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Chesterton

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When we get to Mars, what do we do? What did we do when we got to the moon? We hit a golf ball. We rode a dune buggy around for a while. Picked up some rocks, when we have plenty of rocks on Earth. G. K. Chesterton once remarked that we have this "insidious habit" of discovering the North Pole.
 
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Hans Blaster

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Talking in soundbites is just irritating.
So are Musk's empty promises. He's been making grandiose claims about Mars for years and I don't buy any of them. Did Musk put humans on Mars last year? Well in 2018 he claimed he would. A quick search for his Mars claims shows these recent claims:

Five uncrewed starships to Mars in 2026 (made Oct 2024):

SpaceX Will Send Five Uncrewed Starships to Mars by 2026, Crewed Missions to Follow

Land on Mars in 3-4 years (2026-27), made Oct. 2023):

Elon Musk Says SpaceX Could Land on Mars in 3 to 4 Years (Published 2023)

Humans on Mars in 2029 (made March 2022):

Elon Musk Has New Estimate for When Humans Might First Step on Mars


when they can get just one empty "starship" into orbit that will be a start.
Oh goody, even more launches just to get a return mission.
This should be exciting to someone with a scientific bent as in effect it is one of the most challenging things man has attempted in a long time.
The key to success is to kick the hucksters aside. I think I am going to join the "robotic exploration" camp. This plan is ridiculously complicated just for scientific exploration.
Or would you prefer an understanding of science that spends years debating origin theories it cannot prove rather than devoting itself to stuff it has a chance with?
Enough of this. I have actual science to do. No fantasy missions to Mars. No "origins debates."
 
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Bradskii

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I can imagine Charles I of Spain saying that he's not going to fund any more trips to the Americas. 'That last voyage cost me a fortune. And all they brought back was some inedible local food. Millions of pesetas for a bag of potatos. Forget it...'
 
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Bradskii

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Not worth going anywhere, I guess.
 
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mindlight

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The Apollo Missions were like a package holiday to the most exotic location thus far. But when they got there they drove their car, toasted their families back home, sent a few postcards, brought back some rocks as souvenirs and enjoyed a game of golf.

Mars is an altogether longer trip and a bigger investment. The sacrifice is more comparable to early settlers in the first North American colonies. Survival rather than joy rides before the cameras is the more pressing issue. Many know that is a one way trip or at least saturated with uncertainty.

Therefore we need bigger heroes than Neil Armstrong to make the trip.
 
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Chesterton

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I've done the same in Utah.
Those are reasons for not doing it.
 
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mindlight

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I agree Musk is better at predictions than putting dates on them. This might be a feature of corporate planners with their event orientated lives. They just hate it when you say it will be done when you've solved the problems.

But betting against starship might be a little foolish given Musks track record.

Curiosity is a good motive for being in space but it is not Musks motivation. He wants to establish mankind as a multiplanetary species. Robots have already been on Mars for decades but unless people go there the place quite simply has no interest for most. It is the life and love that people bring to a place that fill it with stories and turn it from a pile of red rocks into a place where everyone wants to visit.

Musks basic strategy is focus on the transportation system. It is for others to find ways to makes Mars City work.
 
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Bradskii

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Ask the Native Americans.
You killed and ill treated the original inhabitants so therefore we shouldn't explore? I thought the argument would have been better presented as 'Go exploring, but treat the locals you find with respect.'

I'm afraid that both your country and mine let ourselves down regarding that.
 
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mindlight

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We need Vilos Kohaagen to run Mars.

But wasn't he the bad guy in Total Recall. Not to be as petty as Tinker grumpy face
previously but I could not find the name at first because it's spelt: Vilos Cohaagen
 
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Chesterton

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So things would be better if men were good. You should write a book.
 
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Aryeh Jay

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But wasn't he the bad guy in Total Recall. Not to be as petty as Tinker grumpy face
previously but I could not find the name at first because it's spelt: Vilos Cohaagen

He may have been bad but he ran Mars pretty efficiently. Sorry about the name, I had cataract surgery today and have been using a voice app. because I can hardly see at the moment.
 
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Chesterton

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There are no red Indians on Mars and black slaves would just be extra mouths to feed. So not like for like.
Yeah, I wasn't comparing the Americas to Mars, but thanks for the info.
 
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NxNW

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Ive watched most of season one. Pretty great.

But Im curious how the Soviets will get more involved if the show remains sort of agnostic regarding their totalitarianism.
Stay tuned; we're deep in S2 now and that very topic is at the forefront.
 
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