I’ve just finished reading the Three Body Problem trilogy. Amazing! I  swear it’s changed my whole outlook. I’ve read every SciFi book I can lay my hands on. The stories have become predictable but not this one. More about that later!

I’ve always been obsessed with space, starting when my Dad told me about his own father waking him up one night; when he was four years old, carrying him outside and pointing to the moon. He explained a man had just landed on the moon; my Dad was enthralled. 

Only he became fixated with Venus - maybe because it’s almost the earth’s twin by size and composition - only way, way hotter at 475 degrees on the surface. Hence my name: Venus, the brightest star!!!

Ever since I was little kid, I wanted to become an astronaut - lucky I have a head for science! Since I wasn’t a billionaire trust fund kid, I’d either have to join the air force or study astrophysics. I chose university because I couldn’t see myself making it in the no bullshit environment of the armed forces; and couldn’t get my head around ever going into combat.

I didn’t want to go to the moon though, I set my sights much further; to start a colony on a far flung planet to ensure the survival of the human race. But, I always wondered: would this come with unexpected consequences?

I keep asking myself the question: Does alien life exist? Then I flip this - What are the chances that earth is the only life sustaining planet? What if there are aliens; hundreds of light years away; who are looking for life in the universe to solve their problems? What if our exploration makes us a target; pointing them right to us? Maybe we should leave well enough alone. Exploring space to to solve our problem could accelerate our own destruction? Or, we could end up wiping each other out… mutually assured destruction?

Turns out this isn’t an original idea. The book I mentioned earlier talks to this scenario. Ends in mutual destruction of both civilizations. No happy ending! Wouldn’t it be nice if we could reach a truce between the two planets; a symbiosis…But what are the chances?

I want to be an astronaut. I want to discover alien life and for us to live happily ever after. I guess I’ll finish my studies and see where life takes me…We’ve so much to work out before we can explore other planets, it’s not a problem for me or my direct descendants.

I’ve just finished reading the Three Body Problem trilogy. Amazing! I  swear it’s changed my whole outlook. I’ve read every SciFi book I can lay my hands on. The stories have become predictable but not this one. More about that later!

I’ve always been obsessed with space, starting when my Dad told me about his own father waking him up one night; when he was four years old, carrying him outside and pointing to the moon. He explained a man had just landed on the moon; my Dad was enthralled. 

Only he became fixated with Venus - maybe because it’s almost the earth’s twin by size and composition - only way, way hotter at 475 degrees on the surface. Hence my name: Venus, the brightest star!!!

Ever since I was little kid, I wanted to become an astronaut - lucky I have a head for science! Since I wasn’t a billionaire trust fund kid, I’d either have to join the air force or study astrophysics. I chose university because I couldn’t see myself making it in the no bullshit environment of the armed forces; and couldn’t get my head around ever going into combat.

I didn’t want to go to the moon though, I set my sights much further; to start a colony on a far flung planet to ensure the survival of the human race. But, I always wondered: would this come with unexpected consequences?

I keep asking myself the question: Does alien life exist? Then I flip this - What are the chances that earth is the only life sustaining planet? What if there are aliens; hundreds of light years away; who are looking for life in the universe to solve their problems? What if our exploration makes us a target; pointing them right to us? Maybe we should leave well enough alone. Exploring space to to solve our problem could accelerate our own destruction? Or, we could end up wiping each other out… mutually assured destruction?

Turns out this isn’t an original idea. The book I mentioned earlier talks to this scenario. Ends in mutual destruction of both civilizations. No happy ending! Wouldn’t it be nice if we could reach a truce between the two planets; a symbiosis…But what are the chances?

I want to be an astronaut. I want to discover alien life and for us to live happily ever after. I guess I’ll finish my studies and see where life takes me…We’ve so much to work out before we can explore other planets, it’s not a problem for me or my direct descendants.