Wild Nerds - The Astronauts are Wrong

I have always wanted to be an astronaut.  I have applied to be one in Canada, the US, and Europe, as well as three private companies and four contests.  There is very little I would not give up to become an astronaut, and they are my heroes.

Scott McCloud: Space Angel. Back when losing an eye didn't mean a flight surgeon downcheck

There is, however, one line that they always seem to use in their public speaking that I have come to disagree with.  The exact wording differs a little, but there is almost always some mention of how

"Mankind is driven to explore.  It is in the very nature of humans to stand upon a hill only to look beyond it to the next one."

Baloney.  If that was true, there would be no need for that speech.  It would be a given.  Also, we would have long since explored the moon, mars, and most of the rest of the planets and moons of our solar system, along with the bottom of the ocean, and every square centimeter of the planet.

In my experience, most people have no such drive.  They are content to live a comfortable life, stay reasonably safe, and have a little fun now and then.  While they might admire explorers, and watch their exploits on Discovery Channel or Nat Geo, they have no desire to go out into the wild themselves and experience those exploits firsthand.

The new 100inch 3d HD tv.  Feel like you're there, without being cold, wet, tired, or hungry

I do feel however, that there is a small but important percentage of the human population that is driven to explore.  Most, I think, stare wistfully at maps, looking for blank spots and dreaming of of a time when iron men commanded wooden ships on journeys beyond the horizon.  Some, like myself, have found some satisfaction in travelling to the edges, where only a small number of people have been before.  A very, very, lucky few get to be astronauts, cave explorers, and National GeoGraphic photographers. Real explorers, in other words.

It's important for the explorers to realize that the majority of people do not share their strange compulsion.  I know that most people can't understand why I would want to trek the West Coast Trail, and that's just a week of backpacking through rough and wild country, with the coast guard never more than a few hours away.  Some people think I'm crazy.  Some admire the journey, but would never join me. And some just want to watch the video on YouTube.

Astronauts are surrounded by the exploration elite, and I think that they forget that most people would rather do just about anything to avoid being strapped to a ten-storey tall tank of rocket fuel which is then exposed to open flame, all to travel to a place that will kill you a hundred different ways in an instant, and seems to filled with absolutely nothing of interest. If they remembered, I think their speeches would be better. Not to mention their fundraising.  The history of government funded exploration can be summed up with "Find the (insert X trade route, Y new land, or Z border) before our enemies do"  Nearly all true blue exploration has been privately funded. Even Columbus had to sweet talk Isabella into providing venture capital.

Next Week on Dragon's Den:  Chris convinces the Dragons to go west to look for the east

So if you want to be an explorer, don't listen to the astronauts.  Instead remember these two basic truths:
1. Most people will think you're crazy, and
2. don't expect taxpayers to foot the bill.