Future of the Human Race

[Guest Chris_Lander]

I was in one of my star gazing modes recently and was thinking will humans ever expand into the solar system and hence into the wider galaxy?

Do you think we can terraform planets (namely mars) and moons (such as Europa) in our solar system, or do you think human civilisation is doomed to die on this planet.

If the former is true, than i am envious of the fact i will not be able to explore this new frontier in my lifetime.

Does anyone feel the same as myself, or do you think i should get back to working on my prototype warp engine!

[Chris Perkins 228]

Far out Chris. I wonder if you'll actually register on this forum in my lifetime!

I hope we have a good few hundred years (at least.... probably thousands if we can just behave) before we wipe out the planet. I very much doubt there would not be permanant human colonies on other planets by then.

[Master Jmd 82]

We will have to escape eventually, because stars usually live for 10 billion years, and according to N.A.S.A the sun only has 5 billion years left, and that is not really that long away seeing as we have been here for 5 billion years.

And we will have to escape atleast 1000 years before the sun explodes, because when a star explodes it creates a blackhole, and unless we can create a super rocket engine then we would never be able to pull away far enough from the milky way.

Planets can be terraformed, but it would take about 90 years to terraform mars, and about 200 years to terraform Europa, Europa would be hard because it is constantly moving unlike mars which only moves one orbit in about 588 days.

Do not worry, we will be long dead before we even take foot on saturn, let alone another galaxy. Maybe you should let future generations do the warp engine bit, unless you are desperate...

i gather you have played on ferion?

[Guest Guest]

You raise some interesting points Master J M D, but you forget our sun is only a medium sized star and will be unlikely to create a black hole when in the process of destruction.

More so, we will have to leave this planet millions of years before the sun dimishes its flame, as its 'red giant' phase will singe all traces of life away from this planet, even single celled organisms (the building blocks of life).

Terraforming mars would take many centuries in order to be fit for human habitation, as we need to change the whole atmospheric makeup of the planet, in turn preventing it losing its atmosphere again (as what likely happened in the past).

Rocket power on the other hand would be insufficent to power our expansion into the galaxy. Something similar to warp poweris needed, which despite being possible according to the laws of physics, would in turn need the energy output of a single star. Solar sails on the other hand would be more than adeqate for local 'planetary trips'.

[Chris Perkins 228]

And even if we could colonise Mars we'd be detroyed in the 'red giant' phase on Mars too I suspect.

Thankyou for your input Dr Spock type mystery guest.

[Master Jmd 82]

And even if we could colonise Mars we'd be detroyed in the 'red giant' phase on Mars too I suspect.

yes, the only planet that would have any kind of chance of 'surviving' is pluto, but that would loose its orbit, and could (maybe) hook onto another star, but it would probably become a satellite (moon) for another planet, or just crash...

[Guest Guest]

Dr. Spock lol

I have been interested in matters relating to planetery exploration since i was about 8 years old, the internet has since help improve my knowledge about this subject area.

BTW the Red Giant phase of the sun would take longer to take effect on Mars and Europa than the earth, as they are father away.

However if we increase the temperature of mars by man-made means then surely the additional heat given by the red giant would create more problems

for planetry equilabrium.

[Master Jmd 82]

anyhow, it would still be useless settling mars...i think it is best not to think that far ahead of ourselves, otherwise we just end up argueing, or going round in circles...

...our worst fear/problem is; 1• getting about 20 billion people out of earth...and 2• getting into a space war with another 'alien race'...not nice!

[Guest Chris_Lander]

Guest, i think you are getting a bit too far ahead of yourself regarding mars, as we have billions of year of technological advancement to occur between then and now (assuming the human race survives).

Indeed, if the human race is to survive we must implant our 'seed' across the galaxy and whos knows even across the universe.

[Master Jmd 82]

intergalactic coins...yummy...

The one most scaryest thing is: are we alone?

[Chris Perkins 228]

Yes, I wonder what the aliens collect, or if somehow they have any earth coins in there collections....For that matter, perhaps there are humans with aliens coins in there collections.

[Sylvester 15]

Well taking the pessemistic route, humans would only destroy another planet if they got on one, so i kinda hope they never do.

Secondly i don't think we should be worrying about the sun dying as it's a long way off. Now if reincarnation is what really happens after death, then you'd better be worried, in a few million life times we'll be sat here on the future version of predecimal.com collecting those ancient euro coins from 2179, (except for Oli who'll have come back as a tree)...

I don't think our solar system can offer us much hope, but we can aim to find out about next doors, afterall the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

Anyhow i've got things to do can't sit here contemplating astronomy all day.

[william 0]

It's a nice idea, but if it did happen, we wouldn't be around to see it (except Oli who'll have come back as a tree ). Also, we have enough problems on earth right now to be worrying about space

[Chris Perkins 228]

It's a form of escapism, from all the problems on Earth at the moment.

[william 0]

oops!

[Guest Dave]

Future Space exploration is always a form of escapsim, more so are you saying that all NASA scientists and astrologists are escapsists. I suppose chris landers comments are just fruititions of a thoughtful mind.

Dave

[Sylvester 15]

Future Space exploration is always a form of escapsim, more so are you saying that all NASA scientists and astrologists are escapsists. I suppose chris landers comments are just fruititions of a thoughtful mind.

Dave

You know Dave you could turn Chris' argument on its head and say that focusing on Earth's problems is a way of escaping the bigger picture of the universe, and the fact that none of us really understands it, regardless of how many scientists write books stating one thing, there's always another scientist that comes along and disses everything the previous generation held true.

[Sylvester 15]

it's alot easier to focus on anything from the Iraq situation, to how long the roadworks at the end of the street have been there though, is it not?

[Chris Perkins 228]

I didn't mean to imply that it was just escapism, always. Thoughts of space and the universe are very interesting, and pretty much everyone thinks about that at some point.

You cannot say Sylvester, that focusing on the small Earth is escapism from thinking about the big picture. We live on the Earth, and for us in day to day life, it might as well be all that exists.

[Sylvester 15]

You cannot say Sylvester, that focusing on the small Earth is escapism from thinking about the big picture. We live on the Earth, and for us in day to day life, it might as well be all that exists.

I was just looking at it from a philosophical point of view.

[Emperor Oli 0]

except Oli who'll have come back as a tree 

???

[Sylvester 15]

except Oli who'll have come back as a tree 

???

reincarnation Oli, some people believe when you die you are reborn. Not necessarily as a human being though, sometimes as another species, the classic example is the tree.

[william 0]

Maybe Oli will come back as his avator instead...

[Emperor Oli 0]

Yes, I know about reincarnation but I was just puzzled as to why I would be a tree.....

[Emperor Oli 0]

Does anybody believe in reincarnation? I thinkit's a load of crap but then again I'm a very cynical person