Ted, if you can bear with me for a minute and suppress your anti-Christian knee-jerk reactions, I'll tell you.
Like I told Metta World Peace, there are currently two documented ways to create a livable planetary ecosystem. One way is to let evolution take its course. Unfortunately that takes hundreds of millions of years, and the outcome is far from certain.
The other way is to let God (or someone who possesses the wisdom and the power of God) do it. Like I said, he did it in six days and got to rest on Sunday.
Obviously there is lively debate on which method was used to create Earth, but nevertheless, both ways are unviable for terraforming Mars. Hence we need to devise a method that fits somewhere in between. Specifically, we need to come up with methods that will shortcut the evolutionary process without totally screwing it up.
CJ claims that the science is well-understood and that studies by NASA all but prove that terraforming Mars is a viable concept. But I seriously doubt that, at least for now and in the foreseeable future. When it comes to this sort of stuff, we're still no smarter than cavemen playing with fire. And to pretend otherwise is sheer vanity.
That was my point behind "what God did in six days." You don't have to believe that the world was actually created that way to understand the analogy. You just have to know what an incredible challenge it is to terraform a planet.
As usual, I'll leave you with a movie quote. Dr. McCoy from Star Trek II:
McCoy: Its "new matrix"? Do you have any idea what you're saying?
Spock: I was not attempting to evaluate its moral implications, Doctor. As a matter of cosmic history, it has always been easier to destroy than to create.
McCoy: Not anymore; now we can do both at the same time! According to myth, the Earth was created in six days. Now, watch out! Here comes Genesis! We'll do it for you in six minutes!
Tenchusatsu |
