The Connection Between Human Rights and Space Habitation

A species which denies certain basic rights can not become a spacefaring species. Imagine, if you will, a species as a a supercomputer and each member of a species as a processor. If you deny permissions to a processor that processor can not participate in the task.

What if reporters in America where denied the freedom of expression and where blocked from reporting on Sputnik? Would NASA exist? Would humanity have landed on the moon? Would we have a generation of engineers who want to school to fill a "brain gap" and where motivated by Sputnik? Would we have the technologies and interconnectivity brought on by spaceflight? Would we have had a space race?

A species which denies certain basic rights can not become a spacefaring species.

How can this biological supercomputer solve the huge boatload of problems, most social problems, that spaceflight if certain processors are not "loaded" with basic programming to analyze problems. How can we become spacefaring if people can not participate in and understand an increasingly scientific world? Space takes no prisoners, it will find a species' weakness and take advantage of it to prevent it from entering space. Someone denied the right to education may have been the one with the insight we need to become a spacefaring species.

A species which denies certain basic rights can not become a spacefaring species.

With such a massive task, how can one deny the right to participate in a culture? How can you not ask every member of a species their opinion on the group's path; give each member the ability to shape the culture that leaders in the space field will derive the goals of spaceflight from? How can you expect a member of a species to feel excitement for space when they can not participate in the thrill of a launch? When they are too scared to express their excitement for anything? When they can not speak about their passions in public?

A species which denies certain basic rights to any member of that species can not become a spacefaring species.

How can anyone dream of space or look up at the stars if they are denied housing, food, water and health care? What then does the whole species miss by their inability to participate, not only in space, but in all of that species' goals. How can a species survive in space, a place which tests everything to it's breaking point, when it is unwilling to provide for every member?

A species which denies certain basic rights can not become a spacefaring species. When we give every human these basic things, we will be ready; this species will then be mature enough to become spacefaring. Now, looking at how much suffering humans cause one another, I doubt we can inhabit space.

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Am I right? It it possibly for humanity to move to space while making members of this species second class world citizens? One a scale of one to ten, how much is lack of human rights holding back humanity?

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Photo by riacale

In Case You Skimmed

-A species which denies certain basic rights can not become a spacefaring species

-Denying a human their rights removes their perspective from all the problems we must solve

-Denying a human their rights removes any chance of them becoming inspired by space

We Should Not Be Catered To

Evangelical space cadets, like me, should not be catered to. I had this idea after reading two of Seth Godin's blog posts: The paradox of the middle of the market and Fast in, fast out. Basically, people like me are not the market we have to convince to get space habitation off the ground. It is easy to get people like me excited about any idea in space. Yet, we need to average Joe to be excited about commercial space. But, there is also a bigger problem. I fear people like me will not be in the movement when the idea is less new.

Gone After The First Settlement

For this movement to live off evangelical space cadets, we will need about 10 generations of evangelical space cadets. This generation of evangelical space cadets is locked in for life, but that may be because we will not live to see humanity bask in the light of another star. I fear people like me will not exist when interstellar space flight is common and rocket launches are unimpressive. When the space field falls away from the cutting edge; when space stops being a symbol of the future; when this dream is achieved, then the space movement will loss it's current supporters if the evangelical space cadet supports the space movement because it's a dream and it's a new idea.

After reading Seth Godin's posts, I thought about why I'm in the field; why I have a passion for space. I watched a rocket launch on TV and was forever inspired by it. But, I don't think I would be in this field if I saw a rocket launch everyday. I was impressed by NASA and other space agencies. I think they are legendary. But, I don't think I would be found in the space field in the world of Star Trek, were space flight is average. In the world of Star Trek, I think I would be blogging about another, far off, dream.

Replacing The Cadets

This is a graph of percent of each group active in the space movement, verses number of generations. I think such a graph will look like this. Right now, generation number two is taking over the space movement. The type of people who could be evangelical space cadets will not become a space cadet in the space movement as we accomplish this dream. We can not assume the evangelical space cadet will be active through out this multi-generational plan. So, we must convince the average Joe. I'm sure the core of the space movement can archive this dream, but they will not have the strength to colonize every star in the universe. Today, we have an army of supports, convince the meat of the market, and we have an unstoppable force.

