> Colonizing Mars is completely irrational, correct. But so was going to space in the first place, so was sailing around the Earth, so was any sort of flight.
Not in the long-term sense, the same way that colonizing another planet is not irrational in the long-term sense. We'll need to be a multi-planetary species if we expect to survive longer than most of the other species on Earth. Putting all your eggs in one basket (especially one that we seem keen on destroying ourselves) is an inherently risky proposition.
When the first explorers were sailing around the Earth, it was for the sake of exploration, and the possibility of riches/gold/spices. But it certainly wasn't entirely rational, as a lot of them didn't know where they were going, and had no idea of what they'd find when they got there.
It was entirely rational. Aviation pioneers and explorers were pursuing things they valued. They were fully aware of the risks, and it was worth it to them.
I think the current most significant effort to colonize Mars is also rational: Elon Musk wants to do it because it's something that's valuable to him personally to accomplish.
I don't think doing something (e.g. colonizing other planets) for the sake of our distant ancestors is rational. That is self-sacrificial. No value is being pursued.
No, no, no. Those were not irrational.