Elon Musk has been banging on about Mars for quite a while now
Elon Musk has been vocal about humanity’s need for a ‘second planet’ and said it essentially is a life-and-death matter.
Elon Musk has never been shy about his grand vision of colonizing Mars, a dream he has openly championed for years. On the surface, the idea sounds thrilling—an entire planet of untouched, radioactive real estate waiting to be transformed. But with so many pressing issues here on Earth, shouldn’t we focus on fixing our own world before escaping to another?
During a recent appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, Musk flipped that argument on its head. Instead of viewing Earth’s problems as a reason to stay, he suggested they might be the very reason we need a backup plan. In his eyes, securing humanity’s future means getting off this ride before it’s too late.
On The Joe Rogan Experience, Musk—who has famously stated he’d like to die on Mars—reiterated his belief that humanity must establish a second home beyond Earth.
“We shouldn’t necessarily move to Mars,” he clarified. “But we need a second planet to preserve civilization.”
Musk pointed out that an extinction-level event is not a question of if but when. “At some point, something will happen—an asteroid impact, nuclear war, or even supervolcanoes. It’s just a matter of time.”
Rogan nodded in agreement, acknowledging the numerous doomsday scenarios looming over Earth. To him, Musk’s vision wasn’t just ambitious—it was practical. “Not a bad idea to hedge your bets,” he admitted, backing the idea of securing humanity’s future beyond this planet.
The fear of humanity’s destruction isn’t just science fiction—it’s a growing concern rooted in real-world threats. The ever-present danger of nuclear war looms as global tensions flare, and the COVID-19 pandemic served as a stark reminder of how quickly life can be upended by an uncontrollable crisis.
But lately, another existential threat has taken center stage—asteroids. Worries have surged following NASA’s updates on 2024 YR4, a “city-destroying” space rock that could strike as soon as seven years from now.
First detected in December 2024 after triggering automated asteroid warning systems, 2024 YR4 has been closely tracked by astronomers. Measuring between 130 and 300 feet (40 to 90 meters) across, a direct impact would unleash a force hundreds of times more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb.
What’s even more alarming? The asteroid’s initial impact probability of 1.2% has since climbed to 3.2%—a small number, but a worrying trend. With years still ahead for further calculations and potential course adjustments, let’s hope those odds start shifting in Earth’s favor.
