Re:Mars is, at best, no less risky a place than Earth
by FabHK on Thursday July 16, 2020 @09:05PM
(#23865838)
I share your puzzlement.
One could similarly say: "A co-pilot is, at best, no less likely to make a mistake than a captain. Why have two pilots in the cockpit then?"
The author writes:
> Of course, potentially halving our existential crises by doubling our presence in the solar system is not to be sniffed at [...]
Having a backup planet doesn't "halve" the risk of existential crisis, just like the second pilot doesn't halve the risk of plane crash or having a backup of your main HD doesn't halve the risk of you losing all your data. It reduces it much more (assuming, as you point out, that the risks are at least somewhat independent).
This is so obvious that I'm wondering whether the author just wishes to push this dream of an O’Neill cylinder habitat.
One could similarly say: "A co-pilot is, at best, no less likely to make a mistake than a captain. Why have two pilots in the cockpit then?"
The author writes:
> Of course, potentially halving our existential crises by doubling our presence in the solar system is not to be sniffed at [...]
Having a backup planet doesn't "halve" the risk of existential crisis, just like the second pilot doesn't halve the risk of plane crash or having a backup of your main HD doesn't halve the risk of you losing all your data. It reduces it much more (assuming, as you point out, that the risks are at least somewhat independent).
This is so obvious that I'm wondering whether the author just wishes to push this dream of an O’Neill cylinder habitat.