In the past few decades, many people have been talking about humanity's future in space exploration. Popular culture has led many to think that colonizing Mars should be one of our long term goals for interplanetary civilization. But we have a planet that is much more similar to Earth and much closer! Although relatively few people consider Venus a destination for human colonization, it may in fact be one of the most viable options.
Most people are aware that the Venusian surface is extremely hot and has several times the atmospheric pressure of Earth, essentially making it inhabitable. However, relatively few people ever consider the Venusian atmosphere, which at certain elevations is comparable in pressure and temperature to Earth! NASA has proposed the HAVOC, or the High Altitude Venus Operational Concept, which would float in the thick Venusian atmosphere and carry a permanent human population.
(
While this concept may still be in the preliminary phases, and likely won't be deployed for several decades, it is very interesting to consider potential locations for human habitation.