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Interplanetary Man
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F51 
51INTERPLANETARY MAN
Brit. Interplanetary Soc
Oct 1948
Introductory
hesitate to speak to experts.
story about magic carpet!
failed in organic chemistry
dabbler in many subjects, expert in none
×must bring light from other fields
necessity of experts
but danger
experts may be ignorant of other fields
2scientists pontificate outside their province
experts must also be informed citizens
philosophers must correlateand civilized.persons
initial assumption — that man will soon reach ð planets
3unless first we destroy ourselves
×(Haldane's “law of nature”)So What?⊕ ⁄⁄⁄
time scale — (today, man's supreme crisis)
homo sapiensf began ¼ to ½ mil years ago
slow river
one thousandth of ð whole age of life
4slow increase of power
civilization — 6000 years ago
science   —   300   “   ”
×us — first atomic generation
catarract
earth habitable — another 2,000,000,000 years.
5three possible futures for man
1. annihilation            (Asteroids)
2. totalitarian world
3. new humanity
6will desire more than luxury θ power
×outgrowing infantile diseases
new glory, new tragedy, new horizons
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⊙ thin layer of atmosphere
& thick layer of ice
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6if the planets are inhabited
wars between worlds? (invaders might be destroyed)
might unify mankind
exploitation of conquered worlds
7or cooperation of worlds?
unlikely — man too barbarian
7evidence of uninhabitability of θ planets etc
moon — no air, no water
Mercury — too hot, & too cold dust clouds?
Venus — no oxygen, no water? ^ plastic. " "?
Mars — has lost most of its atmosphere & water ^
but vegetation?
8×slow biological evolution
& cut short
outer planets — wrong atmosphere ⊙ //
×possibility of another bio-chemical basis?
terrestrial life — diversity of carbon compounds
any other basis — insufficient variety
9possibility of radio-active basis, fission
life’s waterwheel
flamelike organisms — in θ sun
beyond our reach
if the planets are uninhabited?
1. if earth is disunited —
10imperial rivalry for θ planets
America would annex θ Moon
2. if earth is united — we what to do with θ planets?
explore them — lure of adventure
11but perhaps no need to land?
planetary fields of natural resources
rare minerals
12×but first — improve θ Earth for man
climate might be improved
coasts changed, deserts irrigated
mountains moved
Antarctica
but wild reserves needed
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⊕ For worlds much larger than Jupiter :—
centipede man
for a dead Sun —
tripe man
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3
1and colonization
+but sooner or later — planetary exploitation, ∧
13Mars — might be improved
atmosphere, water, heating
penal settlement!
Moon — atmosphere would quickly escape
Venus — difficult but more profitable
14change ð atmosphere
water?
produce a vegetation, for oxygen
warm
might surpass Earth
greater planets — hopeless
14adapting man to planets — “eugenics”
×combine both processes
15Mars — start on Tibetans
but, for vigour, more air etc
Venus — (given oxygen & water)
start on equatorial man
cloud blanket?
outer planets — eugenics ð larger part
small stature
beware reducing brain
16×quadruped man?
projecting eyes
manipulative nose ⊕ ///
17danger of unwise eugenics, “messing about”
eg. breeding out brain size
insist: good vision
high intelligence
good manipulation
sacrifice: teeth, hair
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17what is it all for?
18three motives in dealing with the planets
(scientific curiosity not enough)
1. increase of luxury
millionaire humanity
pleasure addicts
× movies, feelies, smellies, sexies
drugs for boredom
19∴ spiritual degradation
atrophe of intelligence
stagnation, then extinction
2. increase of power over environment
industrialism bred power.cult
craving to leave one's mark
20ð impulse is harmless—
but must be harnessed
21formerly— power lust = money lust
× today — key positions in aut state
Huxley's Brave New World (technicians)
cp James Burnham, “Managerial Rev”
ð whole species may be corrupted
22man would “make a mark on” —
ð solar system
3. use ð planets for making ð best of man
for full expression of man's nature
× ð distinctively human
is man simply an end?
is good  "  what man wills?
or is man an instrument?
no straight answer posible
cp electron — particle or wave train.
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23 fundamental values
what is man?
1. a physical system
of medium size
(spiritual capacity of ð physical cosmos!)
2. a biological organism
recent
24 most developed, versatile, complex
basically a mammal
X intelligence, eye, hand
but mere pterodactyl of ð spirit
3. psychologically - mammal ground plan
impulses & emotions, reflexes, instincts
but intelligence, discrimination
25 X ∴ new universes, an external & internal
hence human sociality
26 human love - John & Jane
love & hate
(relevance to Interplanetary Man)
27 generalized community-will
idealization of love
explane! survival value
social condition of ð primitive
but ð more developed—
not explained analytically
28 man's power of objectivity
ð lover
ð saint's experience, ð mystic
but beware his interpretations
language inadequate
relevance of mystical experience—
even for ordinary folk
29 ð idea of "spirit", not God but Tao
what matters us is spirit
whatever its status
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Summary
1 Introductory: experts must be civilized
initial assumption: man will reach ð planets
time scale ← Hoyle: 1 mil. earths in —
this galaxy
⊙ three futures Technique of Travel
2 If planets are inhabited: wars or cooperation space ships
evidence against habitation space suits
If planets are uninhabited: if earth is united
if earth not united: explore
exploit
× first improve earth
3 Adapting man to ð planets — eugenics
Mars, Venus, outer planets
× quadruped man (centipede, tripe)
unwise eugenics
4 What's it all for? alternatives:
1. increase of luxury
2.    ”    ” power
3. making ð best of man
5 Fundamental values
what is man: physical & biological
psychological: intelligence, community
mystical experience
· beware explanations; language
6 spirit, Tao; waking up to wider view
what sort of life is spiritual?
