Watching space science fiction movies, documentaries, and novels, I've pondered upon the cosmos as a space and the future of humanity venturing into it. It's now time to prepare for the era of space.
1. Introduction
2. In Media Portrayals
3. Encounters in Space
4. Our Existence in the Vastness of Space
5. The Imminent Era of Space Travel
6. Conclusion
Introduction
Many times while watching movies, novels, or documentaries set against the backdrop of space, I have been overwhelmed by the vast and beautiful mysteries of the universe. Beyond just the thought of a mysterious unknown world, contemplating the unimaginable scale of it and considering myself living within it sends shivers down my spine. Particularly with advancements in cinematic technology and graphics, one can marvel at various depictions of space that feel as if they were actually filmed. And afterward, one can't help but wonder who else might be living in that universe besides us, where it all ends, how it came to be, and so on.
The history of humanity is a history of exploration. We currently live in an era where almost every corner of the Earth's continents has been explored, but just a few hundred years ago, there were many places on Earth untouched by human hands, or civilizations existed in isolation, unaware of each other's existence. And throughout history, humanity has progressed by encountering new civilizations, whether through war or cooperation. Now, we are preparing to venture into space. I can't help but wonder how the dawn of the space age will unfold for us humans.
Various Depictions of Space in Media
There are countless movies, novels, documentaries, and other media that explore the theme of space. Especially in documentaries, advancements in visual and computer graphics technology allow viewers to experience more realistic depictions of space, often leaving them in awe and admiration.
The immersive quality enhanced by advanced technology is also evident in movies. For example, in the film Interstellar, scenes depicting the protagonists' journey through space to save humanity, landing on unknown planets, and encountering the sight of a black hole with its time-distorting effects are particularly memorable. I recall being fascinated by scenes in childhood science fiction stories where characters traveled through space according to Einstein's theory of relativity, experiencing time differently—some aging while others remained unchanged.
On the other hand, novels like Bernard Werber's The Papillon portray humanity's journey abandoning a dying Earth in search of a new planet. Due to the vast distances involved, generations pass aboard the spaceship, necessitating the creation of miniature ecosystems within the vessel to sustain life.
Movies such as The Martian and Gravity depict disasters unfolding in space, reminding us of the potential dangers inherent in the seemingly beautiful expanse of outer space that our human technology has yet to fully comprehend.
In the South Korean film Space Sweepers, set in the near future, characters are tasked with cleaning up space debris that threatens to overrun outer space. Masterpieces like Independence Day, Alien, The Thing, and more recently, Life, raise questions about whether encounters with extraterrestrial life would indeed be pleasant.
Encounters with Extraterrestrial Life: Blessing or Curse?
Humanity has long been curious about the existence of life beyond our planet. Sightings of UFOs and various stories about extraterrestrial encounters have sparked excitement and speculation. Whether these beings are friendly or hostile remains unknown, but the mere possibility of extraterrestrial life fills us with excitement. Perhaps driven by human curiosity alone, we will continue to explore the possibility of extraterrestrial existence. Indeed, curiosity has led to discoveries of new continents and encounters with different civilizations throughout history, shaping the course of our development.
Now, it's our turn to venture into space. Personally, I firmly believe that somewhere out there, other forms of life must exist. Considering the incomprehensible vastness of the universe, claiming that life exists only on Earth seems more absurd than rational.
However, there's no guarantee that these life forms would be as intellectually advanced as us. Just a hundred million years ago, humans didn't exist on Earth. In the grand scheme of the universe, a hundred million years is but a fleeting moment. Encountering intelligent life like ours would indeed be fortunate.
Yet, the probability of them being hostile is high. Throughout history, conflicts have arisen between neighboring tribes, villages, and nations, often due to competition over limited resources. Food, in particular, directly relates to survival, and it hasn't been long since hunger was a constant threat to us. Hence, it's not an exaggeration to say that human history is a history of wars with neighboring nations.
The same principle applies to the natural world—survival of the fittest. The weaker organisms often fail to survive. Considering this, one can't help but wonder what extraterrestrial encounters would entail for us. The idea of them being friendly and becoming our allies seems overly naive.
While they could potentially be benevolent, like the friendly creatures in the classic tale E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, they could also be menacing predators, akin to the creatures in movies like Alien or The Thing. They might even invade Earth, as depicted in Independence Day. Moreover, there's no guarantee that we would emerge victorious, especially if the aggressors are vastly superior to us. In such a scenario, perhaps it would be better if extraterrestrial life didn't exist at all.
