ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Science → News

The only thing that might stop Elon Musk from getting to Mars is WWIII

"There's a window that could be opened for a long time or a short time where we have an opportunity to establish a self-sustaining base on Mars," Musk says.

Tibi PuiubyTibi Puiu
December 14, 2015
in News, Other, Space
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

RelatedPosts

NASA funds commercial space taxi development worth $269 million
Elon Musk repurposes Tesla factories to produce ventilators
Four years ago, Elon Musk sent a Tesla to space. What happened to it?
SpaceX will launch three times more satellites than there currently are in orbit to give you fast internet
elon musk
Photo: Heisenberg Media, Flickr.

We regularly feature Elon Musk on this website, you might have noticed. That’s because the ZME staff believes Musk is one of the greatest visionary entrepreneurs of the century, constantly innovating and pushing the envelope. He’s currently focused on changing three paradigms with three different major corporations: transportation (Tesla Motors), energy (Solar City) and space travel (SpaceX). The latter is obviously the most ambitious. SpaceX is the first company ever that launched a spacecraft in orbit than returned. The short term goal is ferrying cargo and humans to International Space Station and beyond 100 times cheaper than it currently takes. The long term goal is colonizing Mars. Meetings are regularly held about how to make a permanent outpost on Mars and how to even terraform the whole planet (nuking the planet’s poles is actually an idea on the table), even though the goal is decades away. Nothing seems to woe away Musk and team from it. In all events, given SpaceX’s track record, colonizing Mars doesn’t seem that far fetched — that’s if circumstances allow. In an interview with GQ, Musk says he’s worried the pace of technological progress might not be sustained in the future due to the rise of religious extremism and the possibility of WWIII.

“There’s a window that could be opened for a long time or a short time where we have an opportunity to establish a self-sustaining base on Mars,” he reasons, “before something happens to drive the technology level on Earth below where it’s possible. So does the base become self-sustaining before spaceships from Earth stop going?…I mean, I don’t think we can discount the possibility of a third World War. You know, in 1912 they were proclaiming a new age of peace and prosperity, saying that it was a golden age, war was over. And then you had World War I followed by World War II followed by the Cold War. So I think we need to acknowledge that there’s certainly a possibility of a third World War, and if that does occur it could be far worse than anything that’s happened before. Let’s say nuclear weapons are used. I mean, there could be a very powerful social movement that’s anti-technology. There’s also growth in religious extremism. Like, I mean, does ISIS grow…?”

For many more insights from the myriad of innovation labs Musk fosters, like the hyperloop, a cool space suit, the insides of the SpaceX factory, check out the full interview.

Tags: elon muskSpaceX

ShareTweetShare
Tibi Puiu

Tibi Puiu

Tibi is a science journalist and co-founder of ZME Science. He writes mainly about emerging tech, physics, climate, and space. In his spare time, Tibi likes to make weird music on his computer and groom felines. He has a B.Sc in mechanical engineering and an M.Sc in renewable energy systems.

Related Posts

Future

Grok Won’t Shut Up About “White Genocide” Conspiracy Theories — Even When Asked About HBO or Other Random Things

byMihai Andrei
5 days ago
Future

Inside Amazon’s Secretive Plan to Blanket Earth with Internet from Space

byTudor Tarita
6 days ago
Future

Tesla’s Sales in Europe Are Plummeting Because of Elon Musk’s Borderline Fascist Politics

byTibi Puiu
2 weeks ago
News

The Cybertruck is all tricks and no truck, a musky Tesla fail

byShaun Griswold
3 weeks ago

Recent news

This Superbug Learned How to Feed on Plastic from Hospitals

May 20, 2025

China’s Tiangong space station has some bacteria that are unknown to science

May 20, 2025

Hidden Communication Devices Found in Chinese-Made Inverters Could Put U.S. Electrical Grid at Risk

May 20, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Science News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
    • Resources
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Editorial policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.