Since I was a little boy, space has fascinated me. I think if you look back through my school memories book, I checked off astronaut every time (I think I might have checked off “other” and put “superhero” one time…) It truly is the final frontier, though some would argue that we know less about the deep sea than we do about space.
This is why I had difficulties rationalizing my thoughts that humanity doesn’t need to go into space. Honestly, most people never leave their own small area of this planet - what do we need countless more planets to deal with? Just more places that most people can’t visit? There are significant problems back here on Earth - why do we spend so much money looking upward and outward?
It was a difficult thing to start thinking - as I said. I think it came about because I’m reading Children of Dune right now. Either way, I convinced myself that I was wrong.
The reason that we need to go to space is the same reason that Hilliary climbed Everest, the same reason that countless explorers and adventurers have given for what they do. “Because it’s there.” Right now, people need to be unified more than ever before. Few things could bring the world together as one than taking that first small step for mankind. Don’t get me wrong - space exploration won’t magically solve all the world’s problems, but it’s something that generations upon generations have been working towards - whether they knew it or not.
Simpson’s quote of the day: “He’s one of the carbon blobs in sector 7-G.” - Smithers- 3 comments
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I think it’s more than going there because its there. Mankind is quickly stripping all of the resources of the planet. All the while, there is an almost limitless supply of raw material sitting in the asteroid belt. I’ve been reading a LOT of Ben Bova’s Grand Tour novels (Mars, Jupiter and the like), and he’s got some pretty grandiose visions for mankind. I think the first step is to establish some sort of permanent base on the moon. That probably won’t happen, though, because the US isn’t interested any more, Russia can’t afford it, and China, as good as their intentions are, will end up going after Mars, just like the US. Stupid NASA folk… :P
Comment by Arcanas — Wednesday, November 26,2003 @ 9:13 am
Define quickly…
We’ve got a lot of resources for the next century or two. Things like Oil might run out, but there are other alternatives - they’re just more expensive.
Mining the asteroids is a far more expensive proposition than setting up microwave transmitting solar collectors for energy (for example), and that’s a far more expensive proposition than using the energy resources still available on earth. “Precious” metals are never “used up” they’re just “used” and expensive to recover - less expensive than mining asteroids though.
We’re thousands of years from needing to mine off planet for economic reasons (hundreds at the very least.)
I think the first step is to take space travel away from government control. That’s happening now. I’ll talk about it in my next post though.
Comment by Greg — Wednesday, November 26,2003 @ 10:15 am
Oil is a long, long way from a shortage, if one includes the Athabasca Tar Sands
http://emd.aapg.org/technical_areas/tar_sands.cfm
and the Orinoco Tar Belt http://www.mktechsolutions.com/MKS_HOUP.htm which at this time is more
expensive to recover than conventional oil.
Comment by Robert — Monday, December 1,2003 @ 7:37 am