How to get off this stinking rock?

[cpt_azad]

Just wanted to chime in and see what people's opinions are on this subject.

A good primer would be to watch this video of Prof. Machio Kaku:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHbnM_42mQE


My question is, will we ever get off this planet before it dies out? I mean, the Earth IS a dying planet. Will we ever get past type 1? Type 2?

I always imagine that as humans we can if we put our minds to it, but look at the state of affairs around us.....look at NASA's budget for crying out loud. Things like this make me feel that our future is not only uncertain but that we're basically screwed.

I have faith in human ingenuity but as a pessimist I know for a fact we're never getting off this planet, at least if things continue the way they are.

Oh, and we're considered a type 0.7 civilization on the Kardashev scale:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kardashev_scale

I have been so fascinated w/ cosmology lately that I think I will be going back to school to earn my degree in Space Sciences, just gotta find a good school (suggestions welcome). :)

[Barbarossa]

Your basic human biology is totally unsuitable to survive away from Earth for extended periods of time.

It's conceivable that in time we could colonise the solar system, beginning with the moon and then mars, the asteroids and some of the moons of the gas giants, maybe even terraforming venus... but travelling any further than that... the vast distances make such a thing infeasible in terms of human lifespans, and the day to day requirements of keeping a physical body alive. (water, food, air, etc)

Generation ships (travelling for hundreds or thousands of years, where the descendents of the initial pioneers reach the destination) may be an option, but that would take an enormous investment for completely no return, and I can't see any government or corporation willing to finance anything like that sort of thing.

The only way that I see that we can spread out from this planet and colonise the galaxy, is to either develop and perfect the technique of suspended animation, or more ideally to develop and perfect the technology of artificial intelligence and have the capability to download our consciousnesses into "robots" and/or "computers" (for want of better words), with indefinite lifespans, minimal energy requirements, and to be robust enough to cope the the harsh environment of interstellar space...

Always assuming that someone doesn't invent FTL travel in the not to distant future of course (!)

So I agree with you, I don't think it's going to happen, but even if it does, the galaxy won't last forever and if we manage to escape from that, well the universe won't last forever (at least not in its current state) so what would we (or rather our descendents) do then?

It's best not to think about it, and just enjoy the time you have.

[sez]

We can't survive anywhere else other than earth and that's just how God intended it to be.
If His will is we perish as we destroy it then thats how it shall be,if not then earth will find a way to heal itself.Its that simple.

[Barbarossa]

We can't survive anywhere else other than earth and that's just how God intended it to be.
If His will is we perish as we destroy it then thats how it shall be,if not then earth will find a way to heal itself.Its that simple.

So what's the point of the rest of the universe? :blink:

[clocker]

We can't survive anywhere else other than earth and that's just how God intended it to be.
If His will is we perish as we destroy it then thats how it shall be,if not then earth will find a way to heal itself.Its that simple.
No, you're that simple.

[sez]

We can't survive anywhere else other than earth and that's just how God intended it to be.
If His will is we perish as we destroy it then thats how it shall be,if not then earth will find a way to heal itself.Its that simple.

So what's the point of the rest of the universe? :blink:

Its all on genesis.

[clocker]

I rest my case.

[sez]

^^ nice to see you lose for a change.

[clocker]

T'was covered in genesis.
Also got a short shoutout from Nostradamus and even an elliptical mention by Edgar Cayce.

[j2k4]

There are any number of coincident degenerations more pressing than that of planet Earth.

This thread could have been disposed of with but an immediate (albeit attenuated) 'pshaw', but no, you guys want to steer a rudderless ship...well, then.

I'm making popcorn.

[clocker]

There are any number of coincident degenerations more pressing than that of planet Earth.
.
Like what?

[j2k4]

Couple of things I believe you might be aware of-

North Korea.

Iran and the rest of the Mid-east.

Any of several situations in Africa.

Our fucking economy.

I could go on, but then you know that, too.

Earth will be around for a couple more millennia...I'm positive of this.

Long after GM and the UAW are gone.

I'm sure of that, too.

[cpt_azad]

Couple of things I believe you might be aware of-

North Korea.

Iran and the rest of the Mid-east.

Any of several situations in Africa.

Our fucking economy.

I could go on, but then you know that, too.

Earth will be around for a couple more millennia...I'm positive of this.

Long after GM and the UAW are gone.

I'm sure of that, too.

So according to you j2, the future (distant) is not important? I agree we focus on our current problems but to be honest, in my eyes (and this is only my opinion, I await your bashing) its people like you who are the biggest detriment to mankind's evolution.

And yes, I too think the only way to reach out to the stars is to be able to download our consciousness into another container other than a biological body that can endure the harshness of space.

[mickstavros]

Earth will be around for a couple more millennia...I'm positive of this.

Earth may be around, but we won't.
Cockroaches will adapt after we die and rule the Earth.

[j2k4]

Couple of things I believe you might be aware of-

North Korea.

Iran and the rest of the Mid-east.

Any of several situations in Africa.

Our fucking economy.

I could go on, but then you know that, too.

Earth will be around for a couple more millennia...I'm positive of this.

Long after GM and the UAW are gone.

I'm sure of that, too.

So according to you j2, the future (distant) is not important? I agree we focus on our current problems but to be honest, in my eyes (and this is only my opinion, I await your bashing) its people like you who are the biggest detriment to mankind's evolution.

And yes, I too think the only way to reach out to the stars is to be able to download our consciousness into another container other than a biological body that can endure the harshness of space.

No bashing required - I merely choose to note the fact (as in the intervening post) that the rock we are living on will survive us, and we'd best work out the problems that bear on our situation before we take drastic measures to insure a safe future for the burgeoning cockroach population.

From a purely mathematical point-of-view, I don't think the odds for our survival here par up too well with Earth's life expectancy given the whims of nature, but I would prefer to consider mankind has a decent chance to play out the string without suffering a holocaust of his own manufacture.

Your last paragraph begs questions best entertained by fans of science-fiction, and that is not to bash, either - I just don't care to go there (so to speak).

So - do you feel you have been "bashed"?

[cpt_azad]

So according to you j2, the future (distant) is not important? I agree we focus on our current problems but to be honest, in my eyes (and this is only my opinion, I await your bashing) its people like you who are the biggest detriment to mankind's evolution.

And yes, I too think the only way to reach out to the stars is to be able to download our consciousness into another container other than a biological body that can endure the harshness of space.

No bashing required - I merely choose to note the fact (as in the intervening post) that the rock we are living on will survive us, and we'd best work out the problems that bear on our situation before we take drastic measures to insure a safe future for the burgeoning cockroach population.

From a purely mathematical point-of-view, I don't think the odds for our survival here par up too well with Earth's life expectancy given the whims of nature, but I would prefer to consider mankind has a decent chance to play out the string without suffering a holocaust of his own manufacture.

Your last paragraph begs questions best entertained by fans of science-fiction, and that is not to bash, either - I just don't care to go there (so to speak).

So - do you feel you have been "bashed"?

Not at all, I always admired your well thought out posts J2, its been awhile.

Sci-fi or not, its a possibility although it wont happen (if it ever does) for many many generations to come.

And I suppose when I said "dying planet" I might have been a little exaggerated, yes, Earth can easily survive us being here.

[MaxOverlord]

Hmmm.