Issue 116: Why Mars
Welcome to Backstory, a weekly newsletter turning global technology shifts into a three-minute read. This week, we’re thinking about space travel. – Mary Ames, Director of Strategy
THE BIG TAKE
Why Mars
Humanity’s mission to Mars is one of the most important projects we have endeavored. Yet, there are detractors that argue such a mission costs far too much money for too little gain. Maciej Cegłowski is one such figure and he has written a fascinating post arguing that the mission to colonize Mars is simply too expensive. Despite his passionate argument, Cegłowski completely misses the point of Mars and space exploration.
It’s all about moonshots. Every space mission results in new discoveries about our planet and technologies. The race to the moon between the United States and Soviet Union in the 1960’s resulted in myriad technologies that we still use today. Moreover, it inspired humanity to do more. One can’t put a price tag on the inspiration derived from such monumental operations that call on all sectors of society for success. This is the true brilliance of Mars exploration. It gives us a seemingly unattainable goal to strive for and rally behind.
Expanding our minds. The UAE’s space program is an example of how space exploration has a profound effect on society. As the country builds a thriving knowledge economy, which some say is a moonshot in and of itself, the space program is a constant source of inspiration and motivation. The success of any mission undertaken by the program counts far less than the fact the mission is taking place in the first place. While some like Cegłowski can say that human colonization of Mars is too far-fetched, he misses the fact that getting to such a stage transforms societies. We need moonshots and the Mars mission is arguably the greatest moonshot in the history of our culture.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction.”
– Rachel Carson, Marine biologist
CHART OF THE WEEK
We are looking at global ports in this week’s chart of the week. At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, there was a lot of attention on the world’s ports as linchpins in the global supply chain. Now labor protests could influence how ports operate in uncertain ways.
OUR VIEWS THIS WEEK
AI is a public good: Given the power and potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to change the planet for the better, shouldn’t governments have a more significant role in safeguarding the technology? That’s the simple but complex question we investigated in this archived piece in Xische Reports. The development and use of AI technology are crucial for society, and it can’t be left to big tech giants alone. Moreover, the US government (and others like it) are missing an excellent opportunity to use AI for good across the public sector.
The new space cowboys: The Space Race is back on, and a new cast of characters are rewriting the rules of space exploration and privatization. Longtime readers of Xische’s articles will be well aware of the incredible strides the UAE has made in several space endeavors. From the Mars orbiter to plans for Moon exploration, the UAE shows that small countries can defy the odds and explore the furthest reaches of our solar system. In this piece from the archive, we take stock of the larger questions to consider in space like privatization and exploration.
SPOTTED ELSEWHERE
Is the universe real? How do you know if the moon is there when you aren’t looking at it? This sounds like a silly children’s rhyme, but it’s actually a critical question informing research into one of quantum physics' most complex challenges. According to Scientific American, Nobel Prize-winning scientists have proven that the universe is not locally real using elegant experiments with entangled light. The science is challenging, but the conclusions are fascinating.
The end of organizing. Do you struggle to organize your notes? If you are anything like us, you have notes scattered around various platforms, devices, and physical notebooks. Every, an interesting new “organizing” platform, suggests that the GPT-3 AI bot could end up easily organizing everyone’s notes. It’s a novel idea that highlights how many uses we can get out of advanced AI. Could it help you?
QUICK HITS
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