Pilgrims and Martian Explorers | StarTalk

a common analogy that people like to
make is that if you are the first colony
on Mars that’s kind of like the pilgrims
coming from Europe to the new world you
know you’re not going back so you’ve got
your loved ones your possessions a
competent ship commander let’s go
but there’s a fundamental difference
between being the first Europeans to the
new world and being the first earthlings
to Mars the difference is when the
Europeans landed in Plymouth Rock or
wherever else on the east coast of the
United States and they stepped off of
their ship onto the land they could
breathe the air that the trees in the
new world were made of wood so that if
they damaged their ship they can repair
it the fruit though it was exotic to
them was entirely edible and if it
wasn’t edible they get sick and they
learned not to eat it and try the
different fruit and by the way many of
them died we don’t talk much about how
many pilgrims died not only on the
voyage over but in the first year or two
that they arrived they were dying even
though they were still on earth so to
say let’s go to Mars and that’s
analogous to the pilgrims know because
you got to bring your oxygen you got to
bring your water you got to bring your
food pretty sure there aren’t monsters
that will attack them or that they’re
gonna voyage off the edge of the
universe
or other fear factors plus we’ve been to
Mars with robots so the unknown unknowns
are are significantly diminished I
wouldn’t mind going to Mars but just to
visit
I like earth I can I can breathe its air
you