Space Geek Defined
The Fate of Humanity
Here’s two visions of humanity’s future: One: We develop a perfect society on Earth, sit around singing songs of good will and eating kale. Two: We, as a species, head out for the great unknown we call outer space.
As you might have guessed by the title space geek my vote goes to number two. I understand, I think, the viewpoint of the number ones. The Earth and our type on it could certainly use a major sprucing up. And, heck yea, I even enjoy an occasional kale or its leafy ilk.
Moving Out and Moving On
But is there any precedence for Earth-side home improvement? As a species we seem born to wander. The science is a little less sure now, but there’s still a thought that we all came out of Africa. Whether Africa or elsewhere, we moved: Into Eurasia, across Asia, across the Bering Strait into North America, south into South America. And of course, there are migrations in historical times too.
Animals survive by evolving or moving their range as different challenges are posed to their survival. We can’t forget that, at least until humans evolve, devolve (could go either way) into androids, we also are, and will be, animals. And, as animals, we need stress and our responses to stress to keep from fading away as a species. Creating a world where everyone is fat and happy would, eventually, be the genetic demise of the human race.
The Good Old Days
When I was a kid it was easy to be a geek for all things outer space. It was okay, perhaps even encouraged, to stay home from work or school and gather in living rooms and dens to watch launches and space walks, and landings. The estimate is that six hundred million people worldwide watched the first moon landing. By contrast only about one-sixth that number watched the 2018 SuperBowl at a time when the total world population was double what it was in 1969.
When I was 11 and 12 I belonged to two science fiction book clubs. But I also had a hands on element, convinced that I could pull together tools and materials from the Sears Catalog to build my own spaceship. (See Stene’s Stories.) Of course, I’m still here, so you can guess that never happened. I did build about 80 percent of a reflector telescope (See Space Geek – The Early Years.) And our group of neighborhood kids also went through a build and launch model rocket phase (Also Space Geek – The Early Years.)
Mars?
Until just recently, I have been disheartened by the withering of interest in human spaceflight. I was starting to resign myself to the idea that we humans will eventually overwhelm our planet and that will be all she wrote. We will die off having never gotten permanently, or even semi-permanently, off the bosom of Mother Earth.
I’m excited that Mars now seems to be a viable target for a space going mission. Imagine a survey of whether people thought humans will be on Mars in twenty years. The question would simply ask will we be there, not whether the person being questioned thinks it’s a good idea or is worth the tremendous time and effort. I think a sizable number of people would say yes. (Check out On to Mars.)
So, to slightly modify an old hippy era phrase, I’m proud to let my space geek flag fly.