[ExI] Humans will go crazy in space travel

BillK pharos at gmail.com
Sun May 30 19:48:42 UTC 2021


Slate have an article up about how humans will find it very difficult to
cope with space travel and living on other planets or asteroids.

<https://slate.com/technology/2021/05/spacex-starship-space-travel-paradox.html>

The Spacefaring Paradox
Deep-space human travel is a lose-lose proposition.

By Christopher Schaber      May 25, 2021

Quotes:
If there’s one collective lesson gleaned from the COVID pandemic so
far, it may be the shared difficulty of being isolated in one’s own
home—whether alone or with family members or roommates.
When space closes in, humans tend not to thrive. It can drive us to
the brink of craziness.
----
If the dream of space travel involves new horizons and feelings of
unbound freedom—to explore, to discover, to spread humanity—a
nightmare lurks just around the corner of consciousness. There will be
no real “arrival” on this fantasy trip: It’s enclosures and
pressurized chambers all the way down. When it comes to human space
travel, the destination really is the journey. And the journey will be
long, and claustrophobic.
-------------------

I think I mostly agree. Humans are designed for the wide-open spaces
of Earth. Space is interesting to visit for a while, but I wouldn't
much want a life spent in a tin can.
I vote to send the robots instead.

BillK



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