Myths

Sometimes it is hard to believe the endurance of myths. Here is one that has been disproven by science, but still people believe it. At best there might be microbial life buried beneath the radiation-blasted surface of the red planet. The proof of that is still wanting, but there is no evidence of any kind for an advanced civilization having resided there. Still, people want to hold on to the myth. They don’t want to accept that in this solar system we are alone. They speculate about the existence of rational beings on other planets in distant solar systems. So far, nothing has come of it, but it is early in the investigation of exo-planets. And, even if there is a discovery of some life form light years away, there is no practical way of getting there. We haven’t the rockets or the physics to propel humans at 186,000 miles per second and there is no good way to provision humans for years at a time. Reaching Mars now is testing the limits of engineering, psychology and logistics. And, once we get there, there is no good way to get back. Yet, myths persist because people refuse to face reality.