked about in a religious context. I have never heard anyone, anywhere claim the Bible precludes space travel.

          I am sure there are some exceptions and so yes, I will believe that there are some “religious people” (whatever that means in such a diverse population) who don’t believe in space travel for some claimed religious reason. However, I contend that for the vast majority of people who believe such things, the objections are not religious based.

          Disclaimer: I am a practicing Catholic for whatever that means.

          • Matthew Black says:
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            I’ll concede that *some* of my discussions both in person and online have been with people who specified no belief system. One guy in 2009 threatened me in person with violence at a Hobby and education Expo where I had picture, models and video displays about space exploration.

            He REALLY didn’t like having his sputtering, outraged points debunked – calmly – one by one by myself. I didn’t seek to engage the man – he engaged me. He started by coming up to my display, calling it ‘Bullsh1t and lies’ and making a rude hand gesture, implying some sort of self-pleasuring, if you get my drift. The man was a New Zealander, like myself. He offered to take me outside and physically correct my attitude. My colleague called security and had him removed.

            I will also admit that more than a few of the dingbats I’ve encountered have expressed no belief system other than conspiracies, such as ‘you can’t trust the governments – especially the (expletive) Americans’ or ‘it’s all smoke and mirrors, designed to control your mind…’ Illuminati and Freemasonry often rears it’s head, too – their words, not mine – and increasingly, there is ‘no such thing as space, Astronauts, satellites etc’ and ‘wake up – you are a sheep being lied to’ etcetera and ad-nauseum. I’ve received anonymous death threats over YouTube, Facebook and other venues for defending space exploration and Apollo in particular.

            “You’re finished, a-hole. I/we will stop you and your lies, you’re going to burn in Hell etc.” And with the 50th Anniversaries of Apollo coming up; it’s only going to continue.

            Regards, Matthew Pavletich, Auckland, New Zealand.

          • cynical_space says:
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            Wow, sounds like you really have had some wild experiences. I have worked in the industry and luckily have not had to face such extreme individuals. Sounds like a lot of them have mental issues, frankly. Anyway, I wish you the best of luck in avoiding such people in your future events and stay safe!

          • Eric says:
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            I’ve run into a few people who talk about the Illuminati from time to time, but not often, thankfully. I hear conspiracy theorists from time to time and I usually answer with, do you really think that all the people you’re talking about are smart enough to pull off a hoax as well coordinated as you’re talking about? It usually gets them very confused and gives me a chance to walk away.

          • fcrary says:
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            There is one thing I really like about the Denver airport. For some reason, it became a magnet for conspiracy theories, and they decided to go with it. Now, the notices about the current renovations mention things like improvements to the subterranean quarters for the reptiloid aliens from planet X. (We haven’t done anything for them since the tunnels were dug, and that was over 20 years ago.) And we really need to do something for their zombie cat pets. Conspiracy theorists really hate that sort of thing. A serious rebuttal makes them look serious and their views credible enough to be worth debating. Just turning it into a joke makes them look like fools.

          • mfwright says:
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            Yeah, I guess some people get violent like Buzz did when this guy called him a liar and a coward,

            https://www.youtube.com/wat

          • Michael Spencer says:
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            Maybe the Buzz approach was called for!?

          • Matthew Black says:
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            Heh; I would have been the one thrown out, then. Just today; the Hoaxtards have started escalating their assault on Space Exploration, with the various Apollo 8 commemorations going on – just as I warned was going to happen. The very FIRST posts or comments on Facebook, YouTube and other social media are people doing hit-and-run ‘Fake!’ and ‘Lies!’ attacks. One guy called ‘John Jones’ is especially vociferous. It’s only a handful, to be sure – but they are vocal and prolific. NASA has a fixed PR, Education and Outreach budget.

            But the Hoaxtards have an unlimited one – they do it for free and for ‘fun’. That is difficult to counter! 🙁

    • fcrary says:
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      You probably just ruined a social interaction for him. I don’t know the circumstances, but there are plenty of people who just like being noticed. Taking an active part in conversations is part of that. Making controversial statements is part of that. It has nothing to with facts or reality, it’s about getting attention is a social setting. And being proven wrong really spoils that.

  2. SpaceHoosier says:
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    I think NASA has to walk a bit of a fine line while trying to sell going back to the moon. On one side, you have the kooks that think the original moon landings were somehow faked and perhaps NASA should use ‘Going Back to the Moon’ in the promotions of the current agenda. But on the other side, there was that prior administration that derided ‘going back to the moon’ as something we’ve already done; Why do it again? Let’s go further next time.

    IMHO, Bridenstine handled it exactly right by good naturely teasing Curry about his moon conspiracy stance, calling it a ‘stunt’ or a ‘joke’ and then inviting him to visit NASA and see for himself the truth.

    Perhaps promoting an expansion of our past knowledge of the moon while providing a path forward to points beyond in the solar system
    is a nice compromise?

  3. mfwright says:
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    I think I have to give credit to Curry for stirring up interest in the space program outside the usual gang here at NW. Now the big question people need to ask is if we can put a man on the moon, why can’t we put a man on the moon?