It is a truism that scientists know more about the surface of Mars than they do about the surface of the Earth, but it is also true.

How do we escape the stereotypes and yet fulfill them at the same time?

And I am not going to propose any universal answer in this article.

First, the obvious, usual, stale, unworkable ideas seem to come to mind first, so that the first, say, 20 or 25 ideas are probably not going to be fresh and creative.

The key abstractions accrue responsibilities and relationships until, like parents stuck in middle age, they can only follow their well-worn patterns.