Lost In Space

It's an interesting argument: the human species must go into space to survive because...



Well, see, that's where the argument gets interesting. Because...why?



Don't get me wrong, I'm all for space travel. The deeply ingrained desire to expand human consciousness beyond our known physical and intellectual limitations is what makes our species so interesting (and so arrogant). Of course we want to go into space - we've been obsessed with darkness and the infinite unknown since the beginning of time. And I really mean the beginning of time, which, according to Daniel Boorstin, occurred somewhere during the development of Ancient Egyptian culture. And is, like the concept of "space", a totally human-centric means of defining and classifying fluidity in discrete, understandable packets.



But exploration and the desire for knowledge is different than a last-ditch effort to ensure the survival of the species (as if that was actually possible in space, or anywhere else). And here's where Stephen Hawking and others in the Space Ho! camp appear to be completely disconnected from themselves and any coherent understanding of the universe - even the concepts that he developed and promoted: the problems of the human species will not be solved by the easiest path to universal imperialism.



Ever seen Star Wars? Ever notice that the introduction says "A long time ago..."? To most people, these are just words that set the stage, an alternative to the standard "Once upon a time", but George Lucas thought long and hard about that phrase, and there's more to it than that. He sets his dark/light conflict in an ancient setting - just because they have huge flying machines, lasers and lightsabres does NOT mean they are living an evolved experience. In fact, it's the opposite. They are struggling through the exact same duality that humans do today, both individually and collectively. And the significance of this happening a long time ago, in a world of Emperors, Princesses and prodigal heroes, is simply to draw our attention to the cyclical, anti-evolutionary nature of humans.



Space travel does not equal the future.



Stephen Hawking is undeniably brilliant, and in many ways represents the future of human potential - a complete reliance on technology to provide the physical stability that we have neglected to nurture, in preference for a super-expanded brain. (His is a special case, certainly, and doesn't reflect a literal translation, only a symbol or template for what I'm suggesting.) For him, the severing of ties to our planet is a release, not a sacrifice. He is in bliss without his body.
But let's not be so quick to deny who we are and where we come from. This Earth is our home, not because we haven't figured out a way off of it yet, but because it gave birth to our species amidst chemical and physical upheavals, after a multi-million year gestation, and a long (though numerically disputed) infancy. Arguably, the human species has just made it into its "terrible twos" - just recognizing that we are separate from our mother and ready to forge our identities through the painful recognition of other-ness. We must do this by rejecting the umbilical hold of this Eden and scraping our living from the hostile outside universe.


I'm being overly metaphorical, but you get the point: we can't leave now just because we've fucked up the planet so much we may not be able to survive here. That's a cop out. And, of course, the dangers of the planet have existed for the entirety of human history, so the fear that is motivating us to leave now is just that - fear. We understand our own mortality - now that we have recognized our singularity - and we want to escape it.

How far are we going to go?

What happens when the sun expands into a supernova and devours our solar system? Mars isn't far enough to escape that.

One of the funniest things I've ever heard was in a college-level astronomy class. So, we're talking about the sun's evolution as a star, and the professor says something like:

"...and in about 5 billion years, the sun will expand so much that it will absorb our solar system, so it will be up to you and future generations to figure out a way to colonize other planets before that happens."

Here's what strikes me as funny about this:

- If humans haven't evolved in 5 billion years, please kill us.

- If humans haven't evolved past the desire to colonize, please kill us.

- We're talking astronomy here, people. This is the history of the universe, and it doesn't give a shit about us, because all we are is a collection of atoms that can and will be recreated in many other forms. Just be grateful for the collection you have now. Don't try to anticipate or control the future.

But what about the human soul?

What about it? Based on my observations of our actions, the existence of a soul is questionable, but let's assume it exists. Humanity is trapped between knowing the higher path and walking the animal path through the jungle of our existence. We are still living in caves, though some have electricity. We are still killing each other for dominance, though we cloak it in ideology and righteousness. Maybe when we start acting human, we'll have a shot at evolving.

So, in a round-about way I come to my point: just because some day we will be able to eke out an existence on other planets, doesn't mean that is the direction that our evolution will take. Or that it should.

Happy floating Dr. Hawking!