I am concerned that science has outstripped our social evolution and placed tools in our hands that we are unable to wield effectively. Our social fabric is increasingly determined by technology, but it feels less satisfying, less communal. Growing up in the 1960s, it seemed that our society was unified to achieve the goal of crossing the final divide, the frontier of space. It seemed our destiny was 'out there' and I took for granted that we would all work toward this goal. Looking back, I realize how naive I was, how caught up I was in the honeymoon of the space race, not even bothering to acknowledge the political realities that drove it. I realize just how diverse our human goals and desires are, and how rare a unified movement is in human experience. I can only hope to catch the spirit of those times and use it personally to guide my own goals. I want our species to advance on all levels, but especially in social responsibility. It is a travesty that anyone on the planet should go without food, education, health care. How can technology help to reach more down-to-earth goals that will provide a more sustainable, humane existence, so that we can truly be free to explore space with the good will of everyone? Once we can explore for our own advancement, not on the backs of a military pretext or political vagaries, then I believe we'll finally meet our destiny in space.
