I say the odds are very slim that we'll ever send a human to Mars.
I agree. I think the odds are very good though that before 2057 "we" will send a robot that is sufficiently* human-like (a hubot) that would talk back to us about "his/her" experience (with that annoying 3+ minute delay) that we would be happy with that. (* It wouldn't take much, really.)
This doesn't get into the issue of whether we have a moral obligation to return "it".
According to Michael Jackson, the term "Porter" for dark heavy beers came into being first ...
If Michael Jackson and Michael Jackson were both in the Actors Guild, one of them would have to change his(?) name.
I don't know about 2057, but saying "the odds are very slim that we'll ever send a human to Mars" seems a little over the top. I don't see it soon, and sure, with robotics advancing it's not really all that practical, but it's what's next. That's sort of our thing as humans. Maybe no government or researcher will ever fund it, but someday, the money and the technology will reach that point and somebody is going to say "Hey, I think I'll do it! I want to be the first person on Mars."
In less than 10 years, we progressed from Sputnik to the Apollo flights. In less than 13, Sputnik to Apollo 11. Things are slower now for just the reasons named, but eventually, it has to happen. It might be a misdirection of energies, but that's how we roll.
Commenting by HaloScan
