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Beautiful posters. I’m baffled as to why anyone would want to spend time on planets that don’t naturally support life for humans. What is the appeal of nothingn

Beautiful posters. I’m baffled as to why anyone would want to spend time on planets that don’t naturally support life for humans. What is the appeal of nothingness. Just go put on a special suit and hang out in a desert on earth. At least there you might even see bugs or snakes, etc. but another planet with nothing but rocks (minerals, whatever)…how is this appealing. The biodiversity on earth is incredible and is being destroyed at an insane pace. All this space talk and people wanting to yet out of here really makes me think humans are unable to 1) appreciate what they have and 2) are extremely selfish to the point where, when whittled down in this scenario, prefer nothing to a lot of things. Besides exploring space, which I think is somewhat different, can someone tell me what the appeal of living in nothingness is…

otabdeveloper4 5y ago
The media from an early age conditioned people to expect something more there than just rocks and darkness.
- Robotbeat 5y ago
  Space, at least anywhere nearby, is brighter than on Earth.
crazydoggers 5y ago
These posters capture the imagination that goes with pulp science fiction of the 40s and 50s. It’s nostalgic and whimsical, not meant to actually portray visiting barren planets. When pulp sci fi was being written, no one really knew what might be in our own solar system. Some assumed Venus could be a jungle teaming with life, Mars full of caverns with civilization. Obviously now we know that’s not the case. So the idea that there’s some appeal for people to walk around nothingness in a space suite is off the mark. The reason we want to send people to Mars is not to enjoy the barrens of Mars, but to further our capabilities. (Although there is an undeniable beauty ti geology as well, the beauty of the Grand Canyon for instance) The barrens are a stepping stone. If there are planets with alien snakes and bugs, whole ecosystems with intelligent beings, the only way to get there is baby steps in our own barren solar system. So that’s the appeal. The challenge of exploration to see what’s over that next hill. Edit: Your points of not appreciating what’s on Earth are right on point. You’ll note one of the posters is an Earth poster. In many ways demonstrating how barren and inhospitable most of the universe is, helps people realize what they have here and how precious it is. So in other words, your exact point of view is what many hope everyone can understand.
beaconstudios 5y ago
for me, the appeal of space is the idea of working on the frontier to expand human reach and resources. Space tourism would presumably have to wait until we were established and comfortable on other planets/moons, and I'd guess that the appeal would be the same as regular tourism; a change of scenery, a novel experience, and to be able to show off!
perhonen 5y ago
are you saying an environment is only appreciable if it's a biosphere? why? that seems utterly arbitrary. i'd quite enjoy bouncing around in 1/4 gravity, or sailing over lakes of hydrocarbons if i could. sure it's equally arbitrary, but it would be more novel than any environment on earth. what does selfishness have to do with it?
- ehnto 5y ago
  > but it would be more novel than any environment on earth I think you underestimate the experiences available on Earth, but I otherwise agree that it would be awesome as heck.
- LargoLasskhyfv 5y ago
  Yummie fumes...
Robotbeat 5y ago
Some love the desert, some love the ocean, some love mountains, some love canyons, some love caves, some love volcanos, some love cities. Not everyone always wants to be in the rainforest or a coral reef or some pastoralist backdrop. Whenever this comes up, it’s weird to me that people seem to not understand that different people have a wide variety of interests and tastes. Also, some people like making the barren into a lush garden. “Why do people want nothingness” is a sort of earth-centrists’ strawman of what space inhabitation enthusiasts are passionate about, and also super factually incorrect about what space contains.
- LargoLasskhyfv 5y ago
  Now imagine a cave city on a volcanic mountain, with a view out of a canyon, over the desert coast... :-)
Robotbeat 5y ago
Space enthusiasts don’t want “nothing,” they want this: https://vimeo.com/108650530 https://vimeo.com/108650530
- LargoLasskhyfv 5y ago
  Exellent. With the exception of the last few seconds. Somewhere on some body in space, with a furred hoodie? Pelt? Fur? REALLY? I've seen this before, and couldn't get over it then.
  - Robotbeat 5y ago
    It’s not “some body,” it’s actually the cloud layer of Saturn. And yes, you wouldn’t need a pressure suit at that location, just oxygen mask and cold weather gear because the pressure at that point (400 millibar up to 4-10 bar) is Earth-like! The author of that video was, in fact, intentionally using a fur lined coat/hood/hat to underscore the fact that the pressure is Earth-like at the Saturn cloud layer and the coat is not a pressure suit but just insulation. So it was intentional and accurate (or, rather, a possibility), not an unscientific mistake.
    - LargoLasskhyfv 5y ago
      Yes, Yes, I got that. (With the atmosphere etc) But really.. I'd expect some hightech fleece instead, maybe with a hexagonal weave pattern in it, or such.
      - Robotbeat 5y ago
        What do people wear on scientific basis in Antarctica?
        LargoLasskhyfv 5y ago
        Space, the final frontier... Do you really think they will/should 'ride' there in some rattling rocket, between shaking cargo crates in mesh nets, with clothing from military surplus? SPACE should look like the highest technology ever. In all aspects PERIOD

otabdeveloper4 5y ago

The media from an early age conditioned people to expect something more there than just rocks and darkness.

