Pale Blue Dot, Revisited

[Reynard]

It could all, at any point in time, without warning, be snuffed out, like God blowing out a candle. A singular unforeseen event could make it all literally disappear in an eyeblink, and we, all of us, everything we ever did would be gone from the universe forever.

Except -- there are just a handful of artifacts on other worlds and floating through the void that will attest to our existence, to stand up to the all consuming fire and say "We were here!"

That is why space exploration is important. Even if no other human ever steps foot on an alien world again, it would still matter. Our probes and our landers remind the Void that humans mattered, in a way nothing else in the universe (that we know of) has mattered. We let the Universe see itself for the first time.

 

[GMMichael]

That is why space exploration is important. Even if no other human ever steps foot on an alien world again, it would still matter. Our probes and our landers remind the Void that humans mattered . . .

What if, instead of reminding the Void of us, that space exploration money were spent on sustainable living and agriculture? Or mental health support for those with "fervent . . . hatred?"

WWCSD?

 

[Reynard]

What if, instead of reminding the Void of us, that space exploration money were spent on sustainable living and agriculture? Or mental health support for those with "fervent . . . hatred?"

WWCSD?

None of that survives.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

What if, instead of reminding the Void of us, that space exploration money were spent on sustainable living and agriculture? Or mental health support for those with "fervent . . . hatred?"

WWCSD?

This is difficult to address without getting into politics, but a quick search would indicate that space is about 0.6% of US GDP. This is pretty small in relation to the US economy.
My quick search did not give me a GDP figure for space R&D but from what I have seen, a quick calculation would indicate that space R&D amounts to about 0.25 GDP or there about. US annual science and R&D spending seems to come in at 3.4'ish% GDP.
Given that Monsanto spent a lot of money developing Roundup resistant corn and a lot more litigating about it, I would expect that any significant US government intervention into agricultural R&D, would generate something of a bun fight.

 

[Kaodi]

Thinking that our lives are without meaning or value because of the scale of the universe is just easy form of nihilism. Given how vast the universe is how large would a space empire need to be to "matter" by this standard? And what if star empires are just not feasible? Then all other life in the universe is in the same boat as we are, equally "insignificant" . And maybe, to paraphrase, if all life everywhere is insignificant then maybe none of it is.

 

[Scribe]

Thinking that our lives are without meaning or value because of the scale of the universe is just easy form of nihilism. Given how vast the universe is how large would a space empire need to be to "matter" by this standard? And what if star empires are just not feasible? Then all other life in the universe is in the same boat as we are, equally "insignificant" . And maybe, to paraphrase, if all life everywhere is insignificant then maybe none of it is.

Or, it all is. All the petty things we have invented to make ourselves more important than we are, in our own eyes anyway. All the ways we have abused the only home any of us are going to know, all the ways we try and pretend we are both victims, and yet more important than we really are.

Treat your family well. Treat your neighbor well. Get lucky and find a partner in life, and leave the earth better than you found it if you can.

All the rest of this, including what I am typing this on, reading this on, and everything else? Dust.

 

[J.Quondam]

Thinking that our lives are without meaning or value because of the scale of the universe is just easy form of nihilism. Given how vast the universe is how large would a space empire need to be to "matter" by this standard? And what if star empires are just not feasible? Then all other life in the universe is in the same boat as we are, equally "insignificant" . And maybe, to paraphrase, if all life everywhere is insignificant then maybe none of it is.

Exactly. I think a focus on insignificance misses the important half of the point. The quote concludes:

"To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known."​

Yes, Earth is little, and so are we. But it is us, and we are it. We must care, for it and for each other. If we don't, we lose it all, because the rest of the universe won't mourn our passing if we screw it up.

 

[Staffan]

Thinking that our lives are without meaning or value because of the scale of the universe is just easy form of nihilism. Given how vast the universe is how large would a space empire need to be to "matter" by this standard? And what if star empires are just not feasible? Then all other life in the universe is in the same boat as we are, equally "insignificant" . And maybe, to paraphrase, if all life everywhere is insignificant then maybe none of it is.

Terry Pratchett, Hogfather:
“All right," said Susan. "I'm not stupid. You're saying humans need... fantasies to make life bearable."

REALLY? AS IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF PINK PILL? NO. HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.

"Tooth fairies? Hogfathers? Little—"

YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES.

"So we can believe the big ones?"

YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.

"They're not the same at all!"

YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET—Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME...SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.

"Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what's the point—"

MY POINT EXACTLY.

Angel, Epiphany:
Well, I guess I kinda worked it out. If there's no great glorious end to all this, if nothing we do matters... , then all that matters is what we do. 'Cause that's all there is. What we do. Now. Today. I fought for so long, for redemption, for a reward, and finally just to beat the other guy, but I never got it.

Nothing we do matters in the grand scheme of things. So we have to make it matter here and now.

 

[Clint_L]

Thinking that our lives are without meaning or value because of the scale of the universe is just easy form of nihilism.

I agree. I don't think we matter in the vast scale of the universe. And that's why we have to create our own purpose and meaning. We matter not because we are at the centre of some grand plan, but because of the choices we make for ourselves.

 

[GMMichael]

None of that survives.

Indeed. But I'd rather be able to drink affordable coffee in the next 10 years than have a space probe that suggests a human-like life form once resembled me to an apathetic alien.

This is difficult to address without getting into politics, but a quick search would indicate that space is about 0.6% of US GDP. This is pretty small in relation to the US economy.

That's a small percentage. But a large amount of money.

My quick search did not give me a GDP figure for space R&D but from what I have seen, a quick calculation would indicate that space R&D amounts to about 0.25 GDP or there about. US annual science and R&D spending seems to come in at 3.4'ish% GDP. . .

GDP falls into the category of things in which Carl Sagan suggested people have misguided confidence.