Everything you say about the motivation for Mars exploration is completely wrong. You say that the only motivator for Mars exploration that currently exists is ecconomic, while that is actually the only motivator that does not exist.
Reasons to go to Mars: 1) Find Gold: We already know that gold exists in Martian soil in greater concentrations than it does here on earth. However, Robert Zubrin pointed out in his book, The Case for Mars, that it would not be economically feasible to mine gold on Mars and export it back to earth. The cost of the rocket fuel needed to return the gold to Earth would be greater than the value of the gold itself. (Asteroid mining is economically feasible, however, and Mars is much closer to the Asteroid belt than is Earth) Therefore, greed alone is not driving us to Mars in the short term.
2) Escape oppression: Take a look at the state of the world around you. Pardon my French, but I think it is pretty F----d up. Anyone who says that their freedom is not restricted by some form of bureaucracy, terrorism, extremism, ignorance or intolerance must already be living on a different planet. I'm not knocking my own quality of life in the good ol' U.S. of A, but quite frankly I would be much happier as a pioneer on the surface of Mars than I am right now, headed toward an exciting career in the soul-sucking field of white-collar paper-pushing.
3) Escape crowding and find virgin land: The United Nations Population Information Network estimates the current population of the world to be upwards of 6 billion, expected to reach 10-12 billion by 2050. That sounds pretty darn crowded to me. Blah blah blah, pollution, human waste, disease etc... you have heard it all before. While I do not completely agree with all the alarmist predictions out there, I do feel that if we continue on at this rate we will eventually face a sharp and painful decrease in population. Unless people want to start populating the Northern Canadian and Siberian tundra (and cause further environmental destruction), we better find somewhere else to grow. Famine and disease may be the natural order of things, but I would rather not have to watch billions of people suffer and die when there is a perfectly empty and habitable planet right next door.
And what about all the technological and spiritual advancement that we stand to gain? Isn't a shot at answering the eternal question "are we alone?" reason enough to go to Mars? I am only one of many who would be willing to risk their lives to answer this question for all of humanity. There are so many reasons to go to Mars, I can't believe we are even discussing reasons not to.
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Everything you say about the motivation for Mars exploration is completely wrong. You say that the only motivator for Mars exploration that currently exists is ecconomic, while that is actually the only motivator that does not exist.
Reasons to go to Mars:
1) Find Gold: We already know that gold exists in Martian soil in greater concentrations than it does here on earth. However, Robert Zubrin pointed out in his book, The Case for Mars, that it would not be economically feasible to mine gold on Mars and export it back to earth. The cost of the rocket fuel needed to return the gold to Earth would be greater than the value of the gold itself. (Asteroid mining is economically feasible, however, and Mars is much closer to the Asteroid belt than is Earth) Therefore, greed alone is not driving us to Mars in the short term.
2) Escape oppression: Take a look at the state of the world around you. Pardon my French, but I think it is pretty F----d up. Anyone who says that their freedom is not restricted by some form of bureaucracy, terrorism, extremism, ignorance or intolerance must already be living on a different planet. I'm not knocking my own quality of life in the good ol' U.S. of A, but quite frankly I would be much happier as a pioneer on the surface of Mars than I am right now, headed toward an exciting career in the soul-sucking field of white-collar paper-pushing.
3) Escape crowding and find virgin land: The United Nations Population Information Network estimates the current population of the world to be upwards of 6 billion, expected to reach 10-12 billion by 2050. That sounds pretty darn crowded to me. Blah blah blah, pollution, human waste, disease etc... you have heard it all before. While I do not completely agree with all the alarmist predictions out there, I do feel that if we continue on at this rate we will eventually face a sharp and painful decrease in population. Unless people want to start populating the Northern Canadian and Siberian tundra (and cause further environmental destruction), we better find somewhere else to grow. Famine and disease may be the natural order of things, but I would rather not have to watch billions of people suffer and die when there is a perfectly empty and habitable planet right next door.
And what about all the technological and spiritual advancement that we stand to gain? Isn't a shot at answering the eternal question "are we alone?" reason enough to go to Mars? I am only one of many who would be willing to risk their lives to answer this question for all of humanity. There are so many reasons to go to Mars, I can't believe we are even discussing reasons not to.
yeah, I saw that game in a bargain bin in the mall in SpaceQuest 4.
How do you like them apples?
Similar grassroots Wi-Fi networks exist in Hawaii and in Portland, OR.
Gould was and remains a profound influence on biology."
Paleontologist... remains...