A thoughtful essay at The New Atlantis (in which, in the next issue, I’ll have a review of Zubrin’s new book on Mars).
11 thoughts on “What Is Space For?”
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A thoughtful essay at The New Atlantis (in which, in the next issue, I’ll have a review of Zubrin’s new book on Mars).
Comments are closed.
There is that famous quote from the Bible: “אני”
As for Space: ” It is.”
Take from both what you will.
A very long read. In summary, the article says that there are three categories of uses:
1) For our benefit
2) For it’s own sake
3) To have a metaphysical experience
My view on the perspective of the author:
– A lot of skepticism about the first
– Quoting a lot of non-objective people about the second
– Praising the third.
In my view, in practice:
– There’s going to be a lot of the first
– The leftists are going to continue doing their leftist obstructionism wherever there are people — so in space too.
– There will be people in the future continuing to see meaning where it isn’t obvious that there is any.
Just as time exists to keep everything from happening at once, space is there to make room for everything.
“This brings our quest for space-meaning full circle. Why should human beings explore space? Because space offers transcendence from which only human beings can benefit. The James Webb Space Telescope cannot articulate awe. A robot cannot go into the deep and come back with soulful renewal. To fully appreciate space, we need people to go there and embrace it for what it fully is. Space is not merely for humans, nor is space merely for space. Space is for divine communion.”
Space is Heaven.
What is the purpose of Heaven.
It seems reasonably to me, that some don’t what to go to Heaven because it will be like a bureaucratic Hell.
And it seems to me, Heaven could include a bureaucratic hell {but seem likely to me include a lot more than that].
But in terms practical things, why not go to Heaven?
And can it really, be avoided?
In terms of death, I am not in a hurry.
But I am impatient, in the matter going to space.
As far as death and judgement, it might be asked, why didn’t you guys become spacefaring civilization, sooner?
Very sentimental, which I don’t necessarily disagree with. Everyone has some sentimental view of space, even the atheists, because humans are sentimental beings.
What is space for? You will get as many answers as people you ask.
Space, a stand in for nature here, is the habitat in which we live but that doesn’t speak to purpose. Purpose is for humans. Nature’s purpose isn’t to take care of us or kill us despite doing those things.
The outcome, regardless of nature’s intent, is teaching humans how to survive. Space is for survival.
But really, isn’t the op-ed asking what humanity’s purpose is? Living someplace other than Earth isn’t going to change the answers.
A purpose is to spread Earth life into universe.
Or in terms of religion, Humans the masters of other life on Earth, human purpose as masters is to spread that life elsewhere.
I also think we should create dinosaurs on Mars.
Cute things, but not sure we want them on Earth.
Space exists to give us room from each other.
It expands as our numbers do.
It’s just a theory.
Time exists so everything won’t happen simultaneously. Space exists so it won’t happen in the same place as well. And God is a dimensionless point.
Only the people that go will be able to tell what that place is “for”. The ‘stay-at-homes’ can only conjecture like some dirt farmer wondering why anyone would “go down to the sea in ships…”
I just saw this in my feed. Obama is apparently running his mouth again.
Mark Whittington/status/article link
Obama’s third
turdterm can’t end soon enough.