Space Travel or World Peace?

Sometimes I wonder to myself whether there is a fundamental parallelism regulating macrocosmic and micrcosmic processes which share fundamental characteristics. For example, inner peace is essential for outer peace. People cannot be at peace with one another unless they first are at peace within themselves. More specifically, people need to be "mindful' of their experience, to study it, understand it, and see how their understanding applies in the minds of other selves they interacts with. This basic fact of how self knowledge is acquired enunciates how inextricably bound it is with other minds.

The world we experience - the social world - is incredibly complex, because it involves two different spheres of activity. There is the activity of what happens within - subjectively - and the experience of what is communicated without - intersubjective communication. Everyday, in every way, we humans - complex systems - influence each other in ways that set off myriad effects which in turn educe other effects. This is how intermeshed human selves are with one another. The culture we end up forming - we often take for granted - is a product that exists only because the minds which make it up sustain it's reality. Since a culture provides the "information" for how the system will work - essentially, social-emotional dynamics - changing the culture requires an inward switch of awareness. A change of being where the self is seen not merely from within - from the "I", but from without, as if, from the alien position of outer space.

The process I'm describing here, that is, the relationship between psychological and spiritual health and social and global harmony, I believe is intimately tied up with terrestrial knowledge and terrestrial science, and space knowledge and space sciences.

I'm not saying we shouldn't be allocating money to space exploration, but I do see space exploration as a "luxury" that we can certainly do without, when the planets ecosystem, the health of the planets inhabitants, is in such disarray. If the body politic can be looked at as an organism: the brain i.e the government, should allocate far more money to growth and reparation i.e. health, so that it can "Free up" the energy for more explorative outward behaviors. I do believe there is a relationship here within our own bodies - and it's 50 trillion cellular inhabitants - and the relationship between individual human "cells" and there relationship with one another.

Global consciousness represents a fundamental paradigm shift that radically transforms how we understand ourselves, each other, and our place in the universe. Major advancements in space technology may be dependent on a time period where human beings are more cooperatative; less money is spent on wasteful practices like defence, jails, and fighting diseases. More equality in wealth will be a consequence of a deeper spiritual connection between self and other. Energy wasted in celebrity gossip, reality TV, and all those other human vices we like to inculcate will be devoted to projects of scientific discovery.

Going to space requires encylopedias of knowledge. How human beings even function - and live - in space can itself be an entire area of study. Since the body works differently in different atmospheric conditions, we have to master how the body reacts in these environments. This is what the international space station is for.

Anyways, my view is, our sciences are still so primitive, and our state of awareness is still so primitive, that I believe the latter will not be fully developed, and human beings will not be fully developed, until our essential "self" - our body, our earth, and our sense of connection, is fully developed.

Travelling in space can be metaphorically likened to exploring the heavens. The self - the I - is a world, just like planet earth. Whereas mindful awareness, awareness of the flexibility of self, and the control that the self can exert in its own reality, can be compared to humans beings "taking off in rockets", and travelling the universe towards "other world", i.e., other identities, other states of being.

Perhaps the latter cannot be attained before the former is developed. Maybe the universe makes things difficult enough that only an enlightened and disciplined mind can escape the bounds of the planