MULTIPLANETARY - Intellectual

[Intro: Apollo 11 Commentator & Neil Armstrong]

Ignition sequence start: 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0

All engines running

Lift off, we have a lift off

32 minutes past the hour

Lift off on Apollo 11

Tower cleared

Ok, we've got a roll program

[Chorus: LOSTBOYEVSKY]

Elon Musk plans to colonize Mars

I just thought you should know

I just thought you should probably know that because

[Verse: LOSTBOYEVSKY]

Because humanity could become a multi-planetary species

And that would be cool because existence on Earth is precarious

There’s hella existential risk if we’re all confined to this one pebble

But if we expand outward into space—if we build a self-sustaining civilization on another planet—we increase our species’ resilience substantially

We may even be able to engineer another biosphere on Mars or elsewhere that can sustain other earthly species and increase the resilience of many earthly species, not just humans

Our branch of evolution is an anomaly in the cosmos, as far as we know

Our candle of consciousness, as far as we know, is the only one flickering in the entire universe

Our diverse and thriving biosphere is a jewel in the vast black void of space

Life is bursting with color and beauty and wonder and love

And pizza and orgasms and cannabis--all sorts of other great stuff

So we should want to preserve that

We should want to preserve our branch of evolution

Think of the trillions of future human and post-human beings who will thank us if we do so

If we at least ensure that our branch of evolution persists, creation can continue to evolve and produce untold wonders for potentially trillions of years

Some promising ways to mitigate global catastrophic risk--are to stop destroying the environment, transition to renewable energy and resources, find ways of reversing overpopulation, and disarm all nuclear weapons, or perhaps reduce humanity’s nuclear arsenal to the bare minimum necessary to disincentivize major international conflicts

But even if we do these things, Earth is still risky

An asteroid could strike the Earth again and cause an apocalyptic scenario

Eventually some kind of mass extinction event will occur

Whether caused by an asteroid impact, climate change, or the eventual exponential expansion of the sun in its giant red phase, sooner or later something will wipe out much or all of life on Earth

To mitigate natural existential risks and eventually leave Earth, we needed to develop high technology at some point

Now that we have it, it's time to start building the first human civilization beyond Earth

Don’t get me wrong: we should preserve Earth and cherish it for as long as possible and treat it and its inhabitants much better than we historically have

But eventually, if we want to continue surviving, we will need to leave the pale blue dot and venture out into the stars

High technology is necessary for us to do this, but unfortunately, it also poses momentous risks

Experts believe molecular nanotechnology weapons have a 5% chance of causing the extinction of humanity before 2100

The same experts suggest a 5% chance that super-intelligent AI optimizing for non-human-friendly values will result in humanity’s demise prior to 2100

And the same experts give a 2% probability to the possibility of an engineered pandemic, a kind of bio-weapon, wiping out humanity before 2100

I’m really not making this stuff up—read the Wikipedia page for ‘Global Catastrophic Risks’

Because of these technological risks, Vinay Gupta has suggested that we should move all research and development of these dangerous technologies out of Earth’s orbit—conduct the R&D on the Moon or Mars instead, so that if something goes wrong, our home planet isn’t decimated

What I’m describing might seem like the substance of science-fiction, but we now live in a sci-fi world, look around you

These are real risks, and some of the world’s most intelligent people are discussing them in all seriousness

This is why getting some humans off of Earth is a good idea

If we can become a multi-planetary and eventually interstellar or intergalactic civilization, we will all but ensure the persistence of life in the universe

We are life

Our most basic drive is to help life continue to exist

So I say

Let the roadshow go on

Let the roadshow continue

This is much larger than you or I or the seven billion of us and the billions of animals on Earth right now

This is about trillions upon trillions upon trillions of potential future beings that will never know life, unless we enable them to

So if we do nothing else in this world, we must ensure that humanity doesn’t destroy itself and all other life

We must ensure that life is protected from the various existential risks that may threaten Earth in the coming decades and centuries

This is the most basic question we should be asking ourselves: "How to ensure the persistence of our evolutionary branch, of our flicker of consciousness?"

The show must go on

Life is such a marvelous, ineffable, and incomprehensibly complex show

It simply must go on

You can help with this

Unfortunately, our species’ ethical and moral progress has not kept pace with our technological progress

You can help to change that, by prioritizing your moral and ethical development

Live compassionately, cooperatively, minimalistically, sustainably, non-dogmatically, and self-reliantly

Begin to view yourself as a member of a vast community of seven billion humans and billions of other sentient beings

The greater the peace and solidarity among humanity, the less chance that we will blow ourselves to hell

Do whatever you can to help our systems become more sustainable and regenerative as well

Basic stuff like reducing, reusing, and recycling

Try not to waste stuff, and don’t buy so much unnecessary stuff

Consider trying not to own a car, or get a hybrid or electric car

Think about transitioning to solar power or other renewable energy sources in the coming years or decades

Start where you are, and do what you can with what you have

Google “Effective Altruism” and read about their initiatives

Read 'Existential Risks: Analyzing Human Extinction Scenarios' by Nick Bostrom

Google “Vinay Gupta” and listen to like 10 hours of his lectures and interviews

Read ‘The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion’ by Jonathan Haidt

Research and support the work of Elon Musk

Look into things like the Future of Life Institute, and the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, and the Future of Humanity Institute

And spread these ideas

Raise awareness of the fact that addressing existential risks and becoming a multi-planetary civilization is good for humanity, if we care about our children and grandchildren living full, long lives and giving future sentient life: human, non-human, and post-human the greatest chance of actually coming into this universe and experiencing its wonders and grandeur and creating things that are incomprehensible to us currently

I think we should care about that more than anything

Don’t get me wrong: I think ending or greatly reducing extreme poverty, slavery, human trafficking, animal cruelty, and other things are extremely important and worthy causes too

But we have to start from square one --- with the fact that if life on Earth is utterly decimated or ceases to exist, no other causes matter

It will all be over, forever

Everything we know and love --- gone

No chance for future generations to experience this cosmos

As I said, "we are life"

Life has already become so much, and it can become so much more

Let’s make sure that it does

[Refrain: LOSTBOYEVSKY]

Let the show go on

[Outro: President John F. Kennedy & Neil Armstrong]

For the eyes of the world now look into space, to the moon and to the planets beyond, and we have vowed that we shall not see it governed by a hostile flag of conquest, but by a banner of freedom and peace. We have vowed that we shall not see space filled with weapons of mass destruction, but with instruments of knowledge and understanding

We set sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained, and new rights to be won, and they must be won and used for the progress of all people. For space science, like nuclear science and all technology, has no conscience of its own. Whether it will become a force for good or ill depends on man. I do not say the we should or will go unprotected against the hostile misuse of space any more than we go unprotected against the hostile use of land or sea, but I do say that space can be explored and mastered without feeding the fires of war, without repeating the mistakes that man has made in extending his writ around this globe of ours

There is no strife, no prejudice, no national conflict in outer space as yet. Its hazards are hostile to us all. Its conquest deserves the best of all mankind, and its opportunity for peaceful cooperation may never come again

And the moon and the planets are there. And new hopes for knowledge and peace are there. And therefore as we set sail we have God's blessing on the most hazardous and dangerous and greatest adventure on in which Man has ever embarked

OK, I'm going to step off the LEM now. That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind