Universal Humanity: Evolving Beyond Earth for Survival

[Monocerotis]

Humans today are in a race for their very survival.

It is essential that each generation work towards it's full potential as to aid the development of space travel and colonization.

It's in our DNA, our primary function is to survive.

So at some point that will become the absolute driving force which leads to developing methods to travel in space at beyond light speed speeds to "spread our seed".

It all started on Earth and we evolved over time and now humanity is that leap from Earth to another planet and at that point there may be a major shift in evolution and those shifts will grow and intensify as we further colonize the universe.

Think about it eh ?

 

[russ_watters]

Huh?

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

Since I think any discussion along these lines will get to this anyway I'd like to add the question: If humans eventually colonize space/other planets what do you think would be the most likely primary driver that will get us there? Necessity, discovery, industry, or novelty?

I think a close call between industry and discovery. I think that politics and technology could flip it either way but I lean towards industry.

 

[Monocerotis]

necessity without doubt

both because humanity for the most part is made up of many stupid people, and that necessity is the mother of invention.

 

[rootX]

developing methods to travel in space at beyond light speed

when that would happen?

 

[Redd]

the stars were not meant for man.

 

[Monocerotis]

the stars were not meant for man.

You give up before you try, you are failure.

 

[Sorry!]

Since I think any discussion along these lines will get to this anyway I'd like to add the question: If humans eventually colonize space/other planets what do you think would be the most likely primary driver that will get us there? Necessity, discovery, industry, or novelty?

I think a close call between industry and discovery. I think that politics and technology could flip it either way but I lean towards industry.

Hmm, this is an interesting question that I've never given thought about before... I doubt that if the time rises that it is necessary that humans colonize somewhere in space that we will be able to do it in a time frame that would be considered 'necessary to complete'... if you get what I'm saying.

I'm thinking industry mixed in with discovery will be the biggest reasons why we would colonize any part of space. I don't see why they can't go hand-in-hand.

 

[tmyer2107]

Since I think any discussion along these lines will get to this anyway I'd like to add the question: If humans eventually colonize space/other planets what do you think would be the most likely primary driver that will get us there? Necessity, discovery, industry, or novelty?

I think a close call between industry and discovery. I think that politics and technology could flip it either way but I lean towards industry.

This is a good question. I think the technology that is required to colonize space will come before the absolute necessity to do so that rules out necessity. I think the initial leap will come from pure discovery but after that industry will take over and be the primary driver with discovery coming in a close second.

 

[Pattonias]

Industry without a doubt. Once we have the practically limitless resources of space at our disposal I think industry will drive our expansion. Once we have a foothold, it will become cheaper and cheaper for smaller groups of people to take advantage of the resources to be harvested in the solar system. I imagine that once a stable power source is mass produced in space, a "gold rush" or sorts of will take place on the asteroid belts. I think that governments will struggle to regulate this expansion.

 

[Astronuc]

Hmm, this is an interesting question that I've never given thought about before... I doubt that if the time rises that it is necessary that humans colonize somewhere in space that we will be able to do it in a time frame that would be considered 'necessary to complete'... if you get what I'm saying.

I'm thinking industry mixed in with discovery will be the biggest reasons why we would colonize any part of space. I don't see why they can't go hand-in-hand.

Cost is an impediment. To colonize another planet - Mars most likely - would cost 100's of $billions. Who puts up the money and how is the return on investment paid?

Other than Mars (and perhaps the moon, which doesn't get humanity very far), there is no comparable place nearby.

Keep looking at the list of exoplanets with respect to type of star, size of planet (gravity), composition of planet, nominal temperature of planet, distance to planet, . . . .

After traveling in space for centuries or millenia, unless there is some artificial gravity, the human structure would evolve into something that cannot support itself in a gravitational field, and such folks would require some form of exoskeleton. Also, all waste would have to be recycled.

Interstellar travel is not trivial - except in science fiction.

 

[Redd]

You give up before you try, you are failure.

I agree :)

I was just quoting Clarke because I love the book "Childhood's End". (spoilers)

It shows man doing some slight terraforming,

but not reaching the stars until they evolve to a higher, hive-overmind society

under the influence of an evolutionarily cul-de-sacced alien race.

I don't think is to be taken immediately as Clarke's "message", although it is an interesting idea,

and a neat quote to look smart with.