These days it seams like you can buy insurance on anything. I notice that many young professionals are entering the various insurance industries over fields such as science and technology, probably because insurence pays well and requires less intellectual hardship. We are constantly targeted for life, medical, auto, homeowners, rental, business, and multiple other forms of insurance. All of these products are meant to help us mitigate risk. But how do we go about purchasing an insurance policy on the survival of the human species?
Unfortunately, this is not something that can be purchased from a slick salesman in a fancy automobile. Human long-term survival will ultimately depend on our ability to innovate and adapt to a changing universe. However in the short term, one ultimate objective is our species best bet at a viable insurance policy.
We have all heard the Dinosaurs died from an asteroid. The reality is that our blue rock (earth) has been pummeled with asteroids, showered with ash from mega-volcano eruptions, and been hit by giant solar flairs throughout its approximately 4.5 billion year history. These events can all potentially be species ending. They have all happened throughout our planets history and they will surely happen again. It is just a matter of when.
Moreover, our planet faces a new threat. Primates that have harnessed nuclear energy, are overpopulating the planet, and utilizing dirty manufacturing capable of altering our atmosphere, water supply, and land masses. These primates are of coarse humans. Additionally emerging threats like artificial intelligence and autonomous drone based weapon systems add even more potential to human-self destruction.
So what is the answer? Is our destruction inevitable? I honestly cannot say for sure. What I can say is that as soon as humans create a self-sustaining civilization on another planetary body, our chances of being wiped out by a single catastrophic event go down astronomically. Until recently, humans have not understood how lucky we are to have a viable option for colonization so close to home. This viable option is Mars, and our technology is pushing us closer than ever to making such a colony possible.
Most people think that traveling to Mars is just something cool to do. To others, such a voyage will demonstrate our technological capabilities and lead to new unforeseen scientific breakthroughs. To me, getting a human presence on Mars represents mankind’s best bet at an insurance policy against extinction. Unfortunately, this insurance policy cannot be bought, it must be earned via technological advancement, risk, and great sacrifice. We need to profoundly alter societies job market to favor science and technology fields over investment banking and insurance brokerage, starting right now! Our species depends on it.
Thank you so much to everyone who is making Mars a reality. You are giving humanity the greatest gift, a chance at long-term survival. In particular, I would like to thank SpaceX. What this company has achieved in the last 15 years is simply inspiring!