From: utzoo!decvax!cca!MINSKY@MIT-OZ@sri-unix
Newsgroups: net.space
Title: L-5
Article-I.D.: sri-unix.3231
Posted: Sat Sep 11 09:17:21 1982
Received: Sun Sep 12 03:02:48 1982

From: Marvin Minsky 
The Pro-Space organizations have different goals and foci, so they are
not equivalent.  L-5, for example, is particularly interesting to me
because its board aspires to make space colonies happen some day.  I
regard that as important, not just for scientific reasons but because
I'm dubious that high-tech humans can survive on one planet throughout
the current transition from pre- to post-technology.  Probably members
of the Planetary Society also share such concerns as individuals, but
not so much in their highest level organization goals, which emphasize
science.

L-5's national meeting did indeed have a high technical content, and
was attended by space-involved people of large influence and
imagination.  I am on L-5's board because it attracts technical people
interested in projects like starship design and practical
colony-launching schemes.

Also, the different space clubs may also reflect different political
orientations.  This may affect your preference for what to join.  My
priority is to make it feasible that some humans survive the
forthcoming possible disasters, and because one can't predict what
politics will evolve in the colonies, I don't consider that aspect so
important.  In the long run, "better live than dead".
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