Business, Economics, General Science, Philosophy, Political Commentary, Popular Culture, Science And Society, Social Commentary, Space, Space Science, Technology and Society

To Mars Or Not To Mars?

16 Comments

That is the question at this Oxford debate this evening (in a couple hours, sorry about the short notice).

[Update toward the end of the debate]

As I’ve noted in the past, debates like this are pointless, because they are a false choice based on a false premise. We don’t have to choose between populating Mars and saving the planet; we have abundant resources for both. The false premise is that this is going to be a collective decision whose outcome will be determined by an Oxford debate. People who go to Mars will be doing so with their own money, so people on Earth who oppose it are going to have to make it illegal to prevent it. There is a word for people like that: jailers.

16 thoughts on “To Mars Or Not To Mars?”

  1. A silly, no, *Silly* question. The obvious replay would be: “Would ‘our’ ** resources be better spent turning Oxford into low-rent housing?”
    (Note: ‘our’? When and where does this urge to control Other Peoples Money cease?)

    1. (Note: ‘our’? When and where does this urge to control Other Peoples Money cease?)

      When money people ceases to exist?

  2. No to Mars!
    Humans have no business disturbing the natural perfection of the orbs until humankind has evolved the perfect Utopia here on Earth. No hunger, no disease, no needs, perfect peace and harmony first! Besides even then, what right have we to impose our will beyond our natural home here on Earth? What right do we have to kill or harm alien life with our hodgepodge of randomly mutated Earth-bound DNA? Not to mention any right to impose our own civil psychosis? None I say! Let us stay home and keep all safe! -J Spender

  3. These are the spawn of the wimps that decided to not fight communism or fascism. Who cares what they say?

  4. –After three missions to Mars in the last year, the red planet is at the forefront of both the scientific and public consciousness. Are our limited resources better spent on Earth, or is the ‘new space race’ a hopeful expression of a noble ambition? According to Elton John, ‘Mars ain’t the kind of place to raise your kids’, but as billionaires race skyward, is now the time to prove him wrong and expand the frontiers of civilization?–

    NASA for decades have spent too much funding on Mars, NASA should explore the Moon and then explore Mars.
    But what would good is cheap artificial gravity “space station” vehicle or thing in LEO orbit to test mars artificial gravity.
    In terms NASA budget, a 500 million dollar station, in terms of Musk or private sector a 50 million dollar vehicle.
    Something for crew stay of up to 6 months, but start with hours to days. Or maybe one say an improved Gemini mission for Mars.

  6. I do hope that a planetary protection movement doesn’t start up that puts the kibosh on SpaceX starting a settlement on Mars. The arguments that the activists would use are too easy to imagine, “What gives the arrogant American billionaire, Elon Musk, the right to risk endangering our home planet by potentially bringing back a virus that could collapse Earth’s biosphere from the bottom up”? Given the launch windows and the need to master cargo landings before landing people, it could be 6+ years for the anti-progress movement up grow and lawfare to be used to try to stop SpaceX.

    1. Yet I bet these same people would argue that Musk should spend his money studying novel bat coronaviruses in Wuhan.

  7. Having listened to this some I got to thinking, you could replace the word Mars with America and I wager that debate happened in that same building…. o’ye o’ye hear hear….

  8. There is a word for people like that: jailers tyrants.

    There fixed that for you. Otherwise excellent argument. No bell shall ring down upon thee tonight!

  9. I deem those in the majority who wore black won!

    Since it appears equal numbers of male gender identity ward-robed rose to spoke on both sides, they cancel out. Since there appear to be a majority of female gender identifiers who wore black in opposition to the proposition, they win! There! Democratic and Equitable!

  10. I wonder how many lefty space nerds have made the connection between them always saying NASA should get more money from the military and the social welfare commies wanting to take money from NASA for more social welfare programs.

    The military already spends lots of money in space. Maybe lefty space nerds should start looking at who is competing for their government money and doesn’t help activities in space.

  11. Always amused by the op-eds on SN, for example, in which the writer says “we” must do so-and-so, rather than such-and-such, because of course we are a single Soviet entity and no other options are imaginable. Kick their goddamned tiny-brained little asses, Mr. Musk.

  12. Elon Musk
    @elonmusk
    ·
    Feb 3
    If things go well, Falcon will launch about once a week on average in 2022, delivering ~2/3 of all Earth payload to orbit

    I won’t 2/3rd of launches but probably 2/3rd of payload- and will launch a lot satellites

Comments are closed.