Why is it that mankind explores outer space more than the ocean? It is odd that we seem to know less about earth than outer space, and that mankind devotes many more resources toward outer space exploration than deep ocean exploration. The “Space Race” of the 1980s is a testament to the importance of developing methods to explore outer space, as is the animosity that developed between the US and Russia during this national competition. What is it about getting to outer space that matters so much in the first place, and why is it that mankind has never had an “Ocean Race” to the bottom of the ocean?
Don’t get me wrong — I think exploring and learning about outer space is fascinating, important, and worthwhile; what I am curious about is why there is no comparable collective interest in deep ocean exploration, especially given that the ocean is part of our own planet. It seems like the human species would benefit more from having fuller awareness about earth than outer space because earth is our immediate environment and we are literally surrounded by the ocean, and yet mankind seems to care much more about outer space than the ocean. Only 5% of the ocean floor has been charted, while “NASA has thoroughly mapped Mercury, the dwarf planet Ceres, almost all of Venus, [Mars, and] … the Moon’s every nook and cranny.”
