BUILD OUR SELVES
BEFORE OUR SHIPS

欲建设飞船，必先建设自己

1/6 A Quest for Purpose
1/6 意义的探寻

As we should realize:
All our dreams, all our motives, and all possibilities of our future (What techs? Why techs? Whose techs?) boils down to one crucial question:
What is our purpose?

我们应当意识到：
我们所有的梦想、我们所有的动机、我们未来的所有可能性（什么科技？为什么要科技？谁的科技？），归根结底都指向这一重大问题：
我们的意义是什么？

"Humanity will go to space."
–Humanity will do what?
–Why will humanity go to space?
–Who will go to space? (For example, if humans get replaced by AIs, and AIs go to space, what's the point of doing that? AIs could do whatever they want; but what's the point for all those things to be done with no subjective observers existing?

“ 人类将奔向宇宙。 ”
—— 人类将做什么？
—— 为什么人类要奔向宇宙？
—— 谁将奔向宇宙？（例如：假如人类被人工智能取代，而人工智能奔向宇宙，这有什么意思呢？人工智能可以想做什么做什么；然而没有主观的观测者存在，那些事情做成或是不做成，又有什么分别呢？）

I cannot, and do not seek to, define purposes of other people –everyone should make their quest for purpose this on their own. However, I hope we can ensure that during humanity’s quest for purpose, we will not perish because of our doubts

我不能，也不寻求去规定他人的意义——这个需要每一个人自己去探寻；但我希望能够确保在全人类探寻自身意义的过程中，不会因迷茫而灭亡。

2/6 Our Greatest Danger
2/6 我们最大的危险

Our greatest threat comes within, and comes within ourselves –the Existential Crisis –but with nukes and virtual reality "heavens".

我们最大的威胁是一种内部威胁，并且源自我们的内心——存在主义危机——但这是一个涉及核弹头和虚拟现实“天堂”的危机。

The human society is already facing a severe existential crisis right now. According to statistics from the WHO, more than 300 million people globally are now suffering from depression. If the problem is already so serious now on Earth, just imagine how high the depression rate would be like when humans colonize space, and get contained inside a spaceship floating in the void in the middle of nowhere.

在当前的人类社会，已经开始产生巨大的存在主义危机。据世界卫生组织估计，当前世界上有三亿多人患抑郁症。如果在地球上问题都这么严重；难以想象当人类移民太空时，困在宇宙飞船这种无依无靠漂泊在虚空中的牢笼中，抑郁症发病率将有多高。

Now that the satellite Asgardia-1 has been successfully launched, you might be over-optimistic and think that we can colonize Alpha Centauri very soon. Then I have bad news for you: please calculate the energy and time needed for such a trip, and you’ll realize that you could either go there on a 10,000-year trip, or get there within 50 years but pay the energy as high as several Jupiters. (And we must make the space-travel fast enough to ensure connectivity between our colonies; only then can we be called a space civilization. Or else, we’re no more than "cancer cells" scattered everywhere who only want to propagate.) You might think that we are making huge progresses in nuclear fusion. Yes, that is true; but our current huge-progress is only nothing compared to what we need to fuel reasonable space-trips.

最近， Asgardia-1 卫星成功发射，你可能会过于乐观，觉得我们很快就能殖民三体星系（半人马座阿尔法）了。那我要给你泼冷水了：请计算一下所需的能量和时间，然后你就会发现，你可以花一万多年到达那里，或者花 50 年，但消耗掉好几个木星的能量。（并且，我们必须要实现快速的星际旅行，联通各个殖民地，才能有真正的宇宙文明；否则人类就不是一个整体，而是分散在各地的一种只知道繁殖的“癌细胞”。）你或许认为我们在核聚变领域有了重大突破。是的，确实是；但当前的重大突破与我们想要开展靠谱的宇宙旅行所需的能量相比，根本是九牛一毛。

At the current speed of progress in nuclear fusion, we should be realistic and get prepared for the worst case scenario where interstellar-grade ultra-performance nuclear fusion cannot be achieved within the next 500 years. What would happen if you possess all the knowledge and power, know very well about your current situation, but cannot do anything within your lifetime or even several lifetimes to make any significant breakthroughs? There would be grave danger that humanity become stagnant, be it a second dark age, a nuclear world war, or simply with most of the individuals escaping reality into some kind of "heavenly" computer simulation.

