The Japanese drilled a hydrate well between Inuvik and Tuk when I went up there in spring 07. At the time I thought it was strange that the Japanese were drilling up there.
Deep Astronomy with a new video that gives us again perspective on space travel and where we stand today. I really enjoy his videos, soothing voice with grand space visuals.
__________________ Allskonar fyrir Aumingja!!
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One day we'll see a tonne of "earth" like planets but for now we'll just have to use simple mathematics and and say it's about a .999999999999% chance that there's another planet like earth out there.
One day we'll see a tonne of "earth" like planets but for now we'll just have to use simple mathematics and and say it's about a .999999999999% chance that there's another planet like earth out there.
One day we'll see a tonne of "earth" like planets but for now we'll just have to use simple mathematics and and say it's about a .999999999999% chance that there's another planet like earth out there.
I like the odds.
Does it really matter though? Even if we found a planet out there like Earth, what is the point? The human race probably won't survive long enough to have the technology to travel to it, communicate with it, or even get a close look at it. Given the rate we are filling the earth with people, our consuption of natural resources, we are headed for extinction pretty quickly, in the grand scheme of things. Unless by some miracle we figure out how to warp travel in the next hundred years or so, we're going to die staring at the sky. Heck I'd be surprized if we even see the day man lands on Mars, much less a planet in another solar system. Maybe I'm just missing the point.
Does it really matter though? Even if we found a planet out there like Earth, what is the point? The human race probably won't survive long enough to have the technology to travel to it, communicate with it, or even get a close look at it. Given the rate we are filling the earth with people, our consuption of natural resources, we are headed for extinction pretty quickly, in the grand scheme of things. Unless by some miracle we figure out how to warp travel in the next hundred years or so, we're going to die staring at the sky. Heck I'd be surprized if we even see the day man lands on Mars, much less a planet in another solar system. Maybe I'm just missing the point.
And thats why we need to develop effective space based weapons, so that we can explore strange worlds, seek out new lives and civilizations, and then exterminate them and take their planets.
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My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
And thats why we need to develop effective space based weapons, so that we can explore strange worlds, seek out new lives and civilizations, and then exterminate them and take their planets.
Oddly, at this very moment, a one Xxzzrbtzzyx just posted on FribbulusXaxPuck.com that they, for one, welcome their new, fleshy pink overlords.
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Does it really matter though? Even if we found a planet out there like Earth, what is the point? The human race probably won't survive long enough to have the technology to travel to it, communicate with it, or even get a close look at it. Given the rate we are filling the earth with people, our consuption of natural resources, we are headed for extinction pretty quickly, in the grand scheme of things. Unless by some miracle we figure out how to warp travel in the next hundred years or so, we're going to die staring at the sky. Heck I'd be surprized if we even see the day man lands on Mars, much less a planet in another solar system. Maybe I'm just missing the point.
Unfortunately it'll take something like near extinction before we'll be forced to start researching and developing the technology to do something productive in terms of space travel. People who say there are problems on Earth and we shouldn't even bother with manned space travel at all seem to me at least to be somewhat short sighted... It's like putting all your eggs in one basket. Mars, maybe in our lifetime if only the political will existed for the project to get restarted.
And thats why we need to develop effective space based weapons, so that we can explore strange worlds, seek out new lives and civilizations, and then exterminate them and take their planets.
We will probably have permanent human colonies on the moon within our lifetimes. Mars is ambitious - I don't think they have really worked out how to protect us from the radiation.
Civilization has always seemed to take a step forward, when a great leader comes along and puts people to work building something which captures the imagination and enthusiasm of the people e.g. the pyramids, Kennedy's effort to land on the moon, etc.
However, I agree it'll probably take some calamity, before someone can make that happen. And I think those of us who are capable of supporting such a feat, are just too comfortable at present.
Last edited by flamesfever; 10-21-2010 at 01:02 PM.
Unfortunately it'll take something like near extinction before we'll be forced to start researching and developing the technology to do something productive in terms of space travel. People who say there are problems on Earth and we shouldn't even bother with manned space travel at all seem to me at least to be somewhat short sighted... It's like putting all your eggs in one basket. Mars, maybe in our lifetime if only the political will existed for the project to get restarted.
The problem with near extinction is who is left to ramp up any sort of space travel scenario. It would take massive resources, which will be secondary to things like food, and shelter. I'm not saying we shouldn't bother, but it does seem futile. But then who knows, maybe warp technology is only years away.........
I'm more pessimistic, the resources and engineering to support colonies on the moon or Mars are far off, and if the goal is to get the eggs out of one basket, putting up a colony that is completely dependent on Earth for survival doesn't accomplish that, it just makes the current basket even harder to support.
We can hardly keep the ISS going.
If we want to be able to colonize space, first we're going to need robotic technology FAR better than what we have. When we can build a robot factory that can go out and mine an asteroid for resources by itself (including stuff necessary to support life like oxygen and water and such), I think we're wasting our time trying to establish lunar or Mars colonies.
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I'm more pessimistic, the resources and engineering to support colonies on the moon or Mars are far off, and if the goal is to get the eggs out of one basket, putting up a colony that is completely dependent on Earth for survival doesn't accomplish that, it just makes the current basket even harder to support.
We can hardly keep the ISS going.
If we want to be able to colonize space, first we're going to need robotic technology FAR better than what we have. When we can build a robot factory that can go out and mine an asteroid for resources by itself (including stuff necessary to support life like oxygen and water and such), I think we're wasting our time trying to establish lunar or Mars colonies.
That's a good point, however isn't the establishment of a colony on the Moon a first step required to launch manned space crafts into far outer space?
Last edited by flamesfever; 10-21-2010 at 11:45 AM.
Can't think of why we'd need a moon colony to get further out into space. It might help if that colony's task was to mine, process, and produce natural resources for creating and/or stocking the ships to get further out though.
