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Just like everybody else I'm really blown away by what SpaceX does, but at the same time I think the question begs to be asked: Has humanity already given up on

Just like everybody else I'm really blown away by what SpaceX does, but at the same time I think the question begs to be asked: Has humanity already given up on earth as a home? Is the future really about planets as disposable habitats?

perilunar 9y ago
No. Even Elon hasn't given up on Earth — why do you think he's running Tesla?
- varjag 9y ago
  And the Boring Company… doesn't get any more earthy than this.
dillchen 9y ago
If you were in Europe in the Age of Discovery, would you have said that about coming over to the Americas?
hacker_9 9y ago
Given up? We have no choice in the matter. And remember Mars is a dust bowl, where you can't even go outside without a helmet on. Earth is as good as it gets.
Tepix 9y ago
What makes you think so? Are our efforts of colonizing space a detriment to our efforts to keep earth habitable?
joselreyes 9y ago
Remember the goal is a multiplanetary species. Earth is a part of the multiple planets.
briga 9y ago
Considering how long it will take to get a proper bioshpere on Mars, which will only work IF we can teraform Mars properly, I dont think we'll be able to abandon Earth any time soon. I think the Mars colony will be something more like our base in Antarctica--a place for scientists, but not somewhere anyone would want to live permanently.
greglindahl 9y ago
Good thing almost all discussions of SpaceX and Mars on HN includes a comment like yours!
InclinedPlane 9y ago
Think about the "Earthrise" picture from Apollo 8: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/lunar/missions/apollo/apollo_8/images/earth_lg.gif http://www.lpi.usra.edu/lunar/missions/apollo/apollo_8/image... Or, "Pale Blue Dot" from Voyager 1: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Pale_Blue_Dot.png https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Pale_Blu... Space exploration has given us some of the most profoundly transformative new views of life on Earth, giving us a greater appreciation and a greater understanding of what Earth is, what its value is, and informing our relationship with Earth. Mars colonization will be no different, I suspect. Not only will it help crystallize our self-conception of who we are and what we're about as a species, it will provide a greater clarity on what it means to create proper "living conditions" here on Earth. On Earth it's easy to take things for granted. Which sometimes means we also allow progress to stall because we perceive things as being just "good enough for now". A lot of that will change with Mars colonization, and for the better I think. On Mars they won't have clean air or clean water without putting in a tremendous amount of work to create them. Which they will do, of course, because the alternative is to live without them, which isn't reasonable. But consider life back here on Earth, where we take our air and water for granted. Where we can approach the issues of a lack of clean water or air in a lackadaisical manner, without it being the highest emergency priority. And that's true not only in the developing world (India or Sub-saharan Africa) but also in the midst of the developed world (the lead tainted water in Flint and elsewhere, Victoria, BC in Canada flushing its toilets directly into the Ocean, etc, etc.) And the way we treat environmental issues as something that our grandchildren might have to finally get around to sorting out, but not something to actually begin tackling right now today. Imagine what it's like on Mars where the starting condition is a bare rock with zero trees, zero rivers, zero lakes. Will Martians plant forests, will they create lakes and rivers? Of course they will. That'll be one of the first things they begin doing. And those things will be precious treasures to them. Just as with air and water, that simple act will help remind us of the natural treasures we exploit and take for granted on Earth rather than preserve and cherish. Additionally, the technologies developed on the path of Martian colonization will have immanent applicability to Earth. The BFR alone is a perfect example of that, suitable not just for Mars colonization but also for Earth satellite delivery, and point-to-point travel, among other functions. Colonists will pioneer a lot of new techniques and a lot of new technologies for their own unique needs. But I think we'll find that while those needs are unique, the advances they make will have a lot wider application. One thing that will be necessary on Mars is figuring out how to build stuff using a minimal base of machine tools and industrial infrastructure. That sort of cost/complexity reduction will be just as applicable on Earth. As will figuring out how to use advanced machine tools (CNC, 3D printers, laser/water cutters, etc.) to their maximum utility. Growing high yield crops sustainably. Achieving high efficiency of recycling. And on and on.
nickik 9y ago
I never understand this question. The hole point is to become a space fairing multi planetary species. Having a civilization that can use resources from space will help earth as well.
andygates 9y ago
"Earth-That-Was was used up" is fiction.

perilunar 9y ago

No. Even Elon hasn't given up on Earth — why do you think he's running Tesla?

varjag 9y ago
And the Boring Company… doesn't get any more earthy than this.

dillchen 9y ago

If you were in Europe in the Age of Discovery, would you have said that about coming over to the Americas?

hacker_9 9y ago

Given up? We have no choice in the matter. And remember Mars is a dust bowl, where you can't even go outside without a helmet on. Earth is as good as it gets.

