Moon Base December 12, 2006
Posted by tonyrhodes in Not so earthbound.trackback
According to MSN Slate Magazine, Gregg Easterbrook believes that NASA cannot think of a good reason for establishing a lunar colony. http://www.slate.com/id/2155164 I accept much of what he says from a purely logical viewpoint, but perhaps the true reason goes deeper than logic. When people asked the question “Why should anyone want to climb Everest”, the answer that Mallory gave demonstrated an essential quality of the human spirit.
George Leigh Mallory – Why climbing?
“The first question which you will ask and which I must try to answer is this, ‘What is the use of climbing Mount Everest ?’ and my answer must at once be, ‘It is no use’. There is not the slightest prospect of any gain whatsoever. Oh, we may learn a little about the behavior of the human body at high altitudes, and possibly medical men may turn our observation to some account for the purposes of aviation. But otherwise nothing will come of it. We shall not bring back a single bit of gold or silver, not a gem, nor any coal or iron. We shall not find a single foot of earth that can be planted with crops to raise food. It’s no use.
So, if you cannot understand that there is something in man which responds to the challenge of this mountain and goes out to meet it, that the struggle is the struggle of life itself upward and forever upward, then you won’t see why we go. What we get from this adventure is just sheer joy. And joy is, after all, the end of life. We do not live to eat and make money. We eat and make money to be able to enjoy life. That is what life means and what life is for.”
– George Leigh Mallory, 1922
Surely the question of the need to explore the moon has already been answered by Mallory:
“Because it’s there!”
That’s a much more innocent interpretation than I would typically allow for such things. I appreciate the perspective, don’t get me wrong. But I tend to chalk it up to pride — the ability to point to oneself and say, “I’ve done this.” So far as I can tell, most people want to gain the approval of others most of all. I wonder how many climb for joy, as Mallory suggests, and how many for fame. I also tend to think that much, not all, of human striving boils down to disproving human limitations, ultimately an attempt to reduce the chasm between man and God. I don’t, perhaps it’s just the mood I’m caught in today. But these are the first thoughts that come to mind, more pointed toward space exploration and lunar development than things like climbing Everest, though.
Thanks for the comment, Cameron. I must confess, I had not considered the motivation of pride in this context. It has been pointed out to me that one of the major things in human nature is what drove mankind to build the tower of Babel. I know I am idealistic!
I didn’t mean to say “I don’t” as in “I don’t do things out of pride.” I meant to say, “I don’t know, perhaps it’s just the mood…” Just wanted to clarify that.