Journey to Proxima Centauri and Interstellar Communication

15min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

Exploring the potential of space travel to Proxima Centauri at a fraction of the speed of light and the need for advanced technologies for interstellar exploration. The conversation extends to the creation of telescopes in space for new astronomical revelations and the infinite solutions to problems discussed in David Deutsch's book 'The Beginning of Infinity'. Delving into interstellar communication, the chapter considers using engineered microbes as a tool for spreading life across vast distances and draws parallels to the propagation of genetic traits and beliefs in various civilizations.

When Robert Zubrin published his classic book The Case for Mars a quarter century ago, setting foot on the Red Planet seemed a fantasy. Today, manned exploration is certain, and as Zubrin affirms in The New World on Mars, so too is colonization. From the astronautical engineer venerated by NASA and today’s space entrepreneurs, here is what we will achieve on Mars and how.

Shermer and Zubrin discuss: why not start with the moon? • what it is like on Mars • whether Mars was ever like Earth • how much it will cost to go to Mars • how to get people to Mars • resources on Mars • colonization of Mars • public vs. private enterprise for space exploration • economics, politics, and government on Mars • lessons from the Red Planet for the Blue Planet • liberty in space.

Robert Zubrin is former president of Pioneer Astronautics, which performs advanced space research for NASA, the US Air Force, the US Department of Energy, and private companies. He is the founder and president of the Mars Society, leading the Society’s successful effort to build the first simulated human Mars exploration base in the Canadian Arctic.