And that's why last summer, we gave Ken Feinberg and his team the task of making an independent judgment on the executive pay packages for firms that received extraordinary assistance from the federal government.

WHITEHOUSE: President Signs Bill to Expand Veteran Benefits

The search for life on Mars (past or present), which few would argue is scientifically useless, would be greatly enhanced by the skill and judgment that only a human expert could bring to the task.

ECONOMIST: Letters | The