Two recent science fiction topics have recently hit the headlines. And the scary part is that it may not be out of the question for either of them (or perhaps both(!)) to materialize in my lifetime.
The first one is the colonization of Mars. It’s a pretty cool dream, IMHO. The explorer in me really wants to see that happen. I’ve read a good book on the subject (twice actually). It’s called “The Case for Mars” by Robert Zubrin. He maps out a detailed plan of how much more affordably the mission could be accomplished than NASA has proposed in the past. Basically he subtracts as much of the politics and back-room shenanigans as possible to let rational planning (and science!) light the way.
He even explains how Mars can be terraformed, thereby introducing life-sustaining oxygen into Mars’ current atmosphere. I hadn’t thought such a thing could even be done, but never count science out! Recently I watched a science program, released I think after the most recent hoopla surrounding sending real live astronauts to Mars. In that program it was mentioned that terraforming would take, minimally, centuries to transform the atmosphere to the level that people would be able to function without carrying auxiliary breathing apparatus. But it might take up to a thousand years. Yikes!
Come on science! You can do better than that! If the potential exists to clone a Mammoth cell (this week’s bright scientific spark), I humbly put forth the notion that Virgin Air will shortly be doing brisk business ferrying vacationers to Mars (and back!). A tangent Martian tagline has revealed that a group of European entrepreneurs have launched a contest to accept resumes of people willing to leave Earth forever to take one-way passage to the red planet, with intent of human colonization.
I highly doubt I’ll be forwarding my CV any time soon…unless of course there’s already a venti non-fat extra-hot skinny Macchiato half-caf waiting for me as I de-plane. (I don’t even know what I just ordered.)
As a parting thought, I think I may have solved a couple of dilemmas relating Mars to Mammoths. Why not clone Mammoths on Mars? I read a negative editorial a couple of days ago explaining that it would be cruel to re-introduce an extinct plains-grazing animal into our new world in which its natural habitat is rapidly decreasing. As we know already, an existing northern dweller, the polar bear is having a tough time with a warming planet. Mammoths are (would be) no less tolerant of such an environment.
But, think about it for a minute…assign a forward-thinker, a Richard Branson or Steve Jobs-type to lead a think-tank. Then plunk a buncha Mammoth-cloning proponents in the same room with Mars terraformers and we’ll have herds of those big hairy elephants grazing the red Martian prairie in no time!
Can’t you just picture the faces of the review panel on Dragon’s Den as they digest a pitch from a gaggle of Mars-terraformers/ Mammoth-cloners? Would you buy in?
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