The New Space Age: Ambition, Illusion, and the Future of Humanity

Philosopher Ben Bramble argues that we are often told humanity’s destiny lies beyond Earth—complete with Martian cities, asteroid mining, lunar industries, and even “backup planets.” Drawing on his book Lunacy: Ten False Promises of the New Space Age, he contends that many of these visions rest on misunderstandings about risk, progress, and what truly makes a human future genuinely good. If we care about humanity’s long-term flourishing, he suggests we should look less to Mars—and more carefully at our own planet.