Fuller’s exposition of ‘ephemeralisation’ suggests the likelihood that new and faster means of transportation will be developed, making further travel and exploration possible. It is literally only a matter of time to travel to another star system, and with astronomers detecting more and more star systems with planetary bodies it is only a matter of time before we find another terrestrial type planet outside our solar system, one even more like our own planet than either Mars or Venus. At that time, the opportunity for colonisation will present itself, and the chance to increase the success of our species will be one that innumerable people in the future will owe a debt to. Fuller also suggests that people themselves are the greatest resource humanity possesses, since it is normal, individual people who work to support and sustain humanity, who dream and think and strive towards personal and social betterment. Within so many millions, one person has an idea and the conviction to change the world, whether it is a social, e.g. Ghandi/King/Ikeda, or scientific, e.g. Einstein, reform. According to this theory, and contrary to the outdated and dehumanising theory proposed by Rev. Thomas Malthus, which has since dominated geopolitical thinking and decision making, the more of us there are, the better off we will all be, and the greater the potential for the advancement of universal prosperity. The difference between Fuller’s and Malthus’ population models is that Fuller accounts for the inherent value of human life, whilst Malthus does not. A Fullerian approach acknowledges sustainable development through humanistic innovation, whilst a Malthusian approach proposes only finite resources to be divided unsustainably among nationalistic victors as spoils of war. In following Malthus’ model, it is little wonder that the policies of the governments of the nations of our world continue to be divisive and causationally riddled with conflict. At a population of over six billion, many concerned individuals, particularly those adhering to Malthusian theory, recognise the environmental impact of overpopulation, the strain placed upon planet Earth's systems by our continued habitation, resource exploitation and population growth. Perhaps it is not coincidence, but rather some biological imperative, that we have ‘ephemerally’ achieved the means, by way of extraterrestrial colonisation, to ‘spread our wings,’ to strike out and ‘leave the nest’ at a time when urban overcrowding leads to mounting tension, and is possibly responsible for increasing social problems; finite resource demands are widely perceived as valid reasons for bloody conflicts. I do not mean to imply through these available metaphors that the ability to travel in and inhabit space marks the reaching of any point of maturity by humanity on the whole. In closing, and in support of the statement that a picture says a thousand (more) words, I would like you to take a look at the attached image, top, showing a map of planet Earth's surface as conceived by R. Buckminster Fuller. His writings have had a profound influence on my outlook, and this picture, I believe, does credit to his human insight, perspective and vision. The viewer is urged to consider how close the land masses are to one another, barely separated, compared with other maps showing separation by vast oceans, and to consider what this might mean to a shared Earth and a shared humanity. I offer you my respect for your attention.
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