Be other 5/5.- Conquering space obsesses us because we see the promise of a metamorphosis of the human species, says the historian of science*.
Paradis astral
“We have always been torn by the desire to find our lost paradise. This utopia encouraged us to seek out other continents. It began with the great discoveries and the mission of the founding fathers to the “new worlds”: New England, New Orleans… Virgin worlds, or almost, to be colonized. Very quickly, paradise became spatial.
We dream of extraterrestrial worlds that would be “the Earth but better”. In the 1960s, physicist Gerard O’Neill had already imagined the perfect planet: a smooth world, without mosquitoes, without bedbugs, without ferocious animals, where we would have perfect love with our loved ones and our pets. The American dream! The screenwriters ofInterstellar were inspired by his theory to imagine the Cooper station, in the orbit of Saturn, in the shape of an immense cylinder. Dream or nightmare?
Virgin land
“There are two types of new worlds: either a new planet or an orbital station. Both would require enormous expenditure. We must create the conditions for life, produce the oxygen we need. Installation on Mars is not for tomorrow. Life there is hostile and the world unlivable. And, even if Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk invest billions in the conquest of space, we are not making much progress.
Climate collapse gives another color to this utopia. We would so much like to redeem ourselves, ardently dream of a virgin Earth, which would allow us to start all over again. Alas, there is no planet B. But how can we not dream in front of these millions of galaxies, not imagine that other possible existences.”
Interstellar nomads
“We are by nature nomadic, this is our destiny. But we are not avatars in a video game. The reality principle is our body, and our organism is not capable of adapting to other worlds without major transformations. How can we meet our needs for oxygen and protection? Space exploration does not happen without a metamorphosis of the human being. Transhumanism, intended to replace organs with prostheses, is already underway, with the temptation of immortality. But it only concerns the elite. There may be a lot of people left behind.”
Transhumanism, intended to replace organs with prostheses, is already underway, with the temptation of immortality
Jacques Arnould
Half-cyborgs, half-humans
“Let’s imagine that a hand-picked community is led to colonize an orbital station or a planet. Their body will have to adapt. However, this metamorphosis, if it lasts for several generations, risks leading to a mutation in the human species. These living beings, which we can imagine as half-cyborgs and half-humans, would then move away from other earthlings as much as we have moved away from primates.
We could witness the emergence of a new human species, different from ours, with common ancestors. We might not even be able to reproduce together anymore. These reflections remain at the state of hypothesis. But one thing is certain: our ambivalence is abysmal. We want to settle on a virgin planet without leaving our old Earth; let us dream of conquering immortality, but let us fear metamorphosis…”
*Jacques Arnould is also an ethics expert at CNES. Latest book published: “Colonies in space. The ultimate utopia?”, Éditions Odile Jacob (May 2024).