>> What isn’t questionable, is the fact that we will never, ever, ever be able to have a viable independent colony on mars.
> Granted it doesn’t look like low-hanging fruit but never, ever is a very long time.
I believe the applicable qualifier here is, "on the surface of the planet." And since this would relegate any long-term occupation to be subterranean, the GP's assertion is difficult to refute.
“If we don’t kill ourselves first” is doing all the heavy lifting here. I’m not convinced that more time helps us, given that civilization itself is very fragile and we are continually a moment away from nuclear holocaust ending everything we’ve worked to achieve. And that’s not even bringing up the damage we’re doing to the environment we derive all this prosperity from.
> Granted it doesn’t look like low-hanging fruit but never, ever is a very long time.
I believe the applicable qualifier here is, "on the surface of the planet." And since this would relegate any long-term occupation to be subterranean, the GP's assertion is difficult to refute.