FELIX FALLS

I haven’t yet mentioned Felix Baumgartner and his astonishing and record breaking achievement of safely completing the feat of free-falling from the edge of space last weekend, mostly because there are other people far more qualified to comment on another stepping stone in humanity’s quest to extend our knowledge and push at the very boundaries of what is possible.

As ever, unfortunately, I have also heard many comments of the “it was all a huge waste of money” and “that money should have been spent on hospitals” variety (not that I think that his investors would have got anything like the same returns in terms of publicity if they’d done that - which, incidentally, is why they wouldn’t have - and so that money would never have been spent on those things anyway) from the kinds of people who don’t seem to think that pushing at the limits of human endeavour and extending our knowledge is a worthwhile expense of our time and resources.

These are usually the very same people who mutter darkly about space exploration also having been and continuing to be, a complete waste of time, but who would be appalled if there wasn’t an MRI scanner to give them or their loved ones the once over if they needed it, or grumble about what on earth we’re going to do when all the fuel runs out.

So it bears reiteration. Here’s just a few of the more than 1800 things that we have in our everyday lives simply because once upon a time someone dared to dream about heading out into space, and then decided to try and explore the heavens instead of keeping their feet firmly down on the ground:

Artificial limbs, baby formula, the computer mouse, cordless tools, ear thermometers, fireproof clothing for firefighters, freeze-dried food, long distance communications, memory foam, mobile-phone cameras, MRI and CAT scanners, solar panels, UV-blocking sunglasses, water filters and a whole host of others which you can find at http://spinoff.nasa.gov/Spinoff2008/tech_benefits.html if you want to find out more…

Who knows what benefits for all of us may yet come from Felix Baumgartner with his slightly amusing sounding name (at least it seemed so in our office - maybe after hearing an American TV reporter mispronouncing it during the aborted attempt during the previous week...?) and his crazy sounding scheme to jump down from the very edge of space? We may learn exciting new things about ourselves and our collective future which we never dreamed were possible.

Way to go, Felix!