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I think it's part of our nature to want to explore the unexplored and conquer the unconquered. It seems to be a recurring theme throughout our history that the

I think it's part of our nature to want to explore the unexplored and conquer the unconquered. It seems to be a recurring theme throughout our history that the latest fascination is always what lies just beyond the edge of civilisation. Whether it's the Orient from the perspective of European traders, the depths of the ocean or the hidden mysteries of the Amazon jungle to a Victorian adventurer, or any number of other intrigues from different cultural perspectives. I agree that the main reason that Mars is so appealing is because modern life is so predictable. We've explored nearly everything on Earth and have set ourselves up to live a consistent, pre-planned life. Mars (and more broadly, space) represents a return to the mysteries of the past. Why live a normal, standardised life in commoditised modernity when we can live and die on the last remaining frontier?

bamboozled 10y ago
Moden life is predictable because we've taken a massive energy debt out against the future with serious consequences for the biosphere to pay for it, big entropy is about to happen re climate change and soon you might find yourself in mad max. I don't disagree with you though, we've made things temporarily boring for ourselves by indulging in far too much convenience and luxury.
- beaconstudios 10y ago
  I'm not sure that climate change is going to have that sort of effect within our lifetimes. Maybe in 100 or 200 years, which is why we're trying to avert it now - if worldwide disaster were due within 50 years I'm not sure there'd be any point to trying to scale down our greenhouse gas production.
  - eutropia 10y ago
    This guy seems to think we've got that much time before all hell breaks loose due to runaway clathrate gun methane buildup and dramatic ocean level rise from both temperature expansion and glacial melt. I don't really like to think about it... https://guymcpherson.com/ https://guymcpherson.com/
    - bamboozled 10y ago
      So it's not really that predictable

bamboozled 10y ago

Moden life is predictable because we've taken a massive energy debt out against the future with serious consequences for the biosphere to pay for it, big entropy is about to happen re climate change and soon you might find yourself in mad max. I don't disagree with you though, we've made things temporarily boring for ourselves by indulging in far too much convenience and luxury.

beaconstudios 10y ago
I'm not sure that climate change is going to have that sort of effect within our lifetimes. Maybe in 100 or 200 years, which is why we're trying to avert it now - if worldwide disaster were due within 50 years I'm not sure there'd be any point to trying to scale down our greenhouse gas production.
- eutropia 10y ago
  This guy seems to think we've got that much time before all hell breaks loose due to runaway clathrate gun methane buildup and dramatic ocean level rise from both temperature expansion and glacial melt. I don't really like to think about it... https://guymcpherson.com/ https://guymcpherson.com/
  - bamboozled 10y ago
    So it's not really that predictable