The mysteries of space run deep. Or rather, high. It is, after all, the very edge of human expansion at the moment - with all our technological prowess, the ability to feed every mouth on the planet and to end world conflict (ah, sorry, this is the to do list, not the have done list). Still, the point remains that it is a remarkable feat of engineering, scientific preparation and sheer courage to strap ourselves to rockets, point them at the moon and scream "blast off!" The engineers of NASA are often lauded for their technical mastery, numerical fortitude and the ability to have awesome haircuts and still keep their jobs (see Bobak Ferdowsi), and the heroics of the astronauts and test pilots are obvious. The scientists however, have a slightly rougher time proving that they earn there keep at NASA HQ, especially as funds have not been plentiful in the recent climate - irregardless of the success of Cygnus, Curiosity and IRIS. Some scientists find that to make it look as if they are extremely busy (and, after all, busy people are never fired) they have created studies that frankly, do not need to be studied. There is a certain amount of leeway in the scientific principle and the philosophical concept that advancement and knowledge are often for their own sake, but there is also wasting large amounts of government money on rubbish. In 2001, a study published in the peer reviewed American Journal Of Respiratory And Critical Care Medicine (pithy name) showed extensively that astronauts who suffered from uvolopalatopharnygoism (snoring) on Earth show no symptoms in micro or zero gravity and do not snore again until they return to earth! Fascinating, but ultimately, not worth the price of knowing.
