Why Bill Shatner had to go to Space

I applaud the fact that Jeff Bezos gave William Shatner the opportunity to get a new perspective on the world, from the rim of space. But quite a few influential people made disparaging remarks about the wastefulness and hubris to make that happen. Perhaps the strongest criticism has been that it is just another example of how we are despoiling the planet while ignoring the need to devote such resources to save the Earth. One of the most eloquent expressions of that mindset happened years ago, in the voice of Pete Seeger at the close of the Smothers Brothers TV show, when he sang "Here we are, knee deep in garbage, firing rockets at the moon." That stunt almost resulted in the show being cancelled; it caused such a furor among the producers and sponsors. We were in the middle of the Apollo program at the time, and it was thought unpatriotic to disrespect NASA. But when I got to talk with Pete years later; he told me he lamented the decision to perform that song, after he learned just how much good our space exploration efforts were doing to save the Earth. Then he told me a story about his Dad, Charles (on pg. 283 of "Where Have all the Flowers Gone?"), who late in life became very anti-Science and actively worked to get scientists to see reason, and to understand that they were fueling the warlike aims of dictators and despots. Pete was more philosophical, waxing on the idea that yesterday's answers won't solve the problems of today, and saying he would take his father to task - citing Kant and Hegel who talked about the need for a synthesis emerging from the clash of opposing views.

Humanity needs such philosophical insights to survive. I had the extraordinary privilege to be part of a discussion with some of the world's top scientists and philosophers (HR3 - Time and Philosophy in Physics) during the 16th Marcel Grossmann conference this past July. I cite a 2018 paper (Found. Phys. 28, 5) by lead-off speaker Carlo Rovelli which asserts that Physics needs Philosophy, and vice versa, for either to give us meaningful insights about reality. He talks about the ancient debate between the schools of Isocrates and Plato which rages to this day. While Isocrates taught that it is most important to cultivate skills of a practical nature, and the mastery thereof; Plato thought we should seek to learn how things work and how they came to be, as a more general pursuit of pure knowledge. These opposing philosophies greatly influence our politics and how we view the advance of human knowledge. But it is also easy to see that such debates often center on views of time, where liberals are more forward-facing being concerned with creating a better future, while conservatives tend to be more concerned with preserving the legacy and traditions that brought us to where we are today. The biggest problem I see is that people are hung up on proving that one view or the other is the best or correct ideology.

It is abundantly evident that both views are needed and that each philosophical ideal informs us in ways the other cannot. But few among us are visionary enough to gaze from outside the clash of ideologies that separates us. So we need more Pete Seegers and more Carlo Rovellis, as well as a healthy number of people like Gene Roddenberry, who can look past the divisive elements to envision a future where Science has prevailed and people have finally learned to get along. So how does one get the view from the outside? You rise above! So it seems that the one best way to get that inspiration is going into space. From all reports; it is so profoundly and lastingly awe-inspiring that nothing else compares. Of course; it is now a costly and wasteful procedure, to bring folks to the rim of space as tourists. But only by taking steps toward making it practical and cost effective will we one day look back and ask why we waited so long. While it will always be difficult to travel in space and arrive back home safely; it need not remain the province of a few millionaires or celebrities if we keep going. However; we need a philosophical shift to see how the clash between an idea and its opposite can result in something with the best of both worlds, where the synthesis or fusion of two opposing views of Philosophy creates a new view of reality. The ancient Greeks talked about virtue this way, as the pediment or apex poised between opposites, where too little or too much of a given quality is a bad thing. Thus courage is the balance between timidity and boldness. We need a balance of views like that now more than ever.

So I'd like to speak up on behalf of William Shatner, Jeff Bezos, and others who have a visionary ideal similar to what Gene Roddenberry promoted with "Star Trek," that we can have a brighter future on Earth if we explore space. I do not think it is frivolous to imagine that we need to give as many influential people as possible that incomparably inspiring view from the rim of space, so they can share the sense of awe and wonder that can make an aging adult feel like a child again. But for those who feel otherwise; I think that for scientists and others to keep going into space is likely the best way to heal the climate and save planet Earth. Of course; one can argue that all kinds of observation can take place by satellites, which don't require a human presence. Likewise for going to Mars and other planets; the robots will have an easier time surviving than humans, and can send back tons of data. However; we are born explorers and there is nothing like exploring new realms for yourself. In fact; that is what scientific discovery is all about "to boldly go where no one has gone before" or as Nobel laureate Doug Osheroff puts it to "search unexplored regions of the parameter space," because that is how advancements in Science are made.