Robotbeat 5y ago
Space, at least anywhere nearby, is brighter than on Earth.

crazydoggers 5y ago

These posters capture the imagination that goes with pulp science fiction of the 40s and 50s. It’s nostalgic and whimsical, not meant to actually portray visiting barren planets. When pulp sci fi was being written, no one really knew what might be in our own solar system. Some assumed Venus could be a jungle teaming with life, Mars full of caverns with civilization. Obviously now we know that’s not the case. So the idea that there’s some appeal for people to walk around nothingness in a space suite is off the mark. The reason we want to send people to Mars is not to enjoy the barrens of Mars, but to further our capabilities. (Although there is an undeniable beauty ti geology as well, the beauty of the Grand Canyon for instance) The barrens are a stepping stone. If there are planets with alien snakes and bugs, whole ecosystems with intelligent beings, the only way to get there is baby steps in our own barren solar system. So that’s the appeal. The challenge of exploration to see what’s over that next hill. Edit: Your points of not appreciating what’s on Earth are right on point. You’ll note one of the posters is an Earth poster. In many ways demonstrating how barren and inhospitable most of the universe is, helps people realize what they have here and how precious it is. So in other words, your exact point of view is what many hope everyone can understand.

beaconstudios 5y ago

for me, the appeal of space is the idea of working on the frontier to expand human reach and resources. Space tourism would presumably have to wait until we were established and comfortable on other planets/moons, and I'd guess that the appeal would be the same as regular tourism; a change of scenery, a novel experience, and to be able to show off!

perhonen 5y ago

are you saying an environment is only appreciable if it's a biosphere? why? that seems utterly arbitrary. i'd quite enjoy bouncing around in 1/4 gravity, or sailing over lakes of hydrocarbons if i could. sure it's equally arbitrary, but it would be more novel than any environment on earth. what does selfishness have to do with it?

ehnto 5y ago
> but it would be more novel than any environment on earth I think you underestimate the experiences available on Earth, but I otherwise agree that it would be awesome as heck.
LargoLasskhyfv 5y ago
Yummie fumes...

Robotbeat 5y ago

Some love the desert, some love the ocean, some love mountains, some love canyons, some love caves, some love volcanos, some love cities. Not everyone always wants to be in the rainforest or a coral reef or some pastoralist backdrop. Whenever this comes up, it’s weird to me that people seem to not understand that different people have a wide variety of interests and tastes. Also, some people like making the barren into a lush garden. “Why do people want nothingness” is a sort of earth-centrists’ strawman of what space inhabitation enthusiasts are passionate about, and also super factually incorrect about what space contains.

LargoLasskhyfv 5y ago
Now imagine a cave city on a volcanic mountain, with a view out of a canyon, over the desert coast... :-)

Robotbeat 5y ago

Space enthusiasts don’t want “nothing,” they want this: https://vimeo.com/108650530 https://vimeo.com/108650530

LargoLasskhyfv 5y ago
Exellent. With the exception of the last few seconds. Somewhere on some body in space, with a furred hoodie? Pelt? Fur? REALLY? I've seen this before, and couldn't get over it then.
- Robotbeat 5y ago
  It’s not “some body,” it’s actually the cloud layer of Saturn. And yes, you wouldn’t need a pressure suit at that location, just oxygen mask and cold weather gear because the pressure at that point (400 millibar up to 4-10 bar) is Earth-like! The author of that video was, in fact, intentionally using a fur lined coat/hood/hat to underscore the fact that the pressure is Earth-like at the Saturn cloud layer and the coat is not a pressure suit but just insulation. So it was intentional and accurate (or, rather, a possibility), not an unscientific mistake.
  - LargoLasskhyfv 5y ago
    Yes, Yes, I got that. (With the atmosphere etc) But really.. I'd expect some hightech fleece instead, maybe with a hexagonal weave pattern in it, or such.
    - Robotbeat 5y ago
      What do people wear on scientific basis in Antarctica?
      - LargoLasskhyfv 5y ago
        Space, the final frontier... Do you really think they will/should 'ride' there in some rattling rocket, between shaking cargo crates in mesh nets, with clothing from military surplus? SPACE should look like the highest technology ever. In all aspects PERIOD