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Author of Red Mars calls 'bullshit' on emigrating to the planet

newscientist.com

11–20 of 153 posts

Re: Author of Red Mars calls 'bullshit' on emigrating to the planet

#11

It's always going to be easier to live underground or under the sea, and you don't see anyone doing that.

Well, I seem to recall hearing about this city called "Rapture" under the sea, and it didn't work out very well at all. Would you kindly read up on it?

Re: Author of Red Mars calls 'bullshit' on emigrating to the planet

#12
> We have to solve the problems we’ve created here before going anywhere off planet will become even slightly relevant.

Which is a fair point, but the other points (about soil toxicity, cosmic rays and lower gravity) are all things that can be mitigated. Yes, it would be extravagantly expensive in per-human terms to house people on Mars. But the main reason for doing so -- that should something cataclysmic happen to the Earth it would behoove us to have a credible backup plan -- stands.

Re: Author of Red Mars calls 'bullshit' on emigrating to the planet

#13
post #3

I think Neil DeGrasse Tyson said it best (paraphrasing): It takes less money and effort to fix Earth than to terraform Mars.

However there are a lot of entrenched interests that would be harmed by any large-scale attempts at fixing earth. Even if you paid for it out of your own pocket and brought your own engineers, your attempt at fixing Earth would face strong opposition. Meanwhile barely anyone would oppose your attempt at improving Mars.

The article is however spot on that terraforming Mars looked easier 30 years ago than it looks now, with all the new knowledge we have from Mars rovers. Now any "realistic" plan would be millions of people living in pressurized habitats and venturing out in suits, not billions walking on the surface in t-shirts. Closer to what we see in The Expanse than to what we dreamed up in the 80s and 90s

Re: Author of Red Mars calls 'bullshit' on emigrating to the planet

#15
post #7

I thought this Red Mars was selected for a movie or series a couple of years ago. I guess not, but I think it would make for a good mini-series. But I agree with the author, and I am starting to wonder if the same thing could be applied if we find earth like planets around other stars. I almost think on those planets there could be something in the air or water or dirt that could harm or even kill us if we fond a way…

I really hope they don't make it a movie or TV show, if only because I know deep down they will neuter out all the communism and Islam from it and make it somehow about a group of hot 20 somethings dealing with romance. cf. Netflix's Three Body Problem here.

Re: Author of Red Mars calls 'bullshit' on emigrating to the planet

#18
post #7

I thought this Red Mars was selected for a movie or series a couple of years ago. I guess not, but I think it would make for a good mini-series. But I agree with the author, and I am starting to wonder if the same thing could be applied if we find earth like planets around other stars. I almost think on those planets there could be something in the air or water or dirt that could harm or even kill us if we fond a way…

There's way too much depth in this (wonderful, cautiously hopeful) series to pack into a movie, or even a trilogy.

Re: Author of Red Mars calls 'bullshit' on emigrating to the planet

#19
post #3

I think Neil DeGrasse Tyson said it best (paraphrasing): It takes less money and effort to fix Earth than to terraform Mars.

Of course that is true, every Mars enthusiast will agree. Not a single person is saying to leave Earth behind to rot. Agree with Mars proponents or not, but at least don't argue against strawmen. Their actual argument treats Mars as a backup strategy for humanity and a science outpost

Re: Author of Red Mars calls 'bullshit' on emigrating to the planet

#20
post #11

It's always going to be easier to live underground or under the sea, and you don't see anyone doing that.

Well, I seem to recall hearing about this city called "Rapture" under the sea, and it didn't work out very well at all. Would you kindly read up on it?

To be fair many of Rapture's problems were extremely avoidable, except possibly by libertarian idealists.
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