Moon Shares, Come and Get Them Now!
After the first landing on the moon so many years ago, humans felt invincible; science could conquer anything, even space. The moon belongs, as a celestial body orbiting the earth, to earthlings, for do we not inherit the earth, our world, and all that surrounds it? Well, perhaps we don't. Nature of course, is another story altogether, for all that exists and lives and thrives does belong to nature. But why split hairs? We also like to believe that we can tame nature itself, despite so many indelible instances to the contrary.Are we the only beings of higher intellect in the universe? As playthings of course, of a universal spirit, an all-seeing, all-powerful force whose purpose, intent and compassion or lack thereof of cannot be known by mere humans. Carl Sagan felt that we were not alone. He and his wife sent into orbit a wonderful piece of artistry as a message to other intelligent beings, should they exist. Somehow, Carl Sagan could get away with this. And, unless there's an after-life, he will never now really know.
So what's the latest? Astrophysicist of note Stephen Hawking is stirring up a debate. Personally, where I enjoyed and respected Carl Sagan I have my doubts about Stephen Hawking. A brilliant theoritician he may be, but an integrity-laden man he may not claim to be. So when he claims that science must strive harder to enable mankind to abandon ship and colonize Mars and earth's moon, it elicits but a chuckle. Not even a good-humoured chuckle at that, but one overladen with scorn.
But who am I, after all?
When our children were young, very young, say three decades ago and even more, Kellogg's corn flakes had special inserts for shares of the moon. Silly entitlements that struck the fancy of many a young child, dazzled by space experimentation and potential travel adventures. After all, these same children watched bubble-headed space-clad men emerge from a space capsule to leave a footprint in the dust of the moon.
Now there is a self-styled Lunar Ambassador to Britain. Yes, lunar, not lunatic. His neat little business offers shares of the moon at $41.50 an acre and business has picked up considerably since Stephen Hawking's little admonishment on the state of the world and options before us. Wait a minute: Hawking is British, despite his American-sounding voicebox (designed and produced by an American whose nurse-wife is now Hawking's wife, he having left his university-days sweetheart-wife and mother of his children, but aw, gosh, that's another story - kind of). Is this possibly some scam; does Stephen Hawking have majority shares in this venture?
Listen, if you're really serious in prolonging human life indefinitely, beyond the possibility of existence on the planet we've already polluted beyond its endurance, and it's a toss-up whether nuclear winter will clear us out or greenhouses gases, you can also buy shares of Mars or Venus. How about that for an exotic re-location? Breathable air, potable water, food sources, heat prostration, frozen space be damned, why get in the way of a good thing?
Inter-planetary piracy, oops, ownership, how could that be anything but a sure bet, a good thing?
Pity old Barnum isn't around to relish this.
posted by Pieface @ Sunday, June 18, 2006
<< Home