# We need a 'Manhattan Project' for \_\_\_\_\_\_!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-manhattan-project-for-______/740126>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [December 10, 2015, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-manhattan-project-for-______/740126 "2015-12-10T22:37:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\
**Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-manhattan-project-for-______/740126/41 "2015-12-13T19:33:21Z")

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Porn. (Oh, wait a minute – [Gore already took care of that](https://youtu.be/BnFJ8cHAlco?t=46s).)

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**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\
**Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-manhattan-project-for-______/740126/42 "2015-12-13T19:39:13Z")

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> [@botsgotme](#):
>
> I agree-a massive program to end adult obesity/diabetes would yield a huge return. And it is possible that a cure for obesity is in sight.

How would that result in a huge return? People overestimate the cost savings of treating chronic illness because people just get sick and die of something else.

I have seen studies which found the obese and smokers cost less over the lifetime of a patient vs a healthy weight non-smoker. Curing obesity isn’t going to result in cost savings. If anything, healthy people will cost more because they live longer and when they get truly sick they probably survive longer against the illness (racking up more costs).

Having said that, yeah a cure for obesity and diabetes would be nice but I’m not sure how far off that is. right now altering the endocrine system either via drugs or bariatric surgery is the best we can do.

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**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\
**Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-manhattan-project-for-______/740126/43 "2015-12-13T20:23:19Z")

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Finally releasing the first two Shriekback albums on CD would be mine. A decent box set of everything up to 1986 would be favourite, too, but science has its limitations.

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**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\
**Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-manhattan-project-for-______/740126/44 "2015-12-13T20:53:39Z")

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Near and dear to Doper’s hearts, I’d suggest trying to tackle ignorance. Ignorance is what stands in the way of social, scientific, environmental and economic improvement.

For example, climate change will cause massive social, environmental and economic problems, but [ignorance](http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-town-rejects-solar-panels-amid-fears-they-suck-up-all-the-energy-from-the-sun-a6771526.html) stands in the way of mitigating it:

> [@](#):
>
> A US town has rejected a proposal for a solar farm following public concerns.
> 
> Members of the public in Woodland, North Carolina, expressed their fear and mistrust at the proposal to allow Strata Solar Company to build a solar farm off Highway 258.
> 
> During the Woodland Town Council meeting, one local man, Bobby Mann, said solar farms would suck up all the energy from the sun and businesses would not go to Woodland, the Roanoke-Chowan News Herald reported.
> 
> Jane Mann, a retired science teacher, said she was concerned the panels would prevent plants in the area from photosynthesizing, stopping them from growing.
> 
> Ms Mann said she had seen areas near solar panels where plants are brown and dead because they did not get enough sunlight.
> 
> She also questioned the high number of cancer deaths in the area, saying no one could tell her solar panels didn’t cause cancer.

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**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\
**Post date:** [December 13, 2015, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/we-need-a-manhattan-project-for-______/740126/45 "2015-12-13T21:09:19Z")

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I _knew_ those panels were no good!

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