Humanity Should Begin Efforts to Colonize Mars

I want to begin by saying how pleased I am to get the opportunity to debate Grape on this very unique and important topic. Though the issue of space exploration isn't much discussed in the general public, it does receive quite a bit of attention in academia. In particular, Stephen Hawking, a world-renowned physicist and the former Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge, has been outspoken in support for the colonization of Mars.[1] I've come before you all to defend Stephen Hawking's proposal and explain to the best of my ability why we should invest the time, money and effort into colonizing Mars. Let me briefly outline some of the reasons why I support this proposal. C1: Colonizing Mars has numerous practical benefits for modern life. Have you ever wondered where much of modern technology came from? You might be surprised to learn that numerous technological innovations that benefit our daily lives were made possible by funding that went into the space program. Cancer detection and treatment systems, pacemakers, artificial hearts, non-intrusive ultrasound technology, breast biopsy systems, enriched baby food, firefighter air breathing systems, infrared cameras, cordless appliances, household smoke detection systems which are universally credited for saving numerous lives, energy efficient cars and aircraft, cutting-edge sports equipment, water purification systems, and air purification systems were all technologies originally developed to be used for the space program.[2] All of these innovations were merely byproducts of the United States space program, which doesn't even constitute 1 percent of the federal budget. These technologies have not only saved lives, reduced greenhouse emissions responsible for global warming, and improved people's quality of life on Earth, they have continued to stimulate the economy and drive innovation.[3] Moreover, there is every reason to think that a similar amount of technological advancement would occur if we were to put the resources into colonizing Mars. Far from being a waste of money, funding for space projects have consistently helped improve life on Earth and create new industries that bring valuable jobs. C2: There are overwhelming economic reasons to colonize Mars. Mars has much to offer in the way of natural resources that make it very valuable. For example, there is a large quantity of rare metals on Mars such as platinum, silver and gold.[4] Mars is also abundant in deuterium (i.e., heavy-hydrogen).[5] This natural gas which is comparatively rare on Earth can be used in fusion reactors to produce an inordinate amount of energy. It has even been estimated that a milliliter of liquid heavy-hydrogen fuel would generate as much energy as 20 tons of coal.[6] Likewise, the main asteroid belt near Mars could be mined for its rich supply of minerals.[7] Accordingly, many of these natural resources could be transported back to Earth for a substantial profit.[8] Robert Zubrin, an American aerospace engineer and the former Chairman of the National Space Society, points out that "Mars is singular in that it possesses all the raw materials required to support not only life, but a new branch of human civilization."[9] Like Earth, Mars has a rich supply of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen. All of these elements are readily accessible on the planet in the forms of carbon dioxide gas, nitrogen gas and ice.[10] The amount of ice and permafrost on Mars could even be melted to form vast oceans. In short, Mars has all the elements that allow a human colony to be self-sustaining. But it gets even better. By artificially inducing global warming on Mars through outgassing, humans will also be able to terraform the planet so that biological life can thrive there without the aid of technology.[11] In other words, terraforming Mars would allow it to become very similar to Earth in terms of its atmosphere and environment. Once we develop the technology for such a project, the vast resources of Mars would likely make this endeavor economically feasible. Although terraforming Mars is not necessary to set up colonies, this possibility shows the incredible potential that the planet has for human life. C3: Mars has scientific secrets that are valuable and interesting. While it is true that much of modern science has practical applications for daily life, scientific knowledge is also valuable in itself. Many scientists risk life and limb to explore caves and uninhabited parts of the world for the sheer joy of discovery that comes with such a process.[12] Anthropologist such as Maurizio Bettini spend their careers studying long dead civilizations.[13] This should tell us something. Part of what makes life on Earth worthwhile is the discovery that comes with learning. Knowledge can often be an end in itself and not just a means to an end. Scientists understand that there may be extinct forms of life on Mars. If life was found there, such a discovery would go a long way to answering some of the biggest questions humans have ever asked about life's origins and the prevalence of extra-terrestrial life in the universe. Moreover, Mars is many billions of years older than the Earth, and it has a surface area of 144 million square kilometers.[14] Even if life was not found on Mars, the enormous canyons, volcanoes, craters and other geological features of the planet will provide us with invaluable opportunities for exploration and insights into how planets develop.[15] C4: Colonizing Mars helps ensure the survival of the human species. Mars offers humanity the ultimate lifeboat in the case that life on Earth no longer becomes possible or desirable. Sam Harris, a neuroscientist at the University of California Los Angeles, has argued that the fate of human civilization is placed on a knife edge, especially given the prospects of sectarian warfare with the use of weapons of mass destruction.[16] This is partly why Stephen Hawking has argued strongly in favor of building a colony on Mars. According to Hawking, "Life on Earth is at the ever-increasing risk of being wiped out by a disaster, such as sudden global warming, nuclear war, a genetically engineered virus or other dangers we have not yet thought of."[17] The distinguished Princeton astrophysicist J. Richard Gott III concurs with Stephen Hawking on this point. According to Dr. Gott, "We should [colonize Mars] soon, because colonizing other worlds is our best chance to hedge our bets and improve the survival prospects of our species."[18] In fact, most of the foremost cosmologists today have come to a consensus on this issue.[19] I think that we ignore the advice of these experts at our own peril. Some may try to argue that colonizing Mars is not immediately necessary to ensure the survival of the human species. There are at least three problems with this rejoinder. First, it's highly questionable whether this is actually the case, especially considering all that could potentially go wrong. Second, colonizing Mars will take decades, so it's important that we begin the process now. Third, even if this criticism is completely valid, there are no good reasons not to begin the process now. I've already shown that colonizing Mars is economically feasible, and it has numerous other benefits. | Conclusion | In conclusion, colonizing Mars has numerous practical, economic and scientific benefits for our life here on Earth. In this time of economic hardship, such a proposal would not only help ensure economic prosperity; it would revitalize our commitment to scientific discovery. As President Kennedy once put it, let us do these things not because they are easy, but because they are hard.[20] And in this challenge, let us organize and bring out what is best about humanity, not just for our sake, but for the sake of generations yet to come. Sources: http://tinyurl.com...