In the challenges that faced our ancestors, the best path forward was by sea. They fully embraced the graceful leap of the tall ship before the weather, the orderly racket of the sailors as they did the hundreds of small tasks that must be done to keep it all ship shape and on an even keel for the long journey into the unknown they faced.
Today, we face a new challenges, and we must recognize that the long term survival of our species requires that we too embrace the long haul into the unknown. We need a new kind of sailor, one willing to spread the solar sail, and take the long journey between planets. We need a new colonization effort, seeking out places where the most stubborn among us will eke out a living, working over their new homes until they are suitable for a more general population.
We must recognize that by occupying only a single fragile rock in this solar system we are at risk from a near certain future cataclysmic event that we cannot see coming. But by expanding our footprint to multiple fragile rocks, we dramatically improve our odds of survival.
