A Survival Imperative for Space Colonization
July 18th, 2007What? The skyscraper farms won’t do the trick?
Via: New York Times:
“In 1970 everyone figured we’d have humans on Mars by now, but we haven’t taken the opportunity,†Dr. Gott says. “We should it do soon, because colonizing other worlds is our best chance to hedge our bets and improve the survival prospects of our species. Sooner or later something will get us if we stay on one planet. By the time we’re in trouble and wish we had that colony on Mars, it may be too late.â€
What do you make of the “Grren Zone Follies” at http://tbrnews.org/Archives/a2720.htm ??
The way things are shaping up on Earth these days, the risks of space travel and colonization are beginning to look very acceptable.
Compared to driving, flying into space is much safer.
Of course, we would probably figure out how to export auto accidents to Mars as well.
I wonder if I could get a Progressive Insurance claims rep. there?
It is naive to think: 1) that we are alone in the universe and our galaxy; 2) that other civilizations don’t have claims on Mars already; 3) that we can escape this planet whenever we want.
This Earth is a very precious place, one that is admired by many other races in the galaxy. We need to protect, nurture and preserve this planet lest some other race takes it from us. Even suggesting that we need to develop an alternative place to live is to participate in the neglect and destruction of our Earth.
We are the rightful owners and care-takers of this wonderful planet and must do all that we can to keep it beautiful and abundant for future generations.
In a billion years or so (if we’re still around by then -ha!) we’ll need to leave as the sun swells to a red giant to prior to going nova. Other than that, no.
Jim -space travel is NOT easy. Science fiction makes it looks so, but in real life astronautical engineers have nightmares over misplaced decimal points.
Well folks, paradise could easily be right here on earth but humankind (an oxymoron if I ever heard one) won’t do any better anywhere else, be it a space station, other planet or whatever else. Our mentality is to conquer, subjugate and plunder. Tell me it isn’t so…..
Amen, Mad Mouth. If we do go out into space we must take the earth with us, we cannot survive without air, water and six inches of topsoil.
Most make the assumption that there are not already colonies of humans out there, some our own recent explorers and perhaps others who consider other places “home”.
It’s my belief that the climate crisis we are currently facing is a necessary stage in human development that has to precede the colonisation of other planets. That’s not to say that we couldn’t have transformed ourselves via a less dangerous route or that we won’t fuck it up completely: but if we survive, intact, as humans, our understanding of planetary systems will make the prospect of survival on other planets much more likely. Of course other cultures have had an understanding of how their local microcosms interacts with a larger macrocosm but outside of mystical experience, they weren’t likely to get to Mars in the conventional sense. Then again, what we regard as “the conventional sense” is of course part of the problem we face.
Skyscrapers hold no powers against GARGANTUAN boulders from outerspace…
Space travel is untenable science fiction. Outer space is freezing/burning dead rocks. Please get over it.
There are a whole bunch of very large, barren areas of the planet earth that are far more hospitable to human life than any of the planets in the solar system. The arctic and the Sahara Desert are more probable places for colonization than Mars. For one thing, they have air. Even the Sahara has water. I understand it sits over a gigantic aquifer.
Why travel a gazillion miles to colonize a place that is so much less promising than the Sahara, or Siberia, or Greenland? Even Antarctica looks good compared to Mars.
Considering that we cannot maintain an ecosystem that–if left alone–runs itself, it is absurd to think we are going to maintain ecosystems in space. We haven’t a clue of how to even begin.
As for safety, space is no safer than anywhere else: If you can get a payload up there you can get a bomb up there, and further you can bet that somebody already has.
Space is a good scam. Lots of money to be made.