按照核聚变技术当前的进展速度，我们应当现实一点，做好最坏的打算。最糟糕的场景：星际旅行级别的超高效核聚变在 500 年内都不能实现。那么，当我们拥有所有的知识，知道自己当前的处境，却一辈子、甚至好几辈子都无法实现重大突破，结果会发生什么呢？将会有非常巨大的危险，人类可能会陷入停滞。有可能是再来一次黑暗的中世纪，有可能是一场世界核大战，也有可能是只所有个体都选择了逃避现实、遁入某种计算机模拟程序的“天堂”。

We cannot allow that to happen. I will not allow that to happen.

我们不能让这种事情发生。我绝不会容忍这种事情发生。

3/6 What is a real cure?
3/6 什么是真正的解药？

The cure to our current problems should not be medication and therapy. And definitely not a 'brave new world' or a society governed by a Sibyl system like that in the anime Psycho-pass. Even if we managed to achieve happiness through those means, it is false happiness. The true cure to our existential crisis is to find practical ways and fulfill humanity's biggest dreams, including space colonization.

当前问题的解药，不应当仅仅是药物和心理治疗，并且绝对不可以是一个“美丽新世界”，也不能像《心理测量者》中那样完全由某种 Sibyl System 来决定人的命运。用上述方式，即使我们实现了人类的幸福，那也是虚假的幸福。解决存在主义危机的真正解药，是找到切实的途径来实现人类最大的梦想，其中之一便是奔向太空。

Let's take the following example as comparison:
Suppose a man got depressed because he is a terrible CEO and his company is struggling. He goes to the doctor, and the doctor prescribed him with some pills and therapy. He became happy. But the true problem is still not solved. He and his company are still failures. But here's the true solution: Teach him the art of management and help him out of temporary financial hardships.

打比方来说：

现在有个人得了抑郁症，因为他当 CEO 很失败，而他的公司经营惨淡。他去看医生，医生给他开了一些药，并配合心理治疗。他变得很快乐。但真正的问题并没有解决。他和他的公司还是那么失败。真正的解药应当是这样：教会他管理的艺术，并帮助他脱离暂时的经济困难。

This still rings true if we apply it to the entire humanity. Therefore, my election slogan is "build our selves before our ships", not "have a beautiful soul before a beautiful ship". –Although this is a quest for purpose, it should be fulfilled through practical and solid technology, so that every single individual can objectively (not just subjectively) live a life that values.

放大到全人类的范围内，也是这个道理。因此，我的竞选口号是“欲建设飞船，必先建设我们自己”而不是“欲拥有美丽飞船，必先拥有美丽心灵”。——尽管这是一场对于意义的探寻，但必须通过坚实的技术来实现。让每一个人在客观上（而不仅仅是主观上）都能够活得有价值。

4/6 This is both a blitzkrieg and a protracted war.
4/6 这既是一场闪击战，又是一场持久战。

This is how technological development will be like: We'll soon achieve major breakthroughs; these breakthroughs will not be sufficient enough for us to become super civilizations, but enough for us to destroy ourselves. We'll be facing that kind of slop-sided "double edge sword". A new order will emerge soon; and very likely, it will solidify within the next hundreds of years. Once it is solidified, it would be very hard to change it. Therefore, we need a "blitzkrieg" right at the beginning to set the tone for a correct development path, and to prevent us from falling onto the wrong track. After that, there would be a "protracted war", where we need to work together and overcome all kinds of hardship; fight constantly till one day, hundreds of years after we're dead, that interstellar-grade ultra-performance nuclear fusion is realized.

