I've heard Carl Sagan and other science-types say that humans have a natural urge to explore. Yet the state of human space exploration is getting worse and worse. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that SOME humans have a natural urge to explore. Most humans seems to prefer to stay in one place.
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Michigan
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Re: The natural urge to explore: Is it for real?
Mon, December 18, 2006 - 7:52 AMi've found myself exploring more and more in the past couple of years. however, it has nothing to do with space exploration. it's been more inner exploration...through which i have managed to go far beyond outer space. :)
peace
james -
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Re: The "natural" urge to explore: Is it for real?
Mon, December 18, 2006 - 8:32 AMThis resonates with me, James.
It seems to me, Yul, that your question would benefit from being unpacked a bit: perhaps the so-called "urge to explore" might be more "natural" than the urge specifically to explore outer space. If I ever had a "natural" "urge to explore" outer space, something must have happened early on to squelch the urge, because I can't remember it. I can't remember ever having Spaceman Spiff fantasies.
But then, what is "natural"?
As a gay man who has struggled with religious issues, I have often confronted the question of "naturalness." And, as one writer (I couldn't rember who if I tried) once pointed out, it is "natural" for human children to defacate in their pants.
So to what extent is "naturalness" a mandate? Should what is "natural" be cultivated in or cultivated out? (As a folk artist, I'm inclined to let chips fall where they may, but as an artist, I'm inclined to pick them up and arrange them according to my taste. So where does that lead me?)
I am not convinced of the overal usefulness of the Space Program for much more than bragging rights, and I'm not much of a fan of posturing--I think it's a poor substitute, in general, for genuine accomplishment. I would rather the money went toward socialized healthcare or something, but then, I'm uninsurable, so that would leave me in a nice position. Self-serving? I dunno; I don't care. I'll serve myself to preserve my life, yeah.
For that matter, it is natural that I should be dead by now. I certainly didn't let that chip fall where it might. -
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Re: The "natural" urge to explore: Is it for real?
Mon, December 18, 2006 - 9:59 AMWell, once upon a time, exploration on this planet wasn't as heavily regulated as the pursuit of the exploration of space. There's a big bureaucratic wall that shunts almost any urge to explore these days.
Besides, it is likely some human evolution takes place when there is nothing left to explore. I'm sure that if we ever colonize another planet, the urge to explore will be alive and well.
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Re: The natural urge to explore: Is it for real?
Mon, December 18, 2006 - 10:03 AMIsn't mapping the human genome "exploration"? Isn't curing cancer or AIDS or other diseases "exploration"?
Just because they don't have big ships and aren't swashbuckling adventurers doesn't meant that there aren't still loads of explorers in the world. :-)
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Re: The natural urge to explore: Is it for real?
Mon, December 18, 2006 - 11:18 AMAh, well said. -
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Re: The natural urge to explore: Is it for real?
Mon, December 18, 2006 - 2:14 PMNatural or not, I am among those who have an urge to explore outer space. Since that's the case, it would therefore make sense for those who want to explore space to be allowed to explore space, while those who don't want to explore space be allowed to remain on Earth. In my view, there should be no disagreement on this. But of course I am prone to human error, so chances are there are those who strongly believe that space advocates are wrong and should therefore be forced into rejecting space exploration. -
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Re: The natural urge to explore: Is it for real?
Mon, December 18, 2006 - 2:59 PMWell, far be it from me to stand in the way of progress, certainly.
The question for me is not one of quashing initiative but of who's paying for the exploration.
But whaddo I know? I think the arts should get public funding, and there are lots of people in power who think space should get more money than art, and they can make just as good a case for their position as I can for mine...
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Re: The natural urge to explore: Is it for real?
Tue, December 19, 2006 - 7:27 AMIf there was no urge to explore humans would have stayed wherever we evolved (probably Africa) and never ventured outward (into Europe, Asia, the Pacific Islands, and across to America).
I get the wanderbug (intermittent wanderlust) every so often. The urge to just get in the car and go somewhere--exploring the city or drive far away or just be in a different place--overwhelms me. I have enough control over this emotion to keep a stable job, but its strong enough that I can imagine those for whom it is entirely beyond their restraint.
Its true there are people who don't want to know, don't want to learn, don't want to explore physically or intellectually or introspectively. I feel very sorry for these kinds of sheeple. But they are as common and varied as the explorer types.
I'd say its a spectrum of personlities. But even within that spectrum there are variations. In our society it is not functional or useful to just get up and go walkabout. So, we seek ways to use this energy--like exploring concepts or aspects of our lives.
:)
Feiruz
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Re: The natural urge to explore: Is it for real?
Fri, December 22, 2006 - 9:18 AMHumanity was originally a nomadic hunter gather species, at least that's what I've read. Bruce Chatwin in his very good book "The Songlines" discusses this at length, about how he feels happier and healthier psychologically when he's on the move. He uses the example that a baby being carried along, who can sense the movement, is more content and less likely to cry than one who is held stationary.
Like other posters have said, I think that this wanderlust is a part of our natures.Whether it's a wanderlust in terms of geography or investigations into art, literature, science or philosophy. It's a kind of curiosity to see what's over the horizon that was once needed for our survival as a species. Maybe it's still needed for our survival and we've just forgotten about it?
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Re: The natural urge to explore: Is it for real?
Fri, February 8, 2008 - 12:35 PMThis one was recently in my mind. All humans no. I personally think humans that fall into the category of average have these inclinations the most. I'm not going past the atmosphere personally.
