If Space Is the Final Frontier, Why Aren’t We There Yet?

Most of the time when I wear my Occupy Mars t-shirt (available from Space X), I get a thumbs up from people I meet. But awhile back a woman took a look and said, “No, no. Don’t occupy Mars.”

She was just passing by, so I didn’t get a chance to ask her what her objection was. Did she think humans would mess up Mars? Or did she think exploring space was a luxury we can’t afford? I’d disagree either way, though I’d be willing to have a thoughtful conversation on whether we humans, with all our fl...