The Meat Of The Market

The solution, if there is one, is to enter a market to the enthusiastic cheers of those in search of the new, but to build a product/service that appeals to those in the middle. After the initial wave of enthusiasm, you hunker down and ignore those that first embraced you, obsessing instead on the needs and networks of the middle. It's a difficult balancing act, but it's the only one that works. ~ Seth's Blog

A message to the leaders of the space movement: Ignore us, but use our enthusiasm. Make a space vision that will meet the needs for the average Joe. Do not make a future that will only appeal to people like me because that future will never happen if it only appeals to me.

Reactions

I need to polish this idea. What do think? Should the evangelical space cadet be ignored?

Updated: July 7, 2009

Class of 2009, Impossibilities Accomplished by our Class

While at my graduating ceremony on Monday, I thought back to my last Sunday Paper Club post and felt I was a little too harsh. I didn't know why I had this feeling, we are a very dark class, but while looking up at an airplane which happened to be flying many feet above us, I knew I needed to revisit the character of my class.

 
Photo by yui.kubo

A graduation is a reflection of the class; everything that the class as a whole holds dearly is presenting during this ceremony. We had speeches which consisted of the message of honesty and relaxation, but it is this song that was sung at my graduation which makes me believe my class could be the one's who leads humanity to all the goals it wants to achieve.

I think this song really reflects my class. The reason my class is so dark is "we've been looking for a song to sing - search for a melody - searched for someone to lead". That's why I think when we get boots on the moon, you'll see this nation's young repay that investment 100 times over. Right now, we don't really have a mission, this generation or this nation.

But, I also think we are at a fork in the road. One of my teachers said that senioritis was inevitable, yet didn't see that. I saw the same, if not better, work out of my classmates. I believe my and my class mates are more self motivated then any other generation. But, we could also complete the same mission by receiving a purpose from a outside force. I also found it interesting that the line "The future started yesterday and we're already late" was in the song. The vision given by futurists should have been accomplished. We are well into the space age and, yet, it still feels like the post-industrial age.

While looking up this song for this blog post, I also read the comments on this youtube video and I found that this song was chosen for many other high school graduations. So, my character of my class is not the character of my class, but the character of my generation. This is why we will be the generation who will have space habitations, who will solve hunger and every other social problem and who will inspire this world.

We're the generation

We can't afford to wait

The future started yesterday and we're already late

This might not be my best post, I'm sure every generation came out of high school like this. But, it's interesting that we selected this song and this song can be applied so well to space habitation. A question to my experienced readership: what was the song at your graduation? Why do you think your generation did not achieve space habitation? 

SPC #7: Maslow Windows

Welcome to the Sunday Paper Club. Every Sunday, this blog will offer analysis of a paper on space habitation and other related topics. These are my opinions on a weekly scientific paper. They are subject to my perspectives and believes. I am open to debate, so if any reader believes I have misinterpreted something in a paper, please point it out. I'm only a student and I'm still learning how to read these papers and interpret them. All quotes are from the paper unless otherwise noted. All papers I review are available for free online.

This week we are reviewing the paper 21st Century Waves: Forecasting Technology Booms and Human Expansion Into the Cosmos.

Photo by Grant MacDonald

One of my favorite rebuttals for economic arguments against space habitation is the Maslow Window theory. However, when I asked a question on the blog Ask Me Anything, I found myself unable to explain this theory in depth. If I am going to continue to use this theory to support the space habitation argument, I must at least read the paper.

Basically, Maslow Windows are economic time periods that are similar to the 1960s, the height of the space race. Every major event in human history tends to be clustered in 56 year bursts. This theory suggests that economic booms are the driving force behind history's biggest wars and finest engineering projects.

An optimistic society is a more productive one. During times of economic prosperity, the people of the world tend to be happier. If they are happier they are more productive, plus they have the time and resources to dream. I can tell you right now, no major progress in space will be made during this recession. In my opinion, humanity is focused on the negative; we are a pessimistic society. I see extreme movements with negative opinions of the future, like the 2012 movement, forming and growing. If we think humanity is on a downward slide to it's doom, if we think that we will never return to the good old days, then we will not have the will to better ourselves.

