Robert Zubrin, "The Reason Why Space is Really Important"

It is important to note: the primary benefit of Martian settlement will be cultural.

== 28th Annual International Space Development Conference [ May 28-31 * Orlando, FL ] == National Space Society --- Robert Zubrin answers questions following a talk about his book ' How to Live on Mars ' including talking about why space exploration is really important. --- www.MediaArchives.com --- www.NSS.com

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[marsartists]

In general the idea is commercialization of near-Earth resources and an expanding frontier will encourage humanity to look outward for conflict resolution, rather than turn on ourselves for resources and social conformity.

In other presentations Zubrin has drawn comparisons to minority populations emigrating en mass to the New World or frontier regions within America. Examples have been Mormons moving to the Western United States and Eastern European Jews moving to America.

[bradwatson7324]

I really like Robert Zubrin and maybe I'm not properly considering something, but I don't buy his argument here. Teraforming Mars does not reduce the number of competitors for limited resources here on Earth. That is, unless we devise a way to cheaply move large numbers of earthlings to Mars. No, people on Earth must simply reduce the number of offspring they produce.

[marsartists]

This strain of thought has a pedigree reaching through several generations of space advocacy, especially O'Neil's "The High Frontier."

But you are correct, it is more of a vision to temper current phobias than solve immediate problems of competition. Hopefully within the next few hundred years we will have the technology for mass emigration through space. In the meantime the idea that this may be possible in the future can encourage us to work together now.

[marsartists]

Finally as a personal opinion I don't think there are nearly enough people on this planet and we should have much more family friendly, pro-Life policies...as women become more educated and have improved career opportunities they tend to want smaller families. Apparently Earth's population is expected to reach an equilibrium by the middle of this century at about 8 billion; many developed countries are experiencing negative growth rates...vast expanses of the Earth are completely unpopulated...

[mesmeriffic]

@kollin2010

We shouldn't be wasting our precious time and money on symbols. We should be investing our resources in actually doing the "impossible" by developing nuclear technology, materials science, and quantum computers. Sinking everything into manned missions, Martian habitats, and terraforming will not solve our problems beyond placating to a romantic vision of space.

[J3n50]

this is divorced from reality, certainly we could achieve space colonization - the problem is it resolves NONE of the issues brought up and brings us no closer to a post-scarcity society

[kollin2010]

It dismays me that so many commentators here have failed to understand Dr Zubrine’s grand vision. Space exploration acts as a symbol to all humanity that our grasp is only limited by our reach. Apollo inspired a generation of engineers like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates to believe that human achievement is limitless and humans to Mars would do the same. Nuclear fusion, nanotechnology and a second green revolution, impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools.

[unholyimage]

I am for space exploration and expansion of human possibility, but in terms of using it as a stopgap measure for our bad resource management here on Earth, I don't think that is the true nature of "the Star Trek" future. Earth needs less people, better education and health care, less of a conquest mentality and more of a sustainability mentality. If we cannot get past that, Mars, the asteroid belts or wherever we manage to go will just end up being another war front.

[SpazzyMcGee1337]

Zubrin is crazy, but he is a crazy about a topic that is horrendously underrepresented in society given its importance to humanity. Keep on trucking Zubrin, and try and stop yourself from getting too pissed and jaded about us not going to Mars for so long.

[baillou2]

@bradwatson7324 What you say is true, but you're missing the point a little. When Zubrin says a "world of unlimited resources" he means an existence of unlimited resources. And you don't have to leave earth to appreciate the benefits. For example if we could mine asteroids and bring the material back to earth there would be enough gold and platinum and iron and nickel to provide every person on earth a couple tons of each (which would be a weird way to use the stuff :)

[nermid]

@robheusd We're not mining space, though. We're hopping into orbit and hopping back down.

Essentially, your argument is like saying that sending ships across the ocean to tour the New World isn't profitable. That is true. If you stopped and picked up supplies, established trade routes, or colonized, however...

[robheusd]

This vision is obviously completely false, moving people into space or colonizing other planets will not contribute in any meaningfull way to less scarce resources, arguably the exact opposite is taking place, based on the simple fact that sustain people in space and/or on other celestial bodies takes signifincantly more resources as people on earth.

[ogarstyle]

hey @bradwatson @marsartists answered the question not with the same words as me me but definetly the same context to your "reducing the resources" question. (sorry for the bad english)

[99Maic]

@KingWilliamMB Spell 'you' correctly first.