nature of personality: subject-object
objective minds
error; values
p-in-c
7 spirit: knowing, feeling, striving
8 Commonwealth of worlds? (planets inhabited, or not)
new possibilities of diversity
“marriage”; Russia & America
9 Man & the Cosmos: intersteller voyages by planets? ⊙
paranormal communication? //
⊙
voyaging planets? cosmical community of worlds?
(mil. year voyages) universality of spirit; (but perversion)
rockets at ½ light-speed ultimate goal: cosmical awareness
8% light speed? fulfilment impossible?
no purpose in cosmos?
or — cabbages?
cosmical death
time — spatio-temporal a mere aspect?
but — here & now concerns us most
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⊕ Present state of space-travel research
rockets : fuel
atomic
space ships : three teir
rotation , coelostat
7 m.p. sec
Stages : space stations X
moon
planets
extra-solar travel (30% speed of light)
problems of personel
air
water
food
gravity ; acceleration
boredom ; neurosis
moon pressure suit
other pressure suits
space stations
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29what ð mystics sought :
through self-denial ++ & self-discipline —
self detachment for ð ampler view
X"waking up" to God's view
30illusion of actual union with God
but — true self-transcendence
through passionate concern for others
& for ð Whole
i e a vision intruded
but what sort of life is ð spiritual life?
(leave aside doctrines about ð universe)
nature of personality
"I" am aware of: body-in-world
& psychical "me"
31& other persons
& abstractions
& ð Whole
my awareness is confused, erronious
but objectively valid
rings of objectivity
1. body-in-world
2. self & others　(love & hate)
323. societies
4. abstractions
5. (ð greatest abstraction) spirit
6. ð Whole
nature of error
"squinting" objects wrongly together
Xdrunkard & moons
centaur
values — "espousal" of objective needs
33personality involves community
a Church, a Party
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⊙full awareness
full awareness of “reality”
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33 what spirit is — a way of life
striving for: 1. full awareness of objectivity ∞ //
of things, persons, Whole
2. appropriate feeling about these
without self. prejudice
(or for nation, or humanity)
3. appropriate & creative action
spirit is what we are “for”, a datum
does not depend on theories
theism
materialism
34 speculation, valuable, educative —
but unreliable.
awake & less awake states
ð most awake — discloses spirit.
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⊕ better — “unity in diversity”
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1. human race common aim
—2. bred'g ŭmans
· space stations
─────────
rocket
—
—
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35 a commonwealth of worlds?
if ð planets are inhabited —
seek planetary community
for mutual enrichment
if not inhabited —
what to do with them?
X use them for ð spirit
to make every man a vessel of spirit
& ð race a glorious example —
36 of personality-in-community
∴ greatest possible diversity ⊕ ///
(provided, imagination)
planets ∴ open up new possibilities
new human kinds (or quasi-human) —
may develop new expressions —
of spirit.
all united in p-in-c.
pooling of spiritual wealth
experiences inconceivable to man
analogy — marriage
37 second analogy — Russia & America
(Europe's part)
(our actions in london may determine —
annihilation or Republic of Worlds)
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Erather more than one million stars in Milky Way —
have planets habitable by man
without undue discomfort (Fred Hoyle
broadcast)
⊙rockets at 80% speed of light?
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38E /// man & the cosmos — what of stars, galaxies?
⊙1. interstellar voyages by planets? or rockets?
//using own substance
39 2. or paranormal communication?
wild dream
if so — seeks community
& expression of spirit
cosmical & community of worlds
X universality of θ will for spirit
∴ inherent in awakened consciousness
nonsense to suppose otherwise
apart from perversion
40 ultimate goal:
expression of objective cosmos in —
subjective experience & action
or, fulfilment of cosmos in —
cosmical awareness
but — fulfilment may be impossible
intelligent races may remain isolated
X then — union in God's experience?
or — no purpose behind θ cosmos
or — θ purpose is beyond comprehension?
(or — there is & is not)
cabbages are grown not to flower
but to be eaten
41 X cosmical “death” (law of entropy)
but — these guesses all wild?
thought defeated
eg our idea of time is inadequate
θ ultimate flower may be θ primal seed
mythical truth in this?
and — is θ spatio-temporal only one aspect, & superficial?
but — whatever immensities, our concern is here & now.
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⊕ Fred Hoyle:
probably 1,000,000 more earthlike worlds —
in our galaxy
number of galaxies — many million
or infinite.
Technique of Interplanetary Travel
rocket space ships: propulsion & steering
food, water, air
“gravitation” by rotation
coelostat
space suits )
pressure
oxygen apparatus
LIVERPOOL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY STAT. F12/18resistance to cold & heat
lead boots
space stations : revolving round earth (3 stations)
built piece meal
observatories
energy from sun.
television
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Manuscript images by permission of the Olaf Stapledon estate · University of Liverpool Special Collections & Archives