The man out of his cradle
“The earth is the cradle of man, but we cannot live in a cradle forever.” The words of physicist Tsiolkovski have gained more strength than ever in 2018, when it should be the “Year of the Moon”. Five or six missions, which target the Moon, must bring the first tourists to the Moon. However, with the start of the year the Google Lunar X Prize competition has been suspended, which offered $20 million for the first to place a vehicle on the Moon. There were a lot of expectations for 2018 and we'll have to see what's left. But to what extent do these missions have a scientific objective? This is the question we present in this issue.
We do not know exactly what human beings would face if they lived on the Moon; for example, if they would get rid of harmful viruses and bacteria from the Earth, or if they should be released from viruses. In fact, viruses are being shown to be beneficial for living. Just like the microbiome, researchers are becoming aware of the importance of viroma. But the examples of benefits are eleven. Moreover, we can say that we have acquired viruses, since the latest research indicates that 8% of our genome can come from viruses. It seems that we owe them much more than evil.
Finally, we wanted to touch the edges of science. We have asked two well-known researchers what are, according to them, the limits of science, and they have affirmed that science needs to have an open and unprejudiced vision, and that we must be very aware of our limitations: our limited cognitive senses and abilities condition us in the perception of reality. That science, transparency and honesty come from this humility. These two fellow travelers have also been our interviewees for science, Javier Armentia.
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