Scientific research is done for many different reasons, in some cases the goal is quite practical, such as the effort to develop new drugs or prevent disease.  In other cases research is done purely to understand the universe and answer questions that interest us.

When it comes to spending public funds on things like space research or earth monitoring satellites, the goals are often mixed.  Part of the assessment of the value of expensive satellites is something which we can't put a price on – the protection of lives.

Climate changes are causing increasing natural disasters.  Now we need more than ever to develop ways of warning people of the likelihood of severe weather.  We also need to monitor coastal ecosystems, and be alerted to solar storms affecting the earth.

There is always an economic impact from natural disasters.  Investment in systems to observe the earth and provide warnings is only a small fraction of the cost of weather related events.  The statistics for the United States alone are staggering.  Weather related transportation accidents and delays account for an average of 7 thousand fatalities and economic losses totalling 42 billion dollars every year.  Floods alone account for over 5 billion dollars in damage and over 80 deaths per year.

So next time you think scientists are wasting valuable tax dollars, remember the life they save could be your own.

MOVING BEYOND MATTER
 by Ron Hughes

Getting value for investment is something in which we are all interested.  I've been in parts of the world where haggling over street prices has been elevated to an art form.  

There are many proverbs with have to do with money.  Here are a few examples:  "Money can buy anything, but happiness."  "Money begets money."  "Money borrowed is soon sorrowed."  "Money breaks the arms of justice."  "Money doesn't grow on trees."  "Money grows on the tree of persistence."  "Money in the purse dispels melancholy." and one last one, "Money is a good servant but a had master."

As I've travelled around and seen other cultures in action, I've noticed that in some places it is entirely appropriate to ask your friend how much something cost.  In other cultures, it is the height of bad manners.  One of the things that makes many of us nervous about talking about the money value of things (and I include myself here) is that we can never be sure how the other person is going to react and that makes us jittery.  I might tell three people that I paid a thousand dollars for an item. The first might say: "That's a great deal! Where did you get it?" 

The second might say:  "That's terrible.  There are people starving in Africa and you're wasting money on that junk." 

The third might say:  "You really should go for quality when you buy things.  I paid twice that for mine."

Why all these different reactions?  It all comes down to values.  What matters most to us.  What do you suppose your use of money says about you?

It surprises some people that the Bible says as much as it does about money.  It is one of the common threads that shows up over and over.  Why?  Because money plays such an important part in the life of most of us.  It can do great good.  It can also motivate acts of cruelty.  It can pervert justice.  It has great power.  And as we've noted it reveals things about us that can be otherwise hidden.

The Bible doesn't condemn money and it's use, but it does remind us that it doesn't last.  One day we will leave our treasure and our treasured things behind.  What will you have left?