Should humanity become a space-faring species? Should we colonize the moon, Mars, and beyond? The vast benefits to society that could come from embracing this final frontier are not fully known, which is very exciting. At the same time, however, we do not fully understand the risks involved with this endeavor either. How certain can we really be that exploring space is the best path forward? Today’s guest, Daniel Deudney, is confident that it is not the right path — and that we should focus our efforts on improving the geopolitical and environmental situation on Earth before we even think about expanding into space.

Daniel is a professor of political science, international relations, and political theory at Johns Hopkins University. He’s the author of several books, including Dark Skies: Space Expansionism, Planetary Geopolitics, and the Ends of Humanity, released in March of last year.