接下来科技的发展趋势将会是这样：很快我们将会有巨大突破；这些突破暂时还不足以让人类成为高级文明，却足够让人类毁灭。我们面对的是这样一边倒的“双刃剑”。一个新秩序将很快产生，并有可能在接下来的几百年之内固化。一旦固化，就很难再改变。所以，需要通过“闪击战”来在一开头就定下正确的发展基调，一开头就让正确的发展道路固化，而不是让错误的发展道路固化。接下来就是一场“持久战”：我们需要齐心协力，克服种种困难，一直奋战到星级旅行级别的超高效核聚变在自己死后几百年实现为止。

5/6 Development Plans for Asgardia
5/6 Asgardia 发展纲要

(1) Nation building
(1) 国家建设

Help to fully establish our nation's political system.

完善国家制度。

Increase publicity, and promote global awareness of Asgardia and issues concerning human development. Build a strong foundation of publicity, and promote people's participation in Asgardia and the above issues. This is especially a priority in the Chinese Electoral District. –Currently, people in the Chinese District are not participating enough. If I am elected, I will do my best to promote participation of Asgardian citizens in the Chinese District.

通过加大宣传，提高全世界对 Asgardia 和人类发展问题的意识，从而打好舆论基础、提高积极性。这在中文选区尤为重要——从当前的参选情况来看，中文选区不是很积极。如果我当选，会致力于促进中文选区Asgardia公民的积极性。

Promote unity and harmony between Asgardian citizens of different origins and languages. If I am elected, I will make good use of my multilingual advantage to cooperate with parliament members from different electoral districts, and work for the unity of all Asgardian citizens.

促进各不同来源、不同语言的 Asgardia 公民之间的团结和和谐共处。如果我当选，我将发挥我的语言优势，协同其他选区的议员，一起为全Asgardia的团结而努力。

I might be young and not very experienced. If there were more experienced people willing to become parliament members of my district, I might have not nominated myself. But now, we are facing this crisis where few people are willing to stand out. So I believe that I should take up my responsibilities to Asgardia and the entire humanity. It might be hard for a young man like me to do politics, but I will never give up when Asgardia needs me.

我或许太年轻，并且资历也不是很深。假如我们选取能有更多有经验的人参选，我可能当初就不会参选了。然而，现在我们却面临这么一个困境，缺少能够挺身而出的人。因此我相信，我应当肩负起 Asgardia 和全人类的责任。我这么一个年轻人参政，或许会很艰难，但我永不言弃，因为Asgardia需要我。

(2) Education
(2) 教育

Promote education worldwide. Share education resources with Asgardian citizens as well as non-Asgardians.

促进世界范围内的教育发展。与 Asgardia 公民及非Asgardia公民共享教育资源。

We might one day establish an Asgardian Academy online.

可以建立一所网上的 Asgardia 学院。

I am now working as Secretary to the Dean of Newhuadu Business School (Switzerland). Our school has cooperation ties with the University of Zurich and other universities, as well as Chinese entrepreneurs. Although I am not a senior staff, only a secretary to my dean, I still have the confidence that I might be able to use our network to contact cooperators and promote Asgardian education.

我现在的职位是新华都商学院（瑞士）院长助理。我学院正在与苏黎世大学等大学，还有中国的企业家开展各种合作。尽管我资历比较浅，只是院长的助理，但我认为我有可能联系到人脉资源，来促进 Asgardia 教育事业的发展。

We should not only teach people knowledge, but also encourage all humans to think.

我们不但要教会人们知识，还要促进全人类去思考。

(3) Nuclear fusion and interstellar engines
(3) 核聚变与星际引擎

What we need is an engine that can send us to the nearest star within a 50-year trip. To achieve this, we need an ultra-performance nuclear fusion reactor. High temperature superconductive materials are also needed. We might need an Alcubierre Drive.

我们需要一个旅行时间少于 50 年就能送我们去最近的恒星的引擎。建造这样一个引擎，需要超高效的核聚变反应堆。同时需要高温超导体。我们甚至可能需要用到Alcubierre引擎（曲率引擎）。

As for now, we can't really do anything to build that engine. But we can still support STEM research, especially the development of theoretical physics.

