On Wed, Dec 13, Elon Musk tweeted about how humanity should venture beyond Earth, to the moon and to Mars. To which, Tomas Aipanda from Namibia quickly replied and suggested that “we could just solve earth problems first”.
This is a common topic of debate among scientists, policy makers, social workers, NGOs and other thinkers — what purpose does spending billions on space technology serve, when millions suffer from hunger and disease right here on Earth? What right do we have to colonize other planets, when we cannot take care of our own?
These questions pop-up frequently here at DK as well.
Elon Musk’s pithy and enigmatic response is — “Our existence cannot just be about solving one miserable problem after another. There need to be reasons to live.”
There are hundreds of responses to Elon’s tweet, which you can read by clicking on the tweet.
One of the most eloquent and thoughtful answer to that question was delivered back in 1970 in a letter titled “Why Explore Space”, by Dr. Ernst Stuhlinger, then-associate director of science at NASA to a Zambia-based nun named Sister Mary Jucunda, who asked this very question. You should read the full letter at www.lettersofnote.com/…. to best appreciate it. Here is a quick dry synopsis of the beautiful letter —
- Traveling to the Moon, Mars and to other planets, in the long run, will contribute more to the solution of these Earthly problems than many other potential projects of help.
- Stuhlinger provided an example of a count who funded a person who was tinkering with lenses, much to the chagrin of the poor townspeople who were struggling with hunger and disease. But the work eventually led to the development of the microscope, which has had a huge impact on the well-being of millions.
- He supports increased social and foreign aid programs, funded by tax payer money. But that is not sufficient to address the issues facing mankind.
- He gives an example of food production and distribution of food. He suggests that one of best tool for improving production, is the artificial Earth satellite. Food distribution is constrained by state boundaries, conflicts and mistrust between countries. Improved international relations, which space programs foster, can help mitigate this problem.
- Space technology is a stimulant and catalyst for the development of new technologies, which can serve humankind. He gives examples of contributions already made such as improved kitchen appliances, farm equipment, sewing machines, radios, ships, airplanes, weather forecasting and storm warning, communications and medical instruments.
- Significant progress in the solutions of technical problems is frequently made not by a direct approach, but by first setting a goal of high challenge which offers a strong motivation for innovative work, which fires the imagination and spurs men to expend their best efforts, and which acts as a catalyst by including chains of other reactions.
- We also need increased knowledge in basic sciences, physics and chemistry, in biology and physiology, and medicine to address hunger, disease, contamination of food and water, pollution of the environment.
- We need more young men and women who choose science as a career and we need better support for those scientists who have the talent and the determination to engage in fruitful research work. The space program provides inspiration, motivation and resources for these young bright minds.
- Looking at Earth from space has helped us understand and appreciate Earth better than before and focused our attention on the problems facing humanity.
- As a stimulant and catalyst for the development of new technologies, we may even say that the space program is taking over a function which for three or four thousand years has been the sad prerogative of wars.
Much more has been written on the topic since then, but this letter is timeless.
NASA Technology Spinoffs
en.wikipedia.org/… contains a list of technologies developed by NASA, that have found their way into everyday lives. Here is a notable list -
- 3D food printing
- Infrared ear thermometers
- Artificial limbs
- Invisible braces
- Scratch-resistant lenses
- Aircraft anti-icing systems
- Highway safety
- Firefighting equipment
- Temper foam
- Enriched baby food
- Portable cordless vacuums
- Freeze drying
- Digital image sensor
- Water purification
- Solar Cells
- Pollution remediation
- Water location
- Improved weather forecasts
www.nasa.gov/… adds to the list — implantable heart monitors, light‐based anti‐cancer therapy, cordless tools, light‐weight high‐temperature alloys used in jet engine turbines, cameras found in today's cellphones, compact water‐purification systems, global search‐and‐rescue systems, tele-medicine and biomedical technologies.
Other Thoughts and Opinions
People often ask, If you like spin‐off products, why not just invest in those technologies straightaway, instead of waiting for them to happen as spin‐offs? The answer: it just doesn't work that way. Let's say you’re a thermodynamicist, the world's expert on heat, and I ask you to build me a better oven. You might invent a convection oven, or an oven that’s more insulated or that permits easier access to its contents. But no matter how much money I give you, you will not invent a microwave oven. Because that came from another place. It came from investments in communications, in radar. The microwave oven is traceable to the war effort, not to a thermodynamicist.
Neil deGrasse Tyson, Space Chronicles, W.W.Norton & Company,2012, p.210.
Quoted in www.nasa.gov/...
Konstantin Tsiolkovsky — The Earth is the cradle of humanity, but mankind cannot stay in the cradle forever.
"Man is an artifact designed for space travel. He is not designed to remain in his present biologic state any more than a tadpole is designed to remain a tadpole."
~William Burroughs, The Adding Machine, (1985)
books.google.com/...
Here is Stephen Hawking expounding on this subject -
And Prof. Brian Cox on space and science exploration in general —
Here is Wanderers, a wonderful short science fiction film by Erik Wernquist. The film is a (speculative) vision of our humanity's future expansion into the Solar System.
What do you think?
Has space exploration provided sufficient benefits to humanity?
Will it continue to do so?
Can space technology (and science) help improve not just international relations, but our local politics as well?
Should we focus on Earthly problems and not worry about space travel?
Should we colonize other planets and moons?
Should we terraform planets and moons to support life?
Should we seed (barren) planets and moons with life?
Would you migrate to Mars if it became hospitable and affordable?
What is the future of humanity?
References
- Letter by Dr. Ernst Stuhlinger - www.lettersofnote.com/…
- Benefits Stemming from Space Exploration — www.nasa.gov/...
- NASA spinoff technologies — en.wikipedia.org/…
- Why We Explore — www.nasa.gov/…
- The Real Reasons We Explore Space — www.airspacemag.com/…
- Stephen Hawking: Why We Should Go Into Space — www.nss.org/..
- Here on Earth — www.ridingwithrobots.org/…
- Developing Ecospheres on Transiently Habitable Planets:The Genesis Project — arxiv.org/…
- The Genesis Project: Using robotic gene factories to seed the galaxy with life — www.universetoday.com/…
- Elon Musk to Boeing CEO on getting first to Mars - "Do it" — www.dailykos.com/…
- Turn Mars Blue? — www.dailykos.com/…
- NASA to Hold Media Call on Evidence of Surprising Activity on Europa — www.dailykos.com/...