It is absolutely self-evident to me that space exploration is pointless, and the more urgent the crises besetting this planet we live on, the more pointless it becomes. Most serious opinion, however, has now settled on the “Where is everybody?” paradox first framed by the physicist Enrico Fermi in 1950. Everyone’s annoyed for a different reason – some of them think I’m deliberately setting out to ruin a festivity; others act as though I’m opposing innovation and modernity, which I absolutely am not. Some people think I dislike the astronauts themselves, which couldn’t be more wrong – I’m sure they’re great; they certainly seem wholesome. Some people think I’m being a scrooge, resenting the financial outlay because my soul has no poetry in it.

Source: The Guardian April 07, 2026 10:08 UTC