Argument Eventually there will be another mass extinction event, human-caused or not. We must colonize Mars to mitigate existential threats to humanity as a species. Sure going to mars may seem expensive, but it is just a myth. Bruno Mars. Mars is the closest thing we have to Earth in the entire solar system, and that’s not saying much. “There’s not many people who will want to go in the beginning,” he said, adding that over time the Red Planet colony would be hospitable and have “great bars. In contrast to the Moon, Mars is rich in carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen, all in biologically readily accessible forms such as carbon dioxide gas, nitrogen g… The arguments above show that we are perhaps not ready to go to Mars – at least, not today. Now, six months later, he’s saying we have to do it within 100 years in order to avoid extinction. If the utility function of artificial intelligence is to maximise happiness of humans, a super-intelligent AI might decide that the best way to do that is to capture all humans and inject their brains with dopamine and serotonin. This is a point that organizations hoping to colonize Mars, such as SpaceX, ... We are in that privileged position right now with respect to space colonization. Other people believe that by colonizing other planets, we will only bring chaos to those worlds, much like we did here, on Earth. ADDENDUM: The goal of colonizing to preserve the human species rather than evacuate all humans doesn't make sense either. This would cost billions more and require a massive amount of resources. All logistics … © 2021 Forbes Media LLC. Nonetheless we definitely should not only explore but ultimately colonize Mars. What if a giant asteroid strikes Earth? The planet is currently being ransacked for its resources by its skyrocketing population like a herd of children ambushing an ice cream truck. Whatever we’d have to do on Mars to make the atmosphere habitable would be more easily done on a very very ruined earth. SpaceX is working on a vehicle that will take humans to Mars, a 100-metre ship codenamed the BFR (Big Fucking Rocket). I think the issue is that nerds find space travel and colonizing other planets extremely appealing because they love science fiction and find space exploration exciting. I love dad jokes, I’m a dad!”. 3. We also need to know if there is extraterrestrial life on mars. The idea of colonizing Mars as an opportunity to sustain the human species is a popular one currently. Similarity to earth Mars shares characteristics which is why it could potentially be another habitat where humans can live. There are also important engineering, economic and political advantages to starting colonization with the Moon. That, and NASA got better at making better rockets more cheaply. Posted By Phil Torres on Jul 23, 2018. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. At a max speed of around 17,000 mph would take existing space shuttles 165,000 years to reach this. Let’s start with Mars, which is a favorite planet for colonization scenarios, including for Elon Musk who thinks we should colonize Mars because earth will eventually face a “doomsday scenario”. Humans Should Not Colonize Mars - Volume 3 Issue 3. So is Tesla. We will do this in three subparts. If we mined Mars for these types of raw materials, it would be incredibly expensive to get them back to Earth. However, even coming up with the safety parameters would present all sorts of insidious and unexpected risks, Musk said. Not to mention a significantly lower level of gravity. For example, consider the asteroid that struck the earth 66 million years ago creating the Chicxulub crater and wiping out 75% of plant and animal species on earth, including the dinosaurs. The BFR will fly for the first time in the first half of 2019, Musk said, acknowledging that his “timelines historically have been optimistic”. It is hard to come up with a scenario where evacuating the earth makes the most sense. First, we’d try to deflect it. This frozen water can be extracted from the ground which would allow humans to extract both H20 and oxygen. Before discussing the advantages of the Moon, let’s analyze what a full-court press for Mars colonization look… Maybe just it takes an economist to see through the nerd fantasies. One with an atmosphere closer to ours than Mars. Elon Musk: we must colonise Mars to preserve our species in a third world war This article is more than 2 years old. Ocean colonies are safer. Being close to civilization offers one more advantage: safety. According to Mars One’s general director, this would allow a mission to last for decades, with new expeditions being sent every few years and would eventually lead to a self-sustaining settlement (2013). It makes perfect sense to expand human presence to Mars, but we’re not going to abandon Earth. This may be possible, but the technology required to do this is a far bigger lift than the technology required to build habitable ecosystems on the bottom of the ocean, deflect asteroids, reverse global warming, or cure pandemics. “Mark my words,” he said, “AI is much more dangerous than nukes. Let’s not dive head-first into waters that turn out to be shallow. Humans must prioritise the colonisation of Mars so the species can be conserved in the event of a third world war, SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk said on Sunday. Well that disaster still left 25% of species that survived, all of whom would die instantly on the surface of Mars. Founder of SpaceX, which is working on … There is no magnetic field on Mars. If humans do eventually land on Mars, they would not arrive alone. If humans do eventually land on Mars, they would not arrive alone. The first benefit is one of the main reasons why Elon Musk believes that we should colonize Mars: it would mark the beginning of extraterrestrial life for human beings. Updated on: 10 Apr 2019 by Akash Peshin. But, we won’t know if a permanent presence is possible until we try. Why should we colonize Mars? My third and last reason is how far Mars is and how hard it will be to even get out of earth’s gravitational pull, again not … We Still Don’t Know Earth . Our species’ track record on earth suggests we are not ready to colonize other planets. