Is the next frontier Mars or the deep sea?

On February 6, 2018, an open-top car driven by a mannequin driver named "Starman" wearing a real spacesuit began racing toward Mars. It may seem like a ridiculous idea, but it's true. The Mars mission of SpaceX, a private space venture led by CEO Elon Musk, has taken a big step forward. It is a grand project to land humans on Mars in 2024 and then build a colony.

I watched the rocket launch with both feet firmly planted on the ground. On my smartphone, which is powered by technology more complex than the spacecraft that landed humans on the moon in 1969.

A bright red Tesla sailed into space with Elton John's song "Rocket Man" playing in the background. Suddenly, a question popped into my head: "Why?" No, I'm not talking about the music. Elton's song is great. Why are we humans aiming for an environment unsuitable for survival, with zero gravity and no oxygen?

We launch countless satellites, send crews to the International Space Station, and even have golf cart-like vehicles crossing Mars' orbit. Next, we're going to send humans to Mars? Is this adventure? Innovation? Colonization? Or just plain curiosity?

Humanity has raced madly toward the next frontier. We've summited the world's highest mountain ranges. We've driven dog sleds across both the South and North Poles. We've penetrated jungles untouched by humans. But what about the oceans? Haven't we barely dipped our toes in?

Our planet, described by Apollo 17 crew as "like a blue marble." About 70% of its surface is covered by water—oceans. Only James Cameron, director of "Titanic," reached the bottom of the ocean alone in 2012—the Challenger Deep at 19,160 meters below sea level. Humankind sends rockets across the solar system, seeking new frontiers. Yet beyond the sandy shores, an unknown frontier remains. Waiting to be discovered.

The creative industry we work in pursues novel technologies. We want to break through the limits of creativity. But does using AR or AI chatbots to spread word-of-mouth really mean we've broken through those limits? Are we so engrossed in the latest tech-driven toys that we overlook something more important hidden beneath the surface? While spending a holiday by the sea, such thoughts came to mind.