--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But space travel can't ease the pressure…" description: "\"But space travel can't ease the pressure on a planet grown too crowded not even with today's ships and probably not with any future ships-because stupi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/022/robert-a-heinlein-209_abandon_but-space-travel-can-t-ease-the-pressure_1889776.jpg" --- # But space travel can't ease the pressure on a planet grown… ![“But space travel can't ease the pressure on a planet grown too crowded not even with today's ships and probably not with any future ships-because stupid people won't leave the slopes of their home volcano even when it starts to smoke and rumble. What space travel does do is drain off the best…” quote by Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/022/robert-a-heinlein-209_abandon_but-space-travel-can-t-ease-the-pressure_1889776.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/022/robert-a-heinlein-209_abandon_but-space-travel-can-t-ease-the-pressure_1889776.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/022/robert-a-heinlein-209_abandon_but-space-travel-can-t-ease-the-pressure_1889776.jpg) > “But space travel can't ease the pressure on a planet grown too crowded not even with today's ships and probably not with any future ships-because stupid people won't leave the slopes of their home volcano even when it starts to smoke and rumble. What space travel does do is drain off the best brains: those smart enough to see a catastrophe before it happens, and with the guts to pay the price-abandon home, wealth, friends, relatives, everything-and go. That's a tiny fraction of one percent. But that's enough.” [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Space travel may not relieve overpopulation; it often loses its brightest minds who choose to abandon Earth. **In simple terms:** Space travel can drain talent rather than solve crowding. Key Takeaway Consider the human cost of space colonization. Themes space population brain drain risk Mood thoughtful somber Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - government policy - environmental planning - personal sacrifice Key Concepts ethical dilemmas human migration future technology Questions to Reflect On - What motivates individuals to stay or leave a doomed planet? - How can societies retain talent while addressing overpopulation? A Different Perspective Not all who could leave will;, and many stay despite danger. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) [Catastrophe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catastrophe/) [Guts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guts/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moon/) [Pay the price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pay-the-price/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Pressure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pressure/) [Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smart/) [Smoke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smoke/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) [Space travel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space-travel/) [Star gazing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/star-gazing/) [Stupid people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stupid-people/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Travel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/travel/) [Volcanoes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/volcanoes/) [Wealth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wealth/) ## Related quotes > [I get easily distracted and become a bit of a giddy giggler. 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