James GleickDec 1, 2024

This seems so science-fictiony that most people won't take it seriously. That would be a bad mistake.

Not only are we messing up the planet, we're also inadvertently shutting our door to space. When we're shut in, we're probably shut in for ever.

And when I say "we" are shutting that door, I mean mainly Musk.

https://robertvanwey.substack.com/p/the-imminence-of-the-destruction

The Imminence of the Destruction of the Space Program

New calculations put the date much closer than we should be comfortable with

The Evidence Files
Show threadCassandrichDec 2, 2024
@gleick I'm not convinced shutting the door isn't a good thing. It completely cuts off both the TESCREAList narrative about "good of the future trillions of human minds across the galaxy at the expense of every real person here now except the billionaires" and the prospects of space capitalism. We don't need space; it's awesome to explore but not essential to survival or happiness.
Show threadaburka 🫣
@dalias @gleick we really do need GPS and satellite communications relays for modern society to function without serious redesign (which we could do, yes, but it would be quite traumatic)
Dec 2, 2024 at 4:27amWeb
Show threadCassandrichDec 2, 2024
@aburka @gleick It'd be a strain for them to break but we'd be fine. Eliminating satellite TV etc would be excellent. Satellite internet except starlink is too lagged to be useful anyway.