Asteroid Mining

Asteroid Mining and setting up colonies on Asteroids may be our best pathway to Space Development. We'll explore the science, as well as practical issues of engineering, economics, legality, and psychology of such distant outposts.

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[michael]

What many people forget is that the precious metals on asteroids aren't just the coinage metals. Tantalum is used in all electronic devices and we only have less than 50 years worth left. Tantalum is a heavy metal which means it should be plentiful and asteroids even if it's rare down here. The incentive to start asteroid mining isn't just about profit it's about the continuation of our civilization as we know it. There is no other alternative but to get metals like tantalum rhodium rhenium and other rare elements from extraterrestrial sources if we want to keep making electronics and manufacture chemicals ( many of these metals are used to make catalysts for industrial chemical production).

[Zanzubaa]

This was so refreshing. Just Straight-forward narration and animated. No sensationalized, tedious terrible documentary nonsense. Good stuff.

[jasontoddman]

Your videos are definitely one of the high points of my week.

[williamdwyer]

Future spaceships should be built in space, mostly from materials gathered and refined in space.

[AndreRousseauMtl]

I was mining the Internet to validate some science fiction ideas and I discovered your channel last week. Wow! I certainly feel like I found that chest full of gold coins you mentioned here! Despite having self-published a short Kindle SF story last September, I find myself more interested in listening to your other videos than in reading more SF novels. You have a wonderfully clear mind and please continue doing what you are doing! If, one day, you ever want someone to closed caption or dub a couple of your videos in French, maybe I could help you do it...

[tranquilitybase]

Thank you Isaac. You do clarify the challenges and opportunity ahead. I'm very happy to discover your channel.

[AndreRousseauMtl]

I have submitted a set of French subtitles for this video. They have now become available (by selecting the Settings icon, then Subtitles, then French). Although I found the auto-translate feature useful as a basis, I had to edit practically all of the suggestions, and many of them did not make sense at all.

Given the specialized vocabulary used here, If we are to get serious about closed captioning to other languages, we will have to have, for each language, a list of terms to use consistently across videos that will end up being translated by different people who, in general, will not be professionals. How do you translate Post-Scarcity Civilisation in French? Post-Pénurie? Post-Rareté? Both sound odd to me, although I settled for Post-Pénurie here... Why not Ultra-Abondante then? Things like that will have to be agreed upon...

Translating a thirty minute segment takes about two days of work, more if you are meticulous. So this is quite a commitment! But the job is captivating since it lets you ponder what is being said, which packs an usual amount of well researched material.
I can only imagine the number of books that were read and the hours that were spent thinking about the topic to come up with the material!

Great job Isaac!
Let me know how you feel I can help.

[isaacarthurSFIA]

Author's Note: Ironically this video was scheduled to come out late afternoon on Thursday but got hung up in processing, which happens sometime with youtube, and just popped off on its own at 3AM my time, so no I've not decided to put them out at the one time of day that ensures only the night owls on the west coast or my east-asian audience will be around when they come out. It's been suggested that statistically the best time to release is mid afternoon eastern time Fridays so that might be when the next one comes out. Anyone's thoughts on the matter are appreciated.

[ChrisBrengel]

5:07 "I am prone to understatements" LOL!
I love it! I find a lot of people don't get the concept :(
Keep 'em coming!

[mikehendrickson]

Big fan from Canada, my favourite YouTube channel hands down. Please keep them coming ^^

[mariolis]

25:10

Good point

I imagine than in 1000 years, if we are an interstellar post-scarcity civilisation, the apollo landing sited will probably be something like the pyramids or other invaluable ancient relics

[robertweidner]

SpaceX should hire you to lead their P.R. division.

[leechy]

I must say Isaac, this is one very interesting channel and wouldn't be surprised if it continued to grow in readership at a healthy rate! I'm getting all kinds of inspiration here!

[words]

Isaac Arthur, you are a national treasure. I only wish more people in our society were as forward thinking as you are. I really appreciate your thorough explanations of these amazing topics!

[stardude]

While the prices of many precious metals are now driven mostly by scarcity, at a certain price point industrial applications become viable and the prices stabilize. Even at current prices gold is used electronics, if the price of gold fell to that of silver I can imagine a huge boom in it's use in many things.

[gaminawulfsdottir]

No doubt about it. The asteroid belt is our key to colonization outside Earth's gravity well.

[jboon]

You're really great Isaac. I'm writing a book by consulting your videos whenever I construct a new plot point. Slow going and heavy science but great fun! And thanks for making these - they are one of those rare things created by genius that brings a spark to the imagination!

[matthewbartlett]

8:24 Funny how Eros wouldn't be considered one of the EROs.

[HughBLongAuthor]

Isaac, thanks so much for making these videos! What a great resource.

[werewolf]

In these stressful times, I really do appreciate being able unwind by listening to your videos. Thanks for making this channel.