I really doubt we are able to do much at this point that is going to impact conditions on Mars on a planetary scale in any positive way, so I’m not going to lose much sleep over the moral implications yet one way or the other.
I think we are just barely able to get a small manned mission to Mars and back, though I wouldn’t expect the astronauts to be in very good shape physically (or mentally) by the time of their return.
–James
In The Martian Chronicles (Ray Bradbury) the manned
mission to Mars touches down in a small town,
with white framed houses and old automobiles.
Out of the houses come all the dead people in the
crew’s families, looking hale and happy.
‘Mars is heaven!’ they explain.
The Captain’s brother, killed in the war,
takes him home to his mother and father.
Along with him is one of the crew, Peters, say,
an orphan who has no family.
That night, at dinner, as they all talk about old times,
a phone call comes for Peters, from a
Miss Wrigley. He goes off and
talks for awhile, then goes up to the Captain; they’re
sleeping in the brother’s room. The brother is already
asleep.
‘Captain,’ Peters whispers. ‘These aren’t our families.
Miss Wrigely, I just talked to her for half an hour.
She was an imaginary playmate. These are the
Martians. They can read our minds, they’ve
lured us away from the ship…’
‘Where are our guns?’ the Captain asks.
‘Downstairs.’
They start out of the room and the brother wakes up.
‘Where are you getting?’
‘To get a glass of water.’
‘You’re not going to get a glass of water…’
They’re all killed.
The next ship arrives and all the Martians have
died of chicken pox. Best
Oh no… Not again.
Have you breen following the latest pictures from Mars? I read one editorial from NASA where they referred to these little gems as “cranberries.” They’re reddish colored, and about the size of the little berries. I though Cranberry would enjoy that.
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/spirit/20040120a.html
I think that it is only a matter of time (probably a long,long time)before we terraform Mars,but it will happen one day.Hopefully we can evolve as a global society in the meantime,so as to see that our current wasteful way of life is just plain wrong.I’d hate to think that we could be so selfish as an interplanetary race,as to simply ‘use up’ the Earth,before moving onto Mars,and then the next planet or satelite,ad infinitum.
Of course,Mars’ Terraforming would be the biggest and most expensive engineering project in human history.
Considering the financial cost of this reminded me of an article that British Sci-fi writer and commentator wrote in the late 60’s/early 70’s,in which he costed out the expense of the Apollo moon missions,and thought of an alternative history where that money had been put to providing the middle east with vast supplies of fresh water,changing the whole middle east geo-political situation,and in the process bringing a lasting peace to the area.
Terraforming Mars might just at some future date be possible.
Peace on earth, unfortunately, has proven again and again to be impossible.
But lest you think me a pessimist, the addition of a viable climate and ecology to Mars will provide us with an entirely new arena in which to hunt, torture, maim, kill, and generally terrorize each other.
–James
I can hardly wait!
Maybe we can lighten up? This is idle speculation
for Thurs afternoon, after all. Think of Mars
Candy Bars.
ROFL
Oh boy, oh boy! McDonalds!
This is the hour of my coming-out: I am a BELIEVER! I am even a TREKKIE - ever since I fell in love with the ears of Mr Spock. All that Mars-talk makes me so nervous that I am hopelessly sleepless. So I am writing nonsense (again) instead of getting correct nightsleep. Say a prayer for me at 6.30 am (GMT + 1). Thank you.
And please, let me know if there is a cottage for rent with view on Olympus Mons and within walking distance of MacDo.
Thanks again. Keep the faith. We’re gonna go there one day. We’re even gonna farther. We will reach the stars.
I know in my afterlife I’m going to be stardust. It’s my destiny.
That’s beautiful. I, too, am a sci-fi fan.
Yes, NASA acts so convinced that water was once there. The Bush administration is probably betting if there’s water, there’s proabably oil. :roll: Come on, say it! I know that’s what democrats are thinking.
I’m just waiting to see if some “Preserve Mars Environment” group forms and starts demanding money from the government.
I am also a fan of sci-fi…especially the classics. Gods, the Giants novels by James Hogan are a “best of breed” as far as I’m concerned.
If I thought for a second that they were serious about going to Mars, even for the wrong reasons, I’d be completely thrilled.
I just don’t think they are. They don’t want to go: they merely want to outspend other countries to stop them from going.
Once the trip gets so expen$ive that nobody can compete with the U.S., they’ll pull the plug on it quicker than anything.
I wish we would come up with a real plan that would get us a usable orbital vehicle, a useful off-planet station, and some near-system exploration going in our lifetimes. I just don’t know if they will turn loose of the funds to do it.
–James
Expansion beyond Earth isn’t a matter of choice, long term. At the moment humanity suffers from eggs-in-one-basket vulnerability. It is very likely that one day the planet will get hit by something big enough to bring our tenancy to an abrupt end. That’s if the place isn’t rendered uninhabitable by our careless use and abuse of resources.
If humans are to survive long term we have to grow up and fly the nest. The sooner we start, the more likely we are to be ready when things hit the fan here.
For what it’s worth, I agree with you.
However, I don’t think the people holding the purse strings do–they simply won’t care until they can see an Event approaching…and by the time you see it, it would be way too late to do anything about it, movies like Armeggedon not withstanding.
But I think we have even more immediate problems on our species’ long-term survival, such as global hunger, disease, war, and chronic and ever-increasing overpopulation.
I think to have a serious chance at starting to look at space as a viable frontier, we have to fix those problems first. Because at the end of the day, the biggest danger to humanity isn’t an offplanet threat: the biggest danger to humanity is, and always has been humanity itself.
–James
You’d never guess that I’m a Trekkie. 
Just look at the Avatar.
If we don’t do it soon things are going to get really nasty here on Earth before too long, unless we have some kind of huge natural disaster that reduces our population by a significant amount.
Life](http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/%22%3ELife) After the Oil Crash
More food for thought (argument, flaming, etc)
Tony
James, for heaven’s sake, the greatest threat to
humanity is The Borg!