SPACE EXPLORATION
SARAH WILD: Building a new society on Mars deserves more far-out thought
We’re so eager to get to Mars that we’re not giving enough thought to the kind of society we would want on the red planet, writes Sarah Wild
In 2016, as universities burn, politicians behave like, well, politicians, and students call for us to scrap science because it is "western", many South Africans began contemplating a possible new home: Mars. It’s the new destination of choice for disgruntled South Africans. Twenty years ago, Australia was the terminus for those who had decided the country was getting a bit hot. But now that Elon Musk has announced his (ambitious and somewhat optimistic) plans to get to the red planet, and US President Barack Obama last week said the US would send — and retrieve — people from Mars in the 2030s, South Africans are wondering if they can wait that long. "Maybe the one-way ticket to Mars isn’t so bad. Tired of the human race. Hurry up @elonmusk #ScienceMustFall" said one of the Twitterati. "Where can I apply to go live in Mars? this planet is now ridiculous, this #sciencemustfall thing reminded me of #Zuma laughing in parliament," said another. It seems a strange way to avoid those who ...
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