by Sam B.
As humans, we are both saddled with the weight and blessed with the gift of free will (or the illusion of free will, not sure about this one because I am not a philosopher). This ability to make decisions of our own choosing can certainly be a burden, but it is also what makes us human, capable of doing amazing things. And as a species, we generally accept that this is what separates from animals who rely solely on instinct and impulse, simply looking for their next meal. To remove this would make us akin to artificial intelligence, relatively competent but not able to make our own decisions, the obedient executor in the bicameral mind.
And yet the central mission statement of SSP is to strip this essential right of free will from our precious asteroids through cold, empirical determination. Instead of letting them have agency over where they want to go, we’ve spent countless hours deriving formulas and compiling code to predict their next move. And can we really distill something as complex as a constantly evolving orbit that has shifted over thousands, millions, billions of years even, to six (6) elements? And even if we can, who are we to do so? How would you like it if someone built a supercomputer and utilized software to determine the future of the universe and rob you of your perceived free will? (never mind, they made a show about that and it’s actually pretty cool. But anyways!) Perhaps the pendulum of scientific innovation has swung too far, and we need a return to the Renaissance era, where we stargaze and then draw a little picture. Let’s collectively trade in our Method of Gauss functions and 50 page proofs in exchange for tripod Galileo telescopes and quaint observation charts. Instead of stalking our poor little rock friends 50 millions years in the future, maybe we can let them do their own thing for the time being while we ‘optimize Earth’ (?) And besides, they promised me they wouldn’t crash into Earth. Just take my word for it. This is why I implore all of you to delete your entire OD code immediately, and grant these asteroids the free will they deserve. (Though if you do have functioning differential corrections , please email those to me first.)
About Me:
Hi, I’m Sam and I’m from Canton, Connecticut. I love running, coding, and hanging out with friends. At SSP, you can find me actively evading assignments by playing Spikeball, consuming caffeine, and cultivating the ‘dog mentality’.
