On Monday, this channel released a video called 5 reasons why going to Mars is a Terrible idea, where we outlined some of the biggest challenges to going to Mars that most people might not know about or think about.
But like everything in life, you have to weigh the good with the bad, so today I’m going to talk about 5 reasons why going to Mars is an awesome idea.
Reason number one, the survival of our species.
You know, that little thing.
There have been five mass extinctions on this planet, and no shortage of opportunities for it to happen again.
Supervolcanoes, asteroid impacts, gamma ray bursts, natural fluctuations in climate… and the unnatural ones.
99% of all species that have ever lived are now gone forever. It would be the height of arrogance to think there’s no chance it could happen to us.
Having all your eggs in one basket is a terrible idea, which was the rationale for why Elon Musk wanted to go to Mars in the first place.
Now, Mars isn’t the only option, I discussed some of the other places we can go in a previous video.
But the bottom line is for the long-term survival of our species, we’ve got to find a way to live off of Earth, maybe even on another star system someday.
And all that starts with setting foot on another planet. Might as well be the red one.
Reason number two, the possibility of discovering life on another planet.
If that did happen, there are two possibilities, that we find microbial life that’s nothing at all like what we have on Earth, which would prove that life is an abundant force, possibly woven into the very fabric of the universe.
Also showing that our planet might not be so rare after all.
Or, we could find microbial life that is quite similar to life here on Earth, which would be convincing evidence of Panspermia, the idea that basic life forms spread across planets and possibly solar systems.
Either possibility is incredibly cool.
Reason number three, the spinoff benefits.
It could be argued that the biggest benefits from the Apollo program had nothing to do with the moon, but from the scientific and engineering advancements we created along the way.
And each and every one of them were solutions to a problem that we never would have encountered if we hadn’t left Earth and pushed our boundaries.
To make it to Mars and eventually colonize Mars, we’ll have to find solutions to the 5 issues that were listed in the last video, and each one of those solutions has the potential to change our lives here on Earth.
Reason number four, the economic benefits
While the powers that be must lean toward pragmatism when it comes to costs and budgets, the ancillary benefits of space travel have opened up entirely new economies and business opportunities that nobody could have foreseen.
When viewed through that lens, the return on investment is incalculable.
Just a quick example of how this would apply to Mars missions, one of the hot topics around the Mars missions is asteroid mining.
It’s Okay To Be Smart put up a video on this topic and it makes some compelling arguments for why asteroid mining could be the gold rush of the coming century, and not nearly as difficult as you might imagine.
A trip to Mars would exacerbate the need for raw materials and resources, which could spur the innovation and drive needed to make this happen.
And reason number five, we need to be inspired again.
I and my entire generation weren’t around for the Apollo moon landings, but one of my favorite videos is the news report where Walter Cronkite shares the live feed from the moon.
This is a grizzled old newsman who has seen it all and he is absolutely giddy watching this. This is what inspiring the world looks like.
The generation that did grow up with the Apollo program entered the science and engineering fields in droves and over the last few decades have created innovation after innovation, completely shaping the world we live in today.
While “inspiring the world” sounds like the most intangible kumbaya garbage you can think of, it actually payed dividends in a major way. The Mars missions would do the same to inspire a new generation that will make our future even more amazing.
Besides, in today’s media environment, we are inundated, day in and day out with tragedies and anger and grief… wouldn’t it be nice to have something that brings the world together and makes us feel like nothing is impossible?
That alone, might be reason enough.