当前，要想建造这么一个引擎，我们无法直接地做出什么贡献。但我们可以支持 STEM 研究，特别是理论物理学的发展。

We should dedicate great support to the research of theoretical physics, nanomaterials, and high temperature superconductive materials.

应当重点支持理论物理学、纳米材料、高温超导材料的研究。

Also, please keep in mind that our grandchildren will not be colonizing Alpha Centauri with any kind of conventional rocketry.

另外，请务必明确：我们的子孙不可能乘着任何传统的火箭去殖民三体星系（半人马座阿尔法）。

(4) AI, big data, virtual reality, etc.
(4) 人工智能、大数据、虚拟现实等技术

What I tend to achieve by these technologies is a tool to support individuals, not a tyrannical system that controls people. For example, if someone is told by the system that her genes make her unsuitable to become a physicist, but she is determined to become a physicist; now that she is determined, the system shall have no right to discourage her. Instead, it should do its best to find the best paths for her become a good physicist. After all, inherited factors are not the only factors that determine what someone can be.

通过这些技术，我所构想的是一个能帮助人的好工具，而不是一个凌驾于人们之上的操控系统。例如，某人被系统告知，她的基因使得她不适合当物理学家，但她决心成为一名物理学家。既然她已经决定，系统就不再有权否定她。相反，系统应当尽全力为她寻找成为一名优秀物理学家的最佳途径。毕竟，先天因素不是决定一个人的全部因素。

More importantly, we need to make sure that these technologies are used to serve humanity, and to serve the reality. These techs shall not become tools for humans to escape from their responsibilities or from reality.

另外，很重要的一点：这些技术应当为人类服务、为现实世界服务。决不能让这些技术成为人类逃避责任、逃避现实的工具。

(5) Green technologies and environmental protection
(5) 绿色科技与环境保护

It will be such a shame if the human civilization collapsed due to environmental problems before interstellar drives are successfully built. Moreover, we seek to colonize space not because we want to escape Earth; we are only seeking to expand humanity's limits, and we still need to be responsible for the environment on Earth.

假如人类在建成星际引擎之前早就已经毁灭于环境问题，那就实在是太丢人了。更何况，我们奔向宇宙，不是为了逃离地球；我们只是要开拓人类的范围，我们依然要对地球的环境负责。

Asgardia should support the research and development of green technologies, as well as environmental projects.

Asgardia 应当支持绿色科技的研究和发展，并支持环保项目。

6/6 Conclusions
6/6 结语

Through the application of advanced technologies of humanity, by humanity, and for humanity, we shall seek to create a society where everyone has the freedom to establish his/her purpose, and the AI/big data tools to find best paths to fulfilling his/her purpose; where everyone's purpose can be recognized, valued, respected, and appreciated; and where everyone's purpose can really contribute to the wellbeing and progress of humanity.

通过应用“民有、民治、民享”——人类所有、人类控制、为人类服务的先进科技，我们将致力于建设这样一个社会：每一个人都有权确定自己的意义，并通过人工智能和大数据等工具来找到实现自己意义的最佳途径；每一个人的意义都能得到认可、重视、尊重和欣赏；每一个人的意义都能真正地为人类的福祉和进步作出一份贡献。

This is one of my favorite pictures from voyager when Carl Sagan suggested to turned it around to take a picture of earth from behind Saturn and we are just a tiny blue dot. It brings the realization of just how small we truly are in the universe and makes you realize how small your ideals, problems, communities, people, and everything is. The universe is much larger than anything and is the final frontier to discover. As an Asgardian, I feel that in some way I have reached beyond the blue dot to visualize something just a bit bigger, perhaps someday the human race will look back and see that this was the start of something much larger than the blue dot we started from. To growth and prosperity of the human race, may we explore and move beyond our solar system.

Cheers!

Introduction

Hello my fellow Asgardians, I am Ross Cheeseright, 34 years old and geographically located in the South of England. I am a businessman running a small digital marketing company, a family man raising a young family and a student undertaking a degree in software engineering.

