Will Space Travel Ever Be as Safe as Commercial Air Travel?

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Will space travel ever be safe enough that middle-class Americans, even in 2080 are going to put their lives on the line going to the moon? And would you do it? I would not do it, but I don't even like to fly. So me personally, no. However, I don't see any reason why space travel couldn't become as safe as commercial air travel.

Before writing a single word of his new book Artemis, Andy Weir worked out the economics of a lunar colony. Without the economics, how could the story hew to the hard sci-fi style Weir cornered the market on with The Martian? And, more importantly, how else can Tyler find out much a Cantonese meal would run him on the moon?

In addition to these important questions of lunar economics, Andy and Tyler talk about the technophobic trend in science fiction, private space efforts, seasteading, cryptocurrencies, the value of a human life, the outdated Outer Space Treaty, stories based on rebellion vs. cooperation, Heinlein, Asimov, Weir’s favorite episode of Star Trek, and the formula for finding someone else when stranded on a lonely planet.

Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links.

Recorded November 15th, 2017 Other ways to connect

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