Where No Man Has Gone Before

Where No Man Has Gone Before

In the first section “Technological Development”, I explained how culture impacts technological development. Every culture had it’s peak, or it’s highlight. It is fair to say that most advanced developments in ancient civilization happened around the Mediterranean, and also the Far East. The Egyptians were taken over by the Greek and the Persian, and all the region eventually became occupied by the Roman Empire. Commerce blossomed, merchandise being shipped across the Mediterranean Sea in vessels that eventually developed into military Navies. For many centuries, “the World” was really restrained to the Mediterranean Area, where sailors thought that the Earth was flat and that there were monsters at the far side of the ocean. Eventually connections were made with India and China, commercial interexchange usually consisting of spices and exotic goods. On the other side of the Atlantic, life existed for aboriginal tribes of which the Incas and the Mayans were the most organized. At first glance they did not appear as developed as Europe, but they were masters of the environment and medicine, with higher longevity rates. The Middle Ages were a Dark period for Europe, characterized by feudalism, but a fantastic period for China.  

In the second section “Industrial Development”, I went deep into the Industrial Revolution. The industries developed were capital intensive, and though they represented a difficult period for mankind, the benefits were enormous. Two World Wars were liberated in the middle though, which is not something to take lightly. Warfare has always boosted massive advances in technology throughout history, but nothing so rapid and furious as the Great Wars. They prepared the terrain for the most prosperous period for mankind: The Space Age, an era where warfare was relatively controlled and the world divided in two (East and West). Tension was always present between these two blocs, with the imminence of a Third World War at the door. Eventually the Soviet Union dissolved, and the World shifted towards multi-polarism with the BRICS[109] as a rising power.   

In the third section “The NeXT Industries”, we got to the final goal of my research: to lead you to SEE the FANTASTIC period of changes we, the people of Earth, are going through TODAY. The Fourth Industrial Revolution means a shift from big businesses to small business. From capital intensive industries to the comfort of the home business. From having to travel to know how life is in other countries, to the possibility of connecting with people from all over the world through the Internet. The industries of the future will require more investment in education and knowledge. The government can play it’s part by making it easier (or more difficult) for entrepreneurs to succeed. The education system will become a more and more crucial part of the equation. However, nothing will be able to replace the creativity and intensity of the human spirit.  

Once again, the future will be shaped by the human mind’s ability to create. The future has been imagined by the ancients. Check out the following hieroglyphs in Egypt: a helicopter, a submarine, a spaceship, missiles… Clear as crystal is that the ancients still hold secrets that have not been decoded by the most brilliant scientists. Regardless of evidence that the pyramids were built by slaves, superstition has it that the Egyptians had collaboration from beings from outer space. However, the Egyptians were an amazingly developed civilization capable of organizing themselves in brilliant ways. That led them to survive for over 3000 years before falling to the Roman Empire under Cleopatra’s rule in the year 30 BC.  

When in 1969, the US fulfilled JFK’s promise (“I believe this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth”) this meant beginning of a New Age for mankind. Having achieved the impossible, the human race finally came to realize that if we can get to space, then there might be many other species out there that have done the same. Science Fiction was always one of my favorites, and stories of Space Travel have plagued us since the beginning of times. In a similar fashion to the Egyptians, the Mayans also built pyramids and developed the most sophisticated calendar, predicting a new era of changes for mankind from 2012. Did they actually have exposure to alien life? It is difficult to say, but it would not be surprising. Those of us who are amazed with the vastness of space believe that U.F.O.s are real, and that aliens live amongst us, occasionally spying us. How long will it be until we actually meet intelligent alien life? After landing on the Moon and conquering the Earth’s orbit, mankind prepares for the NeXT giant leap: Mars. The Mars One project (www.mars-one.com) is a not for profit foundation with the goal of establishing a permanent human settlement on Mars. To prepare for this settlement the first unmanned mission is scheduled to depart in 2020. A habitable settlement built by robots will await the first crew before they depart Earth. The hardware needed will be sent to Mars in the years ahead of the humans. Crews will depart for their one-way journey starting in 2026; subsequent crews will depart every 26 months after the initial crew has left for Mars. Mars One is a global initiative aiming to make this everyone’s mission to Mars. The big issue with this expedition is that the permanent settlement does not allow a return trip. That would require developing bigger rockets that need a larger landing system and launch capability on Mars. Colonization of Mars will be the biggest challenge and adventure in the 21st century. It will mean a fantastic era of technological development. Whole new industries can be built only around the Space Mission. Which societies will SEE the potential and hop on this New Era of Space exploration? Space travel will take many decades, centuries. But the colonization of Mars is much closer than we think.