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?

[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?

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.