musing | @pmarca Says

An Idle Musing on Space

February 28, 2015 / Jeffro / 2 Comments

Here’s an idle Friday musing. Unlike many of my contemporaries, although I enjoyed space novels and movies as a kid, it didn’t take the same with me. The common science fiction assumption that people would behave differently in space than they do on Earth always struck me as wrong. Which is why I’m delighted but not enamored with space exploration today. There is so much still yet to do here on Earth.

I think we will get a lot more out of making life on Earth better for the 7+ billion people already here than escaping to other planets. Or, more pointedly, it would be a shame if we just repeat the dysfunctions of human existence on Earth, in space. Which is not to imply that I am not thrilled by what explorers like Elon Musk are doing, I would love to visit Mars when I am 80.

Confirming my nerd status, I have happily watched every hour of Star Trek ever made and so: Live long and prosper, Leonard Nimoy.

@pmarca The ability to see earth from space contributed greatly to exactly the kind of earth-centered consciousness you describe.

— Donald Kerabatsos (@Papakila) February 27, 2015

@pmarca As a scifi nerd/Trekkie, I’ve always been disappointed in the escapism of people in this genre. Prefer leaving Earth to fixing it.

— Blair Reeves (@BlairReeves) February 28, 2015

@pmarca There’s rampant imaginary thinking in these circles, particularly around the future of manned space exploration. Utter nonsense.

— Blair Reeves (@BlairReeves) February 28, 2015

@pmarca Far more attention given to how soon we could put people on Moon/Mars/deep space than how to improve life for 6bn+ here on Earth.

— Blair Reeves (@BlairReeves) February 28, 2015

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