As you're probably aware, large portions of the American landscape are exceedingly car-oriented. At some point in my life, I realized that the most extreme of these environments feel similar to what I've always imagined a Mars settlement would be like, or any interplanetary colony for that matter. There are many parallels (keep in mind, this is my cartoonish version of Martian life based on video games and movies): You can't travel anywhere without operating a large mechanized apparatus; you spend most of your time indoors in climate-controlled spaces, with brief uncomfortable stints outdoors that usually last only a few minutes at a time; nothing much happens; your contact with the greater human race is mediated by a suite of electronic communication devices; and there's a vague, ever-present feeling that the external environment is hostile to your presence. Many of us grew up fantasizing about space travel. It's fun to drive around the American sprawlscape imagining you're actually on a hostile planet.
#89: Mars Is a Place on Earth
#89: Mars Is a Place on Earth
#89: Mars Is a Place on Earth
As you're probably aware, large portions of the American landscape are exceedingly car-oriented. At some point in my life, I realized that the most extreme of these environments feel similar to what I've always imagined a Mars settlement would be like, or any interplanetary colony for that matter. There are many parallels (keep in mind, this is my cartoonish version of Martian life based on video games and movies): You can't travel anywhere without operating a large mechanized apparatus; you spend most of your time indoors in climate-controlled spaces, with brief uncomfortable stints outdoors that usually last only a few minutes at a time; nothing much happens; your contact with the greater human race is mediated by a suite of electronic communication devices; and there's a vague, ever-present feeling that the external environment is hostile to your presence. Many of us grew up fantasizing about space travel. It's fun to drive around the American sprawlscape imagining you're actually on a hostile planet.