Tepix 9y ago

What makes you think so? Are our efforts of colonizing space a detriment to our efforts to keep earth habitable?

joselreyes 9y ago

Remember the goal is a multiplanetary species. Earth is a part of the multiple planets.

briga 9y ago

Considering how long it will take to get a proper bioshpere on Mars, which will only work IF we can teraform Mars properly, I dont think we'll be able to abandon Earth any time soon. I think the Mars colony will be something more like our base in Antarctica--a place for scientists, but not somewhere anyone would want to live permanently.

greglindahl 9y ago

Good thing almost all discussions of SpaceX and Mars on HN includes a comment like yours!

InclinedPlane 9y ago

Think about the "Earthrise" picture from Apollo 8: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/lunar/missions/apollo/apollo_8/images/earth_lg.gif http://www.lpi.usra.edu/lunar/missions/apollo/apollo_8/image... Or, "Pale Blue Dot" from Voyager 1: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Pale_Blue_Dot.png https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Pale_Blu... Space exploration has given us some of the most profoundly transformative new views of life on Earth, giving us a greater appreciation and a greater understanding of what Earth is, what its value is, and informing our relationship with Earth. Mars colonization will be no different, I suspect. Not only will it help crystallize our self-conception of who we are and what we're about as a species, it will provide a greater clarity on what it means to create proper "living conditions" here on Earth. On Earth it's easy to take things for granted. Which sometimes means we also allow progress to stall because we perceive things as being just "good enough for now". A lot of that will change with Mars colonization, and for the better I think. On Mars they won't have clean air or clean water without putting in a tremendous amount of work to create them. Which they will do, of course, because the alternative is to live without them, which isn't reasonable. But consider life back here on Earth, where we take our air and water for granted. Where we can approach the issues of a lack of clean water or air in a lackadaisical manner, without it being the highest emergency priority. And that's true not only in the developing world (India or Sub-saharan Africa) but also in the midst of the developed world (the lead tainted water in Flint and elsewhere, Victoria, BC in Canada flushing its toilets directly into the Ocean, etc, etc.) And the way we treat environmental issues as something that our grandchildren might have to finally get around to sorting out, but not something to actually begin tackling right now today. Imagine what it's like on Mars where the starting condition is a bare rock with zero trees, zero rivers, zero lakes. Will Martians plant forests, will they create lakes and rivers? Of course they will. That'll be one of the first things they begin doing. And those things will be precious treasures to them. Just as with air and water, that simple act will help remind us of the natural treasures we exploit and take for granted on Earth rather than preserve and cherish. Additionally, the technologies developed on the path of Martian colonization will have immanent applicability to Earth. The BFR alone is a perfect example of that, suitable not just for Mars colonization but also for Earth satellite delivery, and point-to-point travel, among other functions. Colonists will pioneer a lot of new techniques and a lot of new technologies for their own unique needs. But I think we'll find that while those needs are unique, the advances they make will have a lot wider application. One thing that will be necessary on Mars is figuring out how to build stuff using a minimal base of machine tools and industrial infrastructure. That sort of cost/complexity reduction will be just as applicable on Earth. As will figuring out how to use advanced machine tools (CNC, 3D printers, laser/water cutters, etc.) to their maximum utility. Growing high yield crops sustainably. Achieving high efficiency of recycling. And on and on.

nickik 9y ago

I never understand this question. The hole point is to become a space fairing multi planetary species. Having a civilization that can use resources from space will help earth as well.

andygates 9y ago

"Earth-That-Was was used up" is fiction.