"I write SF for a living. Possibly because of this, folks seem to think I ought to be an enthusiastic proponent of space exploration and space colonization. Space exploration? Yep, that's a fair cop — I'm all in favour of advancing the scientific enterprise. But actual space colonisation is another matter entirely, and those of a sensitive (or optimistic) disposition might want to stop reading right now ..."
Kim Stanley Robinson on interstellar / interplanetary colonisation:
"Q: What about interstellar colonization, in particular?"
"A: There are a lot of people, even powerful, influential people, who seem to think that the goal of humanity is to spread itself. I want this book to make people think really hard about — maybe there's only one planet where humanity can do well, and we're already on it."
Citation required.
There are awfully good reasons to believe it won't.
https://xkcd.com/1389/
Even people whose job it is to be optimistic about space and science aren't.
Charlie Stross:
http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2007/06/the-high...
"I write SF for a living. Possibly because of this, folks seem to think I ought to be an enthusiastic proponent of space exploration and space colonization. Space exploration? Yep, that's a fair cop — I'm all in favour of advancing the scientific enterprise. But actual space colonisation is another matter entirely, and those of a sensitive (or optimistic) disposition might want to stop reading right now ..."
http://www.space.com/29862-kim-stanley-robinson-aurora-inter...
Kim Stanley Robinson on interstellar / interplanetary colonisation:
"Q: What about interstellar colonization, in particular?"
"A: There are a lot of people, even powerful, influential people, who seem to think that the goal of humanity is to spread itself. I want this book to make people think really hard about — maybe there's only one planet where humanity can do well, and we're already on it."