taykair
Member
- Messages
- 363
A prize (and a suitably substantial one) should be awarded to the first organization that successfully establishes an off-world settlement of at least 10,000 permanent residents. Off-world settlements would include, but not be limited to, L5 habitats, settlements on or within any asteroid, moon, or planet, or as a self-contained community in orbit around the same.
If such a prize is ever offered, then I know who's going to win.
I honestly believe that some of the younger folks here will live to see the day when such a prize is won. Of course, I was told pretty much the same thing when I was young. (Where's my damned jet-pack? Where's my house on Mars? Damn my high school science teacher for getting my hopes up!)
Of course, there have been tremendous advances in technology since I was in my teens. I still have hope. Not necessarily for myself, but for you younger folks who may be reading this. I once dreamed of living "out there", but my time has passed. Perhaps yours has not.
Our entire species and all its history - good and bad, barbarous and civilized, stupid and wise, all of it - has been leading up to Now. We can continue to walk as we have walked (and pat ourselves on the back that at least we are no longer crawling) or we can choose to fly. We are going to fly sooner or later. It's only a matter of when. And it is a matter that is up to us.
So, who will win the prize?
Well, if enough of us manage to live in places other than this little ball of mud we call Earth, then humanity wins. We all win. That's good enough for me.
Take care.
If such a prize is ever offered, then I know who's going to win.
I honestly believe that some of the younger folks here will live to see the day when such a prize is won. Of course, I was told pretty much the same thing when I was young. (Where's my damned jet-pack? Where's my house on Mars? Damn my high school science teacher for getting my hopes up!)
Of course, there have been tremendous advances in technology since I was in my teens. I still have hope. Not necessarily for myself, but for you younger folks who may be reading this. I once dreamed of living "out there", but my time has passed. Perhaps yours has not.
Our entire species and all its history - good and bad, barbarous and civilized, stupid and wise, all of it - has been leading up to Now. We can continue to walk as we have walked (and pat ourselves on the back that at least we are no longer crawling) or we can choose to fly. We are going to fly sooner or later. It's only a matter of when. And it is a matter that is up to us.
So, who will win the prize?
Well, if enough of us manage to live in places other than this little ball of mud we call Earth, then humanity wins. We all win. That's good enough for me.
Take care.
