Mankind has 200 years left...

endfire79 · February 25, 2015, 03:21:37 PM

According to Stephen Hawking:

http://www.space.com/8924-stephen-hawking-humanity-won-survive-leaving-earth.html

MetalDog · February 25, 2015, 03:40:07 PM

I am a HUGE proponent of that exact thing!! I've said it for several years now, we need to move into space! Baby steps, the moon first, then Mars. Then the asteroid belt and figure out from there how to go further.

endfire79 · February 25, 2015, 03:45:34 PM

Gusington · February 25, 2015, 08:20:52 PM

Isn't there a private Dutch program attempting to send a group of people to Mars right now?

bbmike · February 25, 2015, 08:46:04 PM

Quote from: Gusington on February 25, 2015, 08:20:52 PM
Isn't there a private Dutch program attempting to send a group of people to Mars right now?

Even if true, that has disaster written all over it.

W8taminute · February 25, 2015, 08:57:49 PM

He's being very generous giving us 200 years. I'm betting we've got much shorter time than that given the horrible mess that's brewing in the world these days.

MetalDog · February 25, 2015, 09:19:51 PM

I'm of the same belief as my friend W8. If it's going to work, this shit needs to be getting started, NOW!

Staggerwing · February 25, 2015, 09:26:29 PM

Quote from: MetalDog on February 25, 2015, 09:19:51 PM
I'm of the same belief as my friend W8. If it's going to work, this shit needs to be getting started, NOW!

Are there credible studies that establish guidelines as to the minimum breeding population needed to sustain a healthy human presence beyond the Earth, whether at an orbit-station, moon base, Mars colony, or beyond?

LongBlade · February 25, 2015, 09:35:08 PM

There have been predictions that "the end is nigh" since we've had people to predict.

Smart as Hawking is I would bet against him. Might things get ugly? Sure.

Extinction? No way.

That doesn't mean we should be satisfied with the way things are going, but I'm not worried about our fate in two centuries.

Gusington · February 25, 2015, 09:46:17 PM

I think humans are like roaches...you'll never be able to wipe all of us out.

Steelgrave · February 25, 2015, 09:59:37 PM

I just finished reading a really good sci-fi series called "The Human Reach". Without giving away any major spoilers, mankind wasn't motivated to colonize other worlds until a very small asteroid struck Earth near Australia. In later years the asteroid strike, despite the loss of life it caused, was referred to as "The Blessing" because it made mankind take seriously our vulnerability as a species and sent us into space in a big way.

All too often nothing happens until our backs are against the wall, the clock is down to a few seconds, and disaster seems inevitable. Then we show what really innovative bastards we are. It would be nice if, for once, we did something before the end was truly nigh.

MetalDog · February 25, 2015, 10:12:30 PM

Quote from: Steelgrave on February 25, 2015, 09:59:37 PM
I just finished reading a really good sci-fi series called "The Human Reach". Without giving away any major spoilers, mankind wasn't motivated to colonize other worlds until a very small asteroid struck Earth near Australia. In later years the asteroid strike, despite the loss of life it caused, was referred to as "The Blessing" because it made mankind take seriously our vulnerability as a species and sent us into space in a big way.

All too often nothing happens until our backs are against the wall, the clock is down to a few seconds, and disaster seems inevitable. Then we show what really innovative bastards we are. It would be nice if, for once, we did something before the end was truly nigh.

YES! THIS! It's our inability to see that we are down to those last precious seconds that makes a move in to space needed RIGHT NOW! 200 hundred years may BE the last few seconds. And if that's true, then the structure we put in place now will make us ready for then. None of what gets us out there is going to be a)cheap, b)easy or c)popular. The baby steps we are going to have to take will require LOADS of time and capital. If I was prone to wishing, I would wish the people of the world would realize the one-ness of purpose it will take and put aside our prejudice and hatred. We can bring them in to space with us for all I care, jut GET CRACK-A-LACKIN'!!!

GDS_Starfury · February 25, 2015, 11:10:33 PM

Quote from: Gusington on February 25, 2015, 08:20:52 PM
Isn't there a private Dutch program attempting to send a group of people to Mars right now?

pot heads in space.... what could go wrong?

GDS_Starfury · February 25, 2015, 11:11:57 PM

Quote from: Steelgrave on February 25, 2015, 09:59:37 PM
All too often nothing happens until our backs are against the wall, the clock is down to a few seconds, and disaster seems inevitable. Then we show what really innovative bastards we are. It would be nice if, for once, we did something before the end was truly nigh.

the problem is we mostly all have that experience of fobbing off a semester of study until the weekend before finals and nailing them.

LongBlade · February 25, 2015, 11:30:03 PM

Quote from: GDS_Starfury on February 25, 2015, 11:11:57 PM
Quote from: Steelgrave on February 25, 2015, 09:59:37 PM
All too often nothing happens until our backs are against the wall, the clock is down to a few seconds, and disaster seems inevitable. Then we show what really innovative bastards we are. It would be nice if, for once, we did something before the end was truly nigh.

the problem is we mostly all have that experience of fobbing off a semester of study until the weekend before finals and nailing them.

Some of us have vision - as proven here.

The problem is that, in evolutionary terms, the few of us who recognize the problem aren't necessarily able to overcome it as individuals (as would be the case in "normal" evolution). The resources needed to go to the mood exceed the ability of 50 or 100 or 1000 of us.

The good news? If we survive to such a point those of us with foresight are most likely to survive.