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. (2019). “SpaceX is alive by the skin of its teeth. The views expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not represent the views of my employer, Moody’s Analytics, its parent company (Moody’s Corporation) or its affiliates. Posted By Phil Torres on Jul 23, 2018. (We’re not talking about the relatively comfy confines of a habitable satellite like the International Space Station.) Space colonization is a controversial topic for some people, though definitely not for me, and for a number of … Whether it’s nuclear war or massive global warming, post disaster earth would be way more habitable than Mars. But before you pack your bags, it’s worth thinking about whether we should colonize Mars. If you think getting humans to abandon a continent peacefully is hard, try getting them to abandon the planet. Trillions of them. How Elon Musk’s Plan to Colonize Mars Helps Planet Earth. He also countered the suggestion that Mars might be “some escape hatch for rich people” by highlighting the risks of the mission: “It will be like Shackleton’s ad for Antarctic explorers: ‘Difficult, dangerous, a good chance you’ll die, excitement for those who survive.’ That kind of thing. 10 Good Reasons Not to Colonize Mars. If earth was to become inhabitable due to something like the effects of global warming, or some other catastrophe humans on … And the ultraviolet level… The closest star system to us is Alpha Centauri, which is 4.3 light years away. Request full-text PDF. We find the historical angle relevant in order to get a nuanced view of how the events leading up to a potential Mars mission may plan out. We should colonize mars (in the future) because of its resources and its resemblance to earth. The Red Planet is a cold, dead place, with an atmosphere about 100 times thinner than Earth’s. The cost of the equipment needed on Mars itself would have to be added in as well. “Technology and human behavior would never allow this!” you insist? Space X wants to use the moon as a launching area for spaceships to Mars. Should We Colonize Venus Instead of Mars? There is a … If we mined Mars for these types of raw materials, it would be incredibly expensive to get them back to Earth. With the recent discovery of flowing liquid water on Mars, talk has turned to what it would take to colonize Mars. If an asteroid like this was heading for the earth here’s what we would do instead of abandoning the planet. Not all of us have to go, we just need to send enough peopleto sustain a healthy population when something catastrophic happens on earth. Could Mars save the human race from extinction? There’s a problem with this plan: under almost no circumstances is colonizing another planet the best way to adapt to a problem on earth. 17, No. If things had gone a little bit the other way, both companies would be dead.”. It is possible to do this, but it would require a major advancement in technology. Not only is colonizing mars the future of mankind because of it would lead to scientific advancements, it also offers a backup plan for mankind. But as we start to terraform Mars, we may wipe out any native microbes due to the extensive changes inflicted on the Martian environment. Water and soil on Mars are saturated with salt, before using them it is necessary to master the complex desalination technology. In short: exploration is great, and we should do more of it. Earth’s resources are depleting at a frightening rate. We’re not saying we should never colonize the universe, but we should prioritize our needs before we start a new chapter in human evolution. Perhaps we could focus on colonizing another planet then. I’m an economist at Moody's Analytics, where I cover labor markets and other aspects of the U.S. economy. Discovery of lunar water at the lunar poles by Chandrayaan-1 has renewed interest in the Moon. Since we will not be encountering any sentient life forms on Mars, we do not have to worry about replicating the evils associated with colonization back on our own planet. EY & Citi On The Importance Of Resilience And Innovation, Impact 50: Investors Seeking Profit — And Pushing For Change, Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King And Coretta Scott King, Grover Cleveland, Hannah Arendt, Walt Disney: Trump Puts Out List Of 244 ‘American Heroes’ For Statue Garden, Donald Trump Jr. Once Promoted Logo Of Extremist Militia Group That Stormed The Capitol Now Being Probed By FBI, CES Comes Home: The Best Intros At The Show, How Can The Buffalo Bills Beat The Kansas City Chiefs? Founder of SpaceX, which is working on getting humans to the planet, speaks at SXSW amid rising nuclear tension, Last modified on Mon 12 Mar 2018 11.58 EDT. First of all, Mars would be the best planet to colonize in our solar system. Elon Musk: we must colonise Mars to preserve our species in a third world war This article is more than 2 years old. You may opt-out by. It Will Drive Technological Change on Earth. Here I am not arguing for a definitive answer to that question. Should Humans Colonize Mars? Colonists would have to establish a permanent base with a source of water, food, and air, or be able to consistently resupply from Earth.