http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/09/tech/innovation/mars-one-applications/index.html?hpt=us_bn4
More than 30,000 Americans have signed up to be considered for the job of being space-age colonists. This unprecedented offer is given to anyone 18 or older by the company Mars One, which has pledged to create the first space colony on Mars by 2022. 10,000 people have applied as of yet by video resumes, and by the end of the year, 40 will be chosen to undergo an extensive eight-year training seminar before being sent out into the void, never to return. Two years after they leave, another shipment of four is expected.
As expected, the majority of the applicants cannot even be considered, since the offer seems to attract an odd kind of person. One memorable video resume featured a man in a strange wig drinking his own urine and pledging his eternal love to a Japanese actress. However, I believe the effort to colonize a planet other than our own is one of the most important things we, as humans, can do. The possibility that humanity will be able to break free from our planetary bonds and live and thrive further away from where we were born than we have ever been is extremely exciting. We know that our Earth is mortal, and to be able to travel in space is the most important way we can ensure the safety of or species and the lives of our descendants. If we are able to pull this off, I believe it will be one of the most significant milestones in our history.
I definitely agree with the importance of humans being able to expand and colonize outside of our planet. However, we would have to develop the technological capability to travel to a planet similar to earth. We are genetically made to live on earth (or a planet like it). The closest planets to earth that may be able to sustain life (as we know it) are light years away. This means that if we were able to travel at the speed of light, it would still take years to reach these planets.
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