"Clearly our first task is to use the material wealth of space to solve the urgent problems we now face on Earth: to bring the poverty-stricken segments of the world up to a decent living standard, without recourse to war or punitive action against those already in material comfort; to provide for a maturing civilization the basic energy vital to its survival."

Gerard K. O'Neill Science See all quotes by Gerard K. O'Neill →

React to this quote

More by Gerard K. O'Neill

“Life of Gerard O'Neill at Space Studies Institute”

“We should ask, critically and with appeal to the numbers, whether the best site for a growing advancing industrial society is Earth, the Moon, Mars, some other planet, or somewhere else entirely. Surprisingly, the answer will be inescapable — the best site is "somewhere else entirely.”

“There's no point in going out into space if the future that we'll see there is a sterile future living in tin cans. We have to able to recreate in space habitats which are as beautiful as earth-like as the loveliest parts of planet Earth and we can do that.”

“Is the surface of a planet really the right place for expanding technological civilization?”

Resonant Thoughts

"That money," she cried, almost vehemently, "you can be sure I won’t lay a hand on it unless there’s terrible need." He looked away. He couldn’t bear to hear her talking about the rents and poverty. Wo…"

— Gabrielle Roy

Literature1909–1983

#money

"I was one of a research party of eleven persons that visited the Far East in 1894. During our stay—three and a half years—we contacted the Great Masters of the Himalayas, who aided us in the translati…"

— Baird T. Spalding

Literature1872–1953

#time

"For centuries men looked for comfort to their deepest anguish, but all answers seemed small before death. Until someone, it’s unknown who, discovered the truth. And since they saw it served all as an …"

— Jorge Majfud

Education1969

#truth