Question Should we increase our explorations of space?

[Anyanka Bunny Slayer]

All those billions could be used to eradicate hunger, homelessness, and other ills of society. We could possibly create a paradise right here...on Earth; of course, we'd have to learn not to kill one another. But first things first.

In the scheme of things, what is realistically more important? Colonizing space, or perfecting life here on Earth? What is the most practical thing for our race?

 

[ILLYRIAN]

We don't have a choice as other aliens won't let the humans kill another planet.
And here's proof positive that God does not exist, mankind has struck the death bell for this planet and the end has begun, just give it twenty five years.
So all of Gods creations on this planet will die, if there was a God he should have killed off most humans to save his other creations.
It is a good idea that man has spent billions on space travel or it would surely have stuffed up this planet sooner.

 

[vellavu]

Eradicating hunger, homelessness, and other ills of society is not our priority. You don't give all your money for buying Buffy DVDs to the hunger and homeless, and neither do I.

For you and me, Buffy DVDs are more important than the hunger and homeless we don't know about. Otherwise we won't be buying them.

 

[white avenger]

To quote a famous starship captain, space is the final frontier. If the human race is to continue to live, develop, and evolve, we have no choice but to expand beyond the boundaries and limitations of Earth, just as we had to expand beyond Europe and cross the ocean to the New World.

 

[Athena]

I don't think we have a choice. We're exhausting all the natural products, such as gas and oil, within our planet. We're eradicating vital species of animals and plants. We're slowly poisoning our air and water. We kill each other. We want, want, want, but won't give, give, give. I can't see a future where our race has any choice other than to look elsewhere. It won't be tomorrow, or 100 years, or 500 years from now but one day our ships will go into space and we'll colonise somewhere else (and probably do exactly the same there) 🙄

Humans are morons.

 

[Bluebird]

Colonizing space, or perfecting life here on Earth?

I don't think there is any chance of us perfecting life on Earth, as we've outgrown the planet. Our population is growing rapidly, unnaturally so, and no one ever thinks about culling humans. You cull animals when they have overpopulated and destroyed the natural cycle. Don't ever talk about culling humans though, we're better than the animals. 🙄

I'll enjoy it while it lasts.

 

[brinkster130]

Even if we did direct those billions to ending something like homelessness, it is hard to imagine it would be done successfully. A lot of society's ills are symptoms of another larger ill but people don't agree about why, how, and even if to deal with it.

 

[Klaus Kartoffel]

I'm afraid it takes way too long until we can even think about colonizing space. The closest star has a three lightyears distance to our sun for instance and it's very unlikely (rather impossible) that it holds an earth-like planet waiting for colonization. And that's not even the biggest obstacle.

Sorry to say it, but we're stuck here.

However, canceling resources of space agencies (no effect whatsoever), whining for "God" to either save or obliterate us, promoting purges or other useless nihilisms won't change anything for the better.

It always begins at the individuum. A good first step might be to bethink of some old slogans as inner guides, try to live on them and advertise them:

What is Enlightenment? Enlightenment is man and woman's emergence from their self-incurred immaturity.. [...] "Have the courage to use your own understanding." Or more catchy: "Sapere aude"! – Dare to be wise!

maybe also useful in combination-> the categorical imperative:

Act only according to that maxim whereby you can, at the same time, will that it should become a universal law.

~ Immanuel Kant

 

[JCoatsworth]

Of course!!! Exploring space is very important, because it gives researchers, scientists and engineers a clear goal to reach. You may say the moon landing was a political thing, but a lot of technology was invented to reach that goal and that technology doesn't simply vanish after the goal is reached and has since been advanced and refined. More goals, such as manned missions to Mars, will advance technology and that will not only help the guys on Mars but also us down here. It's essential for our survival to keep motivated and have something to reach for.

Also, in 2011 the air conditioning for the US military in Afghanistan cost more than NASA's entire annual budget, and the Apollo 11 mission cost less than the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies combined. Just to put things into perspective.

 

[The Bronze]

Don't kid yourselves that buying a few DVD's means no one cares about hunger and homelessness. It also doesn't mean everyone is to blame either. This is the cause of our problems:

Richest 62 people as wealthy as half of world's population, says Oxfam

Our system is rigged to make the rich richer. As long as that's in place we're all screwed. Which unfortunately means as things things stand we'll continue to wreck the planet to make a few people richer. When it becomes uninhabitable if we have developed space travel it'll be those people abandoning the ship.

 

[November]

I can see the earth going more towards the way of the movie Elysium, with a space shuttle for the wealthy above the filth and poverty below. And probably faster than we imagined.

Realistically modifying our needs and the Earth is our best chance of survival. Humans will survive like cockroaches. I think these mass changes are already happening in large - moving humans from fresh food onto prepackaged and serving size rations. Humans encouraged to turn to chemical rather than natural solutions for medical needs and the mass promotion of children being the meaning of life.

Space travel is going to take generations unless someone comes up with something really fast and safe. It wont be in this lifetime, and it will take someone with an idea, nothing remotely what we have come up with yet.

Why dont we try moving sideways - other dimensions? If we can find a wormhole - would it be a dimensional thing or another galaxy or how does that all work? I think Intersteller confused me more.

 

[ILLYRIAN]

Donald Trump has piloted a space ship that flew sideways into a Black Hole.
I'm not sure if that was truth or wishful thinking though.