MovieChat Forums > Mars (2016) Discussion > There is no reason to go to Mars...

There is no reason to go to Mars...


There is no reason to go to Mars, none whatsoever. It has nothing we need and we can't live there, just like the Moon and that's why we've never gone back, no reason to. We would be better off colonizing Antarctica if we are running out of space to live, which we are not. We can fit the entire population of the Earth into the continental United States... It will be a very, very, very long time before we need another planet.

"I wanted to meet interesting and stimulating people of an ancient culture... and kill them."

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It's clear you didn't watch the show. It's not about having enough space. It's about the probability of an extinction event. If we're on multiple planets, humankind can continue. If we're on one, it does not. That's why we must go to Mars.

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That argument works at some level, but as a practical matter unless there is economic profit in settling Mars I doubt we ever will.

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Some people that did watch the show enjoyed Elon Musk's Koolaid more than I did. I agree that at some point in the distant future it may be necessary to go to Mars but that could be hundreds of years from now if not longer. Right now going to Mars is like climbing Mt. Everest, it's an adventure, you do it just because you can and to prove something to yourself. If people want to go to Mars because they think it will be a cool experience or a great adventure, more power to them, but these grandiose ideas about saving the human race are just silly at this point in time.

"I wanted to meet interesting and stimulating people of an ancient culture... and kill them."

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Some people that did watch the show enjoyed Elon Musk's Koolaid more than I did. I agree that at some point in the distant future it may be necessary to go to Mars but that could be hundreds of years from now if not longer. Right now going to Mars is like climbing Mt. Everest, it's an adventure, you do it just because you can and to prove something to yourself. If people want to go to Mars because they think it will be a cool experience or a great adventure, more power to them, but these grandiose ideas about saving the human race are just silly at this point in time.


Excellent points and I agree. While I would love to see it happen in my lifetime (I am 45), I just can't see anyone spending that kind of money and resources just to say we did it. Mars is not a hospitable environment. We take breathing air and water for granted on earth, but that would be a significant challenge there. It would take only one mistake for death to occur. Plus the amount of radiation is would be a major obstacle to overcome. Not to mention the bitterly cold temperatures, and the challenges in having humans living in those close quarters for long periods of time, it is a long time away from happening. Basically a pipe dream at this point.

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Although I understand your points, I don't think a mission to Mars should be viewed as just an adventure, a cool thing people can do when they can spare resources. We, as a species, are natural explorers and we yearn to discover our place in the universe(s) and how everything works. Without dreaming, experimenting or trying to solve difficult problems, we would still be stuck in the same primitive caves wondering if our next meal will be our last.

Arguing that we don't have enough money to invest in space exploration is ridiculous. We have the money, but we rather use it on other things we find more important, like military weapons to blow each other up. Which, if we think about it, is another reason to start thinking of alternate places to stay outside Earth... So going to Mars isn't pointless, at all. Think of all the "pointless" discoveries we made just in the last few centuries and how it, sooner or later, changed our lives so drastically.

Newton once said: "If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants". Well, we're in a position now where we can see beyond what Newton saw in his time, but sadly some of us are still here arguing how it's all too challenging and difficult and pointless. Pointless?? Going to Mars IS the next logical step for us as species; not because we intend to leave Earth soon, but because everything we learn from that experience will help our species survive in the long run, in one way or the other. If you guys can't see that now, comfortably typing on your cellphones, watching tv series, experiencing everything some of these giants never had the chance to see and not realizing how many obstacles they had to face to get us to where we are, ...then I don't know what to tell you anymore.

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There are tons of metals/minerals we need on Mars and the moon, but with current technology it is more cost effective to mine it on Earth and deal with the environmental consequences than it is to set up a off-world mining operation and transport it back home. If/when the technology improves, we could definitely see mining operations on other planets and in the asteroid belt.

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Mars can be visited but only a nutjob kook would think that Mars could become a true habitat for humanity. Anyone who watches Star Trek knows what a CLASS M planet is (Earth) and Mars is absolutely NOT a class M planet and can never even partially replace the Earth. Not a chance in hell.

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[deleted]

You are right but mars can become out stop. After Mars we can explore other planets and moons. Europa, Enceladus and Titan may have life

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