The reason I am optimistic

There have been a lot of posts here recently talking about problems in our world, like sexism, hunger or climate change. And, while it is important to be aware of these problems and to try to find solutions, I think it’s also important to look at the good things in the world once in a while ; if only to not lose hope in humanity.

            One of those is space exploration. Think about it : we have the capacity to leave our planet. This may sound trivial, but when you reflect on it, it is huge. We can send probes to any corner of the solar system, we can land people on the moon (which is 384 402 km away, almost 10 times the circumference of Earth), and we have even sent objects beyond the Kuiper belt. We are no longer planetbound, and the potential for scientific and cultural advancement is immense. And it also shows how humans can come together to achieve great things and push back limits, with structures such as the ISS or agencies like the ESA.

            In our lifetimes, we will probably see things such as the first human born in space or the first step on Mars. This will open new perspectives : a colony on the red planet would let us experiment with new forms of society and government without the limits present on Earth, experiments which may afterwards have a beneficial impact on our own society. Mining Helium 3 on the Moon could lead to a breakthrough in fusion energy, allowing us to have large amounts of dangerless, non-polluting energy.

            Of course, the changes these events would imply might be scary, but I am confident in humanity’s ability to make them work. After all, our society could have been destroyed countless times in the last century alone, but we are still here. And as such, we can all do our part to help a better future come about.

Florent.