We may have the will to explore the universe, but we lack the means.
Barring an apocalyptic celestial event to scare the pants off the world collectively, there’s little we can do to convince a majority of world leaders that it makes sense to leave the planet.
how about V ger?
that was means
I’m mixed on even the “will” part of that. ‘Collective’ will, most certainly not.
We, this country and this world is so far embroiled in a spate of petty symbolism (e.g., removing anything sight, acknowledgement or history that ‘upsets’ victim groups), mindless personal needs and wants, hatred for traditional religion [you could make that with ‘white’ religion], and an overall drive to ‘equalize’ this world. Frankly, the last thing on its mind is space exploration - unless that involved a Muslim astronaut or something.
This remains the primary obstacle. We just don't have the horsepower to go very far very fast. A trip to Mars would take, what, three years round trip?
I'm all for going but we just don't have many places we can get to with current technology.
Technology moves on. The plasma engine bumped up in size from the little ones used for probes....... and in large ships, kept in orbit, can get us to Mars in weeks rather than months and progress moves on.....if we ever figure out workable fusion reactors we can make feasible generation ships to alpha century and if we are ever able to dope the making and safe storage of antimatter.....we can go even faster.
Appropriate Everest as the end of an electromagnetic rail launch platform?
Freeman Dyson?
How about hollowing out a large asteroid or small planetoid. Then you’ve got bus service to all the planets.
Some of us have the will. And, eventually, we WILL. As for the rest ? Well, that’s the Meek inheriting the Earth.
The Bold are going to the Stars. . .
We have the means, however it would require cutting all of the social crap out of government that is not only wasteful and ineffective, but holds our society back.