I feel, right now, only the most passionate people are in the space field. You can only find people who where born to work in this field, supporting and funding this field. The general public simply doesn't care about space anymore. Dreams of space cities are crazy when your in a world stocking up emergency supplies for a end of the world date which was born out of fear for the future.

It is possible that this recession, a time where the space field is in danger, was born out of the lack of hope in the future. If you thought everything was going downhill, you would roll up into a ball and pull all your money into gold. Look at the news, just looking at this small sample of human event, it is very reasonable to conclude that we are all doomed. But, if you where to look at each industry, each area of human life in depth, there is reason for hope. "The critical factor is our belief about what's going to happen to us".

"Rene Dubos [said] [t]he most distressing thing about the modern world is not the gravity of its problems...it is the dampening of the human spirit...[o]ut very survival as a species depends on hope". I agree with and have first hand experience with this statement. I'm graduating from high school on Monday, yet the morale of my high school's class of 2009 is at an all-time low. My class has a sense of impeding doom; the child-free movement is strong in my class, 2012 is a favorite topic. My class does not have the ambition and passion and all the other characteristics of youth that a fresh, 18 year old, high school graduate should have. Let me give you an example, this is a discussion thread on Facebook. The names have been blacked out for legal reasons. My real name is Daniel Sims.

I see comments like this all the time. We are the youth and we are hopeless. Space dreams can not survive if they can't even seek refugee in our youth. The human spirit is crushed and with it, dreams of space. The Internet might be a factor in triggering the mindset change needed for space habitation. With the Internet, bigger audiences then ever are reachable. One person can try and comfort someone with a dark mind. The great events that happened today are easier to find.

Something I found interesting was the description of a Macro-engineering project: "although sometimes practical in purpose, they are often aimed at satisfying intangible needs of a spiritual or psychological nature and are highly inspiring". A mass space habitation project would be enough to push my classmates out of the dark frame of mind. Since it is a need, maybe, as we get darker, the support for any inspiration will grow. Just like how people start wanting to eat anything as they get hungry.

Maslow windows also call attention to the need for humanity to stop fighting each other. Maslow windows are often shattered by war. The reason we are not in an infinite time of abundance is because of the destruction war brings. "To a visitor from Mars, it must have appeared that the Western world in 1914 was on the brink of Utopia". WW1 brought us away from that joyous brink. Something that is stopping NASA from getting more funding is the Iraq war; if we weren't in Iraq, we might have more money for dreams.

Maslow windows are triggered by great technological developments. If someone where to develop a very cheap rocket, then humanity would less economic reasons not to go, and more reasons to go to space. Which we need to have because if we do not establish space habitations by 2025, according the the theory, we will have to wait till 2081.

My Revolution - The Habitation Revolution

Today is my 18th birthday. So, as my first action as an adult, I think the most responsible action is to plan my future. Today, I am going to write about the part of my plan for life most relevant to this blog, my space habitation dream. This post is based on the Illuminated Mind post titled How to Start a Revolution.

Photo by Lincolnian (Brian)

If I make my work, my blog and the reason that I go to school, bigger then me, then I will be unstoppable. I will be riding a wave of energy and passion, not only emitting from me, but flowing from everyone else who works on this. I feel it already, I wake up excited and ready to work on this dream. But, I'm like a fire hose without anyone holding onto it. I spew around with enough energy to put out a fire, but I'm not aimed at the fire. I need to clear direction to be effective. We need a clear direction.

Morning Passion

When I wake up, I will turn off the alarm on my blackberry. Then, I will scroll though my Google alerts relating to space and space habitation. These e-mails wake me up, reading these ideas gives me an energy that surpasses a cup of coffee. I can't explain it, but reading the life and passion spilled onto virtual paper by those in the space movement gives me strength. But, I don't step up on my soapbox after this inspiring wave. I will wait till the end of the day to blog. I feel this prevents the soul tied passion that I have for space. So, for this reason, I will start waking up early in the morning and allowing the passion of the space community to flow though me with it's full force.

Is This a Revolution?

The Illuminated Mind asks some interesting questions that, I think, lay a solid base for a revolution. I will try to answer them, but I am explaining my emotions. So, they maybe rough.

• "It has to be something you care deeply about and would be willing to devote your life to."

