It's not about not going to Mars, but going just to go... I'm staying in Barcelona

Mars fascinates. As proof, the anticipation generated by the arrival on the red planet of the rover Perseverance, the latest of the more than 60 missions sent since the 1960s. And it won't be the last. Its job is to search for evidence that there was once life and to pave the way for a future manned expedition to establish a permanent, inhabited base. Barcelona has also joined this Martian fascination with a spectacular exhibition at the CCCB that is worth visiting calmly, even several times. Even the director of the cultural center, Judith Carrera, joked at the presentation of the exhibition about the free and priceless campaign that NASA and the Perseverance have done for them. And it's no wonder, as everything indicates that Mart. El mirall vermell (until July 11) will be one of the major events of the year on the cultural agenda.

The exhibition takes an effective journey through the history of Mars, from mythology to the latest space missions, without forgetting a review of projects to make the planet habitable. For this reason, it is also an exhibition for reflection on the future of humanity. For some, Mars may be our refuge when we finally manage to make life on Earth impossible.

It is taken for granted that millions of years ago Mars had abundant water, so there is a probability that there was life. With or without it, the truth is that, since its discovery, the red planet and Earth have forged ties, a kind of brotherhood that has been embodied as the Roman god of war and later in cinema and literature, and we even apply the demonym Martian to aliens in general. A part of the exhibition also pays tribute to the authors who have been inspired by Mars for their works, such as Edgar Rice Burroughs, father of Tarzan, H. G. Wells and the great Ray Bradbury and his magnificent Martian Chronicles, among others.

I do not doubt at all that life has ever existed on Mars, nor that it exists or has existed in other solar systems and galaxies, especially after Harvard theoretical physicist Avi Loeb has categorically stated that the interstellar object named Oumuamua, which crossed our solar system in 2017, is actually an artifact from an extraterrestrial civilization. It's another thing to accept that we have to go live on Mars. Until it is proven that terraforming and other amenities are possible, the first ones who go there in the future and many who follow them will have to live on an extremely inhospitable and dangerous planet and take refuge in prefabricated constructions that protect them from radiation and a toxic, oxygen-free atmosphere. In short, going out for a walk and putting on a spacesuit is going to be a pain in the ass, and coming home, another.

And that's not counting what it's going to cost us. One thinks that perhaps it would be better to invest all that fortune in making the living quarters of a future Martian right here on Earth if climate change finally makes it impossible for us to live on the surface. Because I don't want to move from Barcelona. Despite all we can complain about, Barcelona is a magnificent city to live in, even if some often make it difficult for us. In any case, let them go to Mars.

As José Mota would say, it's not about not going, but going just to go is silly. And if we keep sending robots at this rate only for them to end up as scrap, the planet will end up as a kind of landfill. High-tech, yes, but garbage nonetheless. The exhibition shows a disturbing photograph of the Martian surface with plastic debris detached from some of our artifacts thrown there. Impressive, we're already polluting before we even arrive.

Having said that, I admit that Mars also fascinates me. I even keep notes that one day could become a detective novel set there. But since going for a weekend is still a long way off, I insist on staying in Barcelona and occasionally visiting the CCCB exhibition. Don't miss it.