However, human curiosity cannot be suppressed. Regardless of the outcome, the discovery of extraterrestrial life on planets other than our own would undoubtedly be cause for excitement.
Our Existence in the Vastness of Space
When I was young, I read a science comic titled "Why the Universe?" Through it, I gained a rough understanding of the size of our solar system. From what I remember, the distance to the Sun mentioned in the book takes over eight minutes for light to travel, which, considering that light travels at a speed of 300,000 km per second—enough to circle the Earth seven times in a single second—is an astonishing distance.
However, the universe is vast beyond comprehension. A light-year, the distance light travels in one year, is used to measure the immense distances in space. Stars are observed billions of light-years away. Even the concept of thousands, millions, or billions of light-years is beyond imagination.
Sometimes, when gazing at the stars in the night sky, one may feel a sense of awe or even fear. Those shining stars might have already exploded and ceased to exist by the time their light reaches our eyes, after traveling for thousands of years.
In the movie The Martian, the protagonist's survival story on Mars captivates audiences. While the film's appeal lies in various factors, the fact that it portrays a struggle for survival on an unknown planet adds to its intrigue. Mars, our neighboring planet, is just a stone's throw away. Yet, humanity has yet to fully understand even our own Sun. Will humanity ever unlock the mysteries of the universe, or will Earth eventually transform like Mercury or Venus, succumbing to the ever-expanding sun?
I've pondered about this before. Our current explorations suggest that there may not be life on nearby planets like Venus or Mars. However, this is merely our current perspective. We cannot be certain about conditions billions of years ago. In the past, when Earth didn't even have dinosaurs, Mercury, Venus, and Mars might have been habitable planets thriving with life.
The environment surrounding planets changes over time. What we see now may not remain the same indefinitely. Although Earth's current conditions are optimal for life, there have been periods when it was covered in ice or resembled a volcanic inferno. The sun's size changes, orbits shift, and our solar system, along with our galaxy, continues its journey through space, constantly changing. While these changes may seem imperceptible from a human perspective, they occur over vast periods in cosmic time.
The thought that there might have been advanced civilizations thriving on Mars or Venus before our existence, only to be wiped out due to environmental changes, fills me with various emotions.
The Impending Era of Space Travel
There's a saying that goes, "We were born too late to explore the Earth and too early to explore the universe." Reflecting on the age of exploration around 1,200 years ago, or even further back to the Age of Discovery, I've often felt envious of those people. Imagine the excitement they must have felt at the mere thought of the Earth being round, with unknown continents waiting to be discovered across vast oceans. Humanity embarked on the Age of Discovery, uncovering new continents and altering the course of history.
Of course, the outcomes weren't necessarily desirable. Powerful nations conquered and exploited indigenous peoples, giving rise to imperialism and subjecting countless individuals to colonial rule. The suffering endured during this time is something we, who have experienced the Japanese occupation, are all too familiar with.
Now, humanity is preparing for space travel. It may take decades, or even longer. As someone once said, it might still be too early for our generation to explore space. At least within the next decade, endeavors like lunar travel or colonizing Mars seem far-fetched. Science advances faster than people realize, yet at times it feels sluggish. Autonomous driving was touted to be imminent, as was the advent of the cloud era with 5G internet, but they still seem distant.
Watching scenes of space exploration in sci-fi movies fills me with a desire to experience it myself someday. It's natural, as space exudes a sense of mystery, beauty, and excitement of the unknown. I wonder what lies beyond the vastness, what other worlds we are yet to discover. While I don't aspire to warp through space with future technology as depicted in the Avengers series with movies like Guardians of the Galaxy or Thor, I'd settle for a level akin to Interstellar or The Martian. Even that seems like a leap in technological prowess.
Concluding Thoughts
The depiction of space in science fiction novels and movies is often mysterious and beautiful. With advancements in graphic technology, these portrayals offer a tremendous sense of realism. It feels as though somewhere out there in the night sky, on planets we have yet to reach, they might truly exist. However, lurking behind this beauty may be dangers unknown to us. Assuming that any extraterrestrial life we encounter will be friendly is a naive notion. There's a high probability they could be hostile, and perhaps less advanced than our civilization.
They say there isn't much time left before we can colonize Mars. It seems possible within my lifetime, before I grow old and pass away. Perhaps being able to venture into space before my time is up is a blessing, even if it feels like we were born too early.