I would like to take this opportunity to tell you about myself and my race to become a member of the Asgardian Parliament.

Mission Statement

This is a vitally important time for Asgardia and the results of this election will shape the months and years that are to come. It is of paramount importance that the people we elect now are those that have the drive and the passion to get down to work and build the nation that we all dream of.

It is my mission to become elected as a member of parliament and carry the standard of the citizens of Asgardia and to put in the work and effort that is required to build the nation, establish the laws and make sure that everyone is informed every step of the way.

I ask that all Asgardians who believe as I do and who feel as I feel, to support me so that we can work together to turn Asgardia from a dream into a reality.

Previous Work for Asgardia

I believe that our words must become actions and our actions must produce results and I have put my money and time where my mouth is.

1. I have been running in the Local Leadership elections.
2. I have been interviewed by two national newspapers regarding Asgardia
3. I have been featured on the editor’s choice of Asgardia.space multiple times
4. I write a blog that outlined regular updates on my progress and regular news updates
5. I am establishing a not for profit business within Asgardia that aims to raise funds for Asgardia and funding for research projects.
6. I am leading a small team of reporters working as a volunteer for civic.asgardia’s communications department.
7. I am building a proof of concept ‘virtual reality’ simulation called “Asgardia Island.” Which I am to be a multi-use island to prove the benefits of VR for Asgardia.

How I will serve Asgardia’s Citizens.

1. As much as possible, I will be completely transparent. I will openly share details of my work, struggles, triumphs, budget spending, Salary and non-sensitive communications.
2. I will hold regular meetings and live-streams so that I can create a truly ‘two-way’ dialog with my supporters. Unlike governmental representatives of today, I will aspire to be a model of the future taking your views and concerns in real-time.
3. I will push a strong digital agenda that focusses on utilizing the strengths of Virtual Reality to enable us to better collaborate, train, share ideas, run simulations, and bond.
4. I will make sure that we don’t lose focus on ‘everyday’ Asgardian Citizens – There is a lot of focus on the next innovators and space start-ups, but there are much more people in Asgardia that just want to be a part of something noble, fair and driven to the future.
5. I will work to build the community and strengthen the public image of Asgardia. There are a lot of people out there who still don’t understand who we are and what we do.
6. I will undertake every effort to start finding those people that want to work to build up Asgardia and empower them with whatever support, tools and funding that is at our disposal.

Why am I pushing Virtual Reality Technology?

Virtual Reality is an emerging technology that gives people amazing capabilities and opportunities that they might not otherwise have access to. I plan to leverage this technology to ‘Centralize’ Asgardia for the following reasons:

1. The International community insists that we have a ‘defined territory’ and a ‘permanent population’ but there is no more land available on Earth, it’s all been claimed by other powers. With Virtual Reality, we’ll be able to create a world that all Asgardians will have access to and will be able to have a virtual home upon and symbolically and technically prove that we’re a people who exist within a defined territory.
2. With Virtual Reality, Asgardia will be able to create schools, training facilities, entertainment, theatres, art, gather together to hold concerts, enjoy live stand-up performances. It will give our people a place to gather and live.
3. Virtual Reality will provide a source of income – By creating a virtual world, we will have something to offer to the international community. People will be able to visit our virtual world to undertake ‘long distance study’ at our universities, to visit our art installations, to play our games, to buy our services and all this will help to generate income for our people and our nation.
4. A Virtual World is a good ‘test’ for us as a population. By using a virtual world we’ll start to be able to understand what life is going to be like living together, without having to spend billions on floating platforms or buying land. We can test government, legal practices, trace and simulate a whole host of other activities of daily living.

I am still only just learning about how to create a virtual reality, but I know that there are a lot of skilled people out there that I can organize to bring this technology to benefit us.

How can you support me?

If you wish to help me to create a strong and stable Asgardia, visit my Campaign Profile on Asgardia.Space: https://asgardia.space/en/elections/candidates/English/17737/