Should we try to colonize Mars?

In this episode, my dad and I discuss whether we should try to colonize Mars. Follow-up questions we discussed included: 3:25: Do you think we should be spending resources to try to colonize Mars? Is it worth it? 7:05: Would you like to see more money and resources allocated towards space exploration? 9:20: Why are we hearing more about Mars colonization than the Moon colonization? 12:20: Is there anything about Mars that makes it more habitable than the Moon? 17:10: How important do you think it is that we have a backup plan in case something catastrophic happens to Earth? 20:40: Do you think the effort to colonize Mars is more likely to make us treat the Earth better (because it helps us realize how much more habitable the Earth is) or worse (because we feel we have a backup plan and don't have to worry about our current planet)? 25:10: Is it fair to say you think efforts to colonize Mars are more likely to be a good thing for Earth than a bad thing? 28:20: Would you say that one of the biggest benefits of space exploration is that it fuels general interest in science? 31:20: Do you have any thoughts on whether space exploration should be privately funded, publicly funding, or both? 35:40: Do you know why private companies (i.e. SpaceX) have been able to bring down the cost of space travel, while governments haven't had the same success? 38:45: Why aren't governments incentivized to bring down the cost of space travel? 40:25: Any articles, books or resources on this subject you'd recommend? 42:10: What probability would you guess there's a chance that there are humans living permanently on another planet 100 years from now? 43:15: Anything else you wanted to talk about? Recommended YouTube video: Should we have humans in space? Quirks & Quarks Bob McDonald hosts debate Get help building habits with the everyday app. Highly recommend! Sign-up here to join me for an episode! I'd also love feedback for improving future episodes. Thanks for listening!