By: Shawn Alli
Posted: May 31, 2017 (on http://www.shawnalli.com/)
This episode is about space exploration. Nye says that we're just a tiny speck on another speck orbiting another speck. But he says that with our brain we can know our place in the cosmos. I argue it's the other way around. Consciousness (non-physical) is a necessary feature for all physical reality to exist (see Philosophy of Mind and Philosophy of Science in Philosophy Reborn Part I: Purpose).
Nye talks about supporting new space programs despite our problems here. Yah, I can understand that argument, but...we still have chronic racism, sexism, and massive inequality here on the Earth. If we leave to colonize new planets, these negative ideologies will only follow us there. Hence, the question remains. Should humanity colonize space while operating at such a low level of development?
Emily Calandrelli (a member of Nye's team) investigates India's space program. The fact that India has a space program while being a developing country and unable to feed or provide electricity to hundreds of millions of its people...is amazing and disturbing. Again, massive inequality (this time due to India's caste system) is a real problem.
Nye convenes his panel: Dr. George T. Whitesides (Virgin Galactic), Chris Lewicki (Planetary Resources), and Dr. Michelle Thaller (NASA astrophysicist). I find it ironic that everyone is still advocating the use of rockets and rocket fuel propulsion while being climate change believers. Fuel propellant and the internal combustion engine are over 200 years old. The fact that we're still using it shows that we have yet to innovate in terms of energy/propulsion.
good!!
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