I think I answered this already, but, space habitation is what gets me up in the morning. This is why I go to school and study. This is why I plan to loss weight (no one would let me fight in a rocket at 220 pounds, yet I want to live in space. Time to hit the gym *nervous laughter*) My moral structure is based on space habitation. In short, everything I do is because of space habitation. I stopped watching TV because of this, I keep my skills sharp because of this idea. I find my self talking about space habitation all the time (I even annoyed my friends once, but I just fail at social life)

• "It should be something that will help other people."

Passion given to a human being is priceless. In addition to all the economic benefits, this movement will help humanity in other ways. Space is the one thing where we can fail pitifully and still positively impact the world. A rocket launching into space and inspiring a kid to work a little harder in school can not be priced. By working on space, we let humanity dream. This alone is worth our efforts. But, there are great benefits to space habitation. Furthermore, by opening up a new frontier to the world, a global sense of hope will be restored on this depressed species.

• "It should have a long term impact."
• "It has to be remarkable; it has to be worth sharing and bigger than you."

Becoming a spacefaring species would have a huge impact. Our very societies will change for the better. The world will have a reason to turn their guns away from each other and work together. Humanity will have infinite space in expand. We will always have a frontier if we accomplish this dream.

• " Your revolution must have a distinctive quality to it that is caused by you working in it. It wouldn’t be the same if someone else did it. But it is definitely a collective movement created by similar values."

I use the word space habitation as opposed to space colonization to get across a fundamental idea and belief that I have; what I think this idea should entail. If we colonize space we will only drag only a mindset which has only caused humans trouble. But, if we make space our home; if we make space our habitat , then we will treat it with respect and dignity. I believe that if we approach the new age, a space age, with a new mindset we could fix every problem humanity has. This can not be about economic exploitation, this has to be about home. That wording is a reflection of my values and what makes my movement unique.

Reviews of Progress

I have no idea what I'm doing. I love this quote from the blog post because it reflects the reason behind my wondering's: "constant movement in the direction of what you might think your vision is, that you’ll find what your true vision is". So, yes I don't know what I'm doing, but I will use New Year's and my birthday as times to review my progress and review the lessons my wondering's have taught me. All I know is that I'm passionate about the idea of space habitation, how to use this passion is a different story. But, this is good. Because I can not wait for clarity to begin this movement. I have a hazy picture in my mind of my dream, but I will still spirit towards it. Luckily, for me, I blog about my passion. This will lead to generating the questions which will bring focus to this hazy imagine in my mind.

A proposed flag for the supporters of the space habitation/colonization movement. Find out more at http://www.spaceflag.com/

Ideas For The Revolution

This is a list of all the ideas I'm cooking up to make the public more aware of space habitation and to generate excitement around this idea.

• Habitation Intention: The Book - one of the things I want to do before I leave college is to write a book on space habitation. I want to have it published for the next presidential campaigns in an attempt to put this idea in the spotlight. I want to spend to first year of college researching on space habitation, the second year writing the book, the third year perfecting the book and having varies people try to rip apart to book's argument and the fourth year promoting the book. I want this to be the perfect argument in support of space habitation.
• Working Title: Space Advocacy for The Space Cadet - After participating in Problogger's 31 Days to a Better Blog, I had this idea. I want to spend 31 days and write a blog series that will train my readers into strong space advocates. Then, I want to make a free e-workbook out of the 31 blog posts. I imagine this workbook being handed out at various space related conventions and meetings. Having a united roadmap will make the space community's efforts more effective. I will run this event every year, adding new tasks and keeping the roadmap fresh.
• Speaking - As soon as I get transportation, I want to start speaking about space habitation. I've been told I'm a great speaker and passionate. I really feel my writing does not convey my passion for the topic and when I'm speaking I feel the passion is me is transferring to the audience without interruption. I want to do it for free because I'm just a kid and not worth getting paid. Plus, I'm going to be using my hosts to spread my message and learning how to speak better.
• Space Habitation blogger union - there are a few blogs on space habitation and colonization out there. I think we should unite and share our resources. Maybe this could even lead to a magazine.
• Every revolution needs a manifesto, so I'm going to write one as soon as I feel worthy enough to write one.

I would like to leave you with Faith of the Heart by Russell Watson, what I consider the Anthem of the Space Movement. I really need your input for this plan. Do you think my revolution is a good idea? Thank you for reading!