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Let's go to Mars?

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https://lightyears.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/23/why-we-shouldnt-wait-to-go-to-mars/?hpt=hp_c2

In the opinion piece “​
Mars can wait. Oceans can’t
,” published recently on CNN.com, Amitai Etzioni says that we should defer Mars exploration because the seas have a higher priority. While I have the highest regard for ocean exploration, the fact of the matter is that there are numerous agencies – including the U.S. Navy, the navies of other countries, academic institutions, research organizations, corporations​
and James Cameron personally
– that are more than adequately financed and equipped to carry it out.

The idea that we need to suspend space exploration in order to provide the necessary resources to probe the oceans is categorically absurd. So let’s call it like it is: The argument that we should explore the oceans instead of space is not a call to search the seas, but simply a disingenuous way to give up our effort to reach the Red Planet.​
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Is going to Mars a worthwhile endeavor? Some see space exploration as a complete waste of time and money. I, on the other hand, think it is simply the most important thing we as humans can be doing. It is, in my opinion, the key to long term human survival (tens of thousands of years worth of survival).

It honestly hurts me to know that so many people would just look away from the stars and pretend the we have nothing to do with them and they have nothing to do with us. To me that idea is absurd. I guess we can all just wait around to get discovered by a species smart enough to explore space. I would much prefer to be that smart species and find intelligent life in the dawn of their existence.

So break my heart and tell me why it doesn't make sense to explore space.
 
I don't think the issue that people have is whether or not we should be exploring space (and going to the Red Planet) it's the issue that we haven't developed the technology to explore space fast or efficiently. Isn't a one way trip to Mars something 7-9 months? What is going to power that spaceship for that long? And then comes the problem on how to get them back home...

Well, and then there's the fact that space exploration is just too damn expensive. Bang for your buck? You can build a lot more jets, bombs, and start more wars than with spending money on space exploration.

I agree though, space exploration is very important. Hopefully in the next few decades economic power houses like China, India, Brazil, and Russia will make space exploration a priority and push us back into the space race... Or force us to join with them...
 
The guy who wrote that opinion piece has solutions laid out for all the problems you mention.

I've been following Zubrin for well over 10 years. He is balls deep in Mars exploration. He has conducted extended simulations of setting up the initial shelters and living in them, all sorts of stuff. I love the guy. I want to live long enough to see humans who live (are born, live and die) somewhere other than Earth. I used to say I wanted to retire on Mars. That was about 15 years ago. Since then we have taken zero steps to actually putting people on Mars. I no longer entertain the fantasy that I could ever step foot on another world. In other words, a somewhat significant part of my "soul" has died.
 
There is a lot of space exploration going on. Just not man operated. Lots of drones are being sent.

Mars, Titan, Europa and Callisto are all worthy of exploration.

Mars is suspected to have a lot of water frozen under its surface. Also it has about 2% the atmosphere that earth has. They are studying it a lot.

The other three are moons that are thought to be able to have life.
 
Dont really understand what going to Mars can bring the human race that is useful. Seems like people get our money to fund their curiosity
 
The key to the survival of our species is finding another berg to carry us. Mars, Omacron Persei 8, whatever, we're sure defiling the land that the good lord provided us with.
 
NUMBERICA said:
The key to the survival of our species is finding another berg to carry us. Mars, Omacron Persei 8, whatever, we're sure defiling the land that the good lord provided us with.
Click to expand...

Do you think we will ever have the technology to get us to another planet where it will be stable for us to live? Just curiosity. I just feel like if we do ever have that technology it will be so far down the road we wont have enough natural resources to accomplish anything with it. Just a thought.
 
pickledXgrandma said:
Do you think we will ever have the technology to get us to another planet where it will be stable for us to live? Just curiosity. I just feel like if we do ever have that technology it will be so far down the road we wont have enough natural resources to accomplish anything with it. Just a thought.
Click to expand...

So we should just not try? Seems in line with how you view and disparage 'curiosity'.
 
NUMBERICA said:
So we should just not try? Seems in line with how you view and disparage 'curiosity'.
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Saw you changed your post. I really do find space and the universe incredibly interesting. I just feel like right now in our current economic state is not the best time to be spending lots of moolah on space exploration. When i made the reference to the 'curiosity' in my earlier post, I just feel like not much is being accomplished and that its just satisfying curiosity right now. I dont know much about it but its just the vibe i get from reading the sci/tech section of the news every once in a while.
 
NUMBERICA said:
The key to the survival of our species is finding another berg to carry us. Mars, Omacron Persei 8, whatever, we're sure defiling the land that the good lord provided us with.
Click to expand...

The Oceans-Firster is just being practical.

The Oceans are there, right at our fingertips, the new frontier.

I say lets settle the oceans the same way we settled the plains. One square mile per family. Well, it'd give some real meaning to "sea legs" I guess. But that would be a relatively easy technological fix compared to any of a dozen similar facts of life extraterrestrial.

You've got water, sun, wind, and wave energy to draw on. Somebody would develop a plastic/glass composite with the strength needed to build "bubble houses". Somebody would develop profitable crops and processes to extract the animal feed/food. Somebody would provide the barges to move stuff around. We'd be making biofuels too, and all kinds of fish farms.

Three quarters of our earth, just waiting for development.

Not to say we should not reach for the stars.
 
In no way am I anti-Nasa but I just don't see settling upon Mars as practical at all. Hell, is it even solving anything? Will it eliminate our biggest problem, our irresponsibility to one another and our planet, or simply let us hang on a little while longer until we **** up that planet too?

Our biggest issue is overpopulation. Period. The only way to control that is to lay down some Big Brother ****. It sucks. I'm sure babe will come in here and tell me how I'm an idiot by even suggesting that we, as one people, implement some sort of procreation laws or scientific remedies to prevent mass reproduction that will be infringing upon our human rights. And I can see that point. I'm suffocating even thinking about it. But it's sensible. We have laws and rules that already do such. Not just anyone can drive. We have to pass a test. But anyone can have 11 kids, all the while passing on the responsibility of raising them to a single mother who thinks she's doing a good job by having a 12th to get a bigger welfare check to support them.

If we fix overpopulation, we can "fix" this planet. Perhaps not infinitely because yes, oil and other resources are finite, but you can bet your *** we'll go on a helluva lot longer, in a society that makes a helluva lot more sense.

We live in a crazy world.

Let the flaming begin.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbIZU8cQWXc&feature=player_embedded


Don't be skipping this, it's good.
 
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Well, we first gotta make 100% sure that there is no life on mars and if there isn't there are SEVERAL things on earth that not only would live on mars but flourish (We had a guest speaker who leads a team that currently has a drone on mars in my exploration and science class). If there isn't life we can put bacteria and certain organisms on mars and start developing it. That takes time so it will be good to know and explore it sooner then later.
 
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