Friday, July 27, 2007

Popes in Space

Hmm.

…Far more likely the only people ever to go to other stars are Jesuits. Life in a steel can for decades ship-time (or, more likely, in an inflatable mylar balloon) might be done to carry the Gospel to the E.T.’s — because even a worldly Pope might think the Popes two thousand years from now will remember him for organizing the expedition…

It would be a kick in the pants if organized religion caught the wave of the future and kick-started Western Civ into space.

Who better to run a centuries long effort like Terraforming Mars than an institution that thinks in centuries and has been around for two thousand years. Who else has the patience to invest in projects whose payback is decades away? Like, oh, I dunno, a radically new launch system. I could accept a Jesuit as a project manager - just think of the banter around the conference room table.

I see a new space race involving the Roman Catholics and the Mormons. The Catholics have the edge in organizational excellence, the Mormons are the wacky underdogs that have enthusiasm on their side.

And we need the Jews. Both because it would irk Radical Islamists and because 'Lunar Zionist' sounds so cool.

via.
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