It's not about fruits, it's not about you and it's not about us...it is about our children...our future...our journeys to Mars and beyond...it is about every living creature today...it is about our responsiblility to ourselves and all others...I propose a trip to Mars for starters...followed by exploratory unmanned ships to Andromeda and perhaps a probe to view that black hole in the center of our galaxy? Who's in?
I'm for it. A successor to the Space Shuttle. A successor to the Hubble (which has been one of man's most amazing scientific tools!), a colony on the Moon. An expanded International Space Station. Trips to Mars. Colonies to Mars.
As Bradbury has repeatedly said, we will find immortality in space, not while limited to this planet. Space exploration also gives us the vision and drive we need, as a species, to continue to grow and develop.
The reason I gave the *yawn* is because we all talk like we have immortality. No one has it here. Contrary to what you may think, everybody online here will be dead within 100 years or less. What's more important is what's to become of you! Getting out there to the stars to bring some sort of infinite extension of the species is, as the late Kurt Vonegut remarked, "stupid, since all of our part of the Universe will soon someday roll up and vanish!
What then of you!? The point is everything else does, but you never vanish.
Posts: 439 | Location: Oak Park, IL | Registered: 19 July 2006
Originally posted by embroiderer: The reason I gave the *yawn* is because we all talk like we have immortality. No one has it here. Contrary to what you may think, everybody online here will be dead within 100 years or less. What's more important is what's to become of you! Getting out there to the stars to bring some sort of infinite extension of the species is, as the late Kurt Vonegut remarked, "stupid, since all of our part of the Universe will soon someday roll up and vanish!
OK, thanks. Even after reading your explanation, I still have to reiterate, 'wow'.
Further, you say that no one here has immortality. To the contrary, everyone has it!
Sounds to me like Vonnegut is a pessimist and Bradbury an optimist.
"Live Forever!"
Posts: 6909 | Location: 11 South Saint James Street, Green Town, Illinois | Registered: 02 October 2002
Doug Spaulding: Come on! Immortality here? Why, yes! But I stand only kinda-corrected. What I was driving at was the immortality of the body. The immortality of the soul is true for everyone. Everyone lives forever once created. But for some the 'quality' (can I put it this way) of life-immortal will not be in any way compared to one saved by Christ from the dire immortality of the human condition.
Posts: 439 | Location: Oak Park, IL | Registered: 19 July 2006
Originally posted by embroiderer: Doug Spaulding: Come on!
OK, thanks for the explanation. However, like the believer in Douglas, I concur that it is still of extreme importance, and even if you hold with eschatological theology (which I do not), you must confess that your "end of the world" might yet be thousands of years away. Should we just adopt a "sit and wait" attitude until then? I don't think so.
But now we're getting into theology versus science, and since that cannot be rectified on this board, it's best (for me) to pull out of the discussion.
Have fun!
"Live Forever!"
Posts: 6909 | Location: 11 South Saint James Street, Green Town, Illinois | Registered: 02 October 2002
Doug Spaulding, What's more important? Your soul or the space program? No matter how you look at it, everyone's world ends within a hundred years or less, and in my case, less than 60.
Posts: 439 | Location: Oak Park, IL | Registered: 19 July 2006
Originally posted by embroiderer: Doug Spaulding, What's more important? Your soul or the space program? No matter how you look at it, everyone's world ends within a hundred years or less, and in my case, less than 60.
Well, just to answer your question, the soul is of more importance, but as for everyone's world ending in a century or so, I would suggest that the benefit would be for the good of humankind, not the individual.
Would suggest keeping this thread along the lines of space exploration, or we'll have to move it to the Orange Crop thread!
"Live Forever!"
Posts: 6909 | Location: 11 South Saint James Street, Green Town, Illinois | Registered: 02 October 2002
The idea of working for future generations, in space exploration or any other worthy endeavor, is of sacrifice for a noble cause. It shouldn't be run down or restricted by one human's life span.
Posts: 7327 | Location: Dayton, Washington, USA | Registered: 03 December 2001
yawn.