FONSFAQ: If you could get the public to understand one key thing about your field or science in gene

[nanila]

holyschist asked: "If you could get the public to understand one key thing about your field or science in general, what would it be?"

Space-based planetary exploration isn't just blue-skies curiosity-driven research. It has a very pertinent message for us: the Earth is special. Really special. At this point, for us, irreplaceably special, because there are no planetary bodies within reach of our feeble spaceflight technology that could possibly support its diverse ecosystem. So we'd better start caring for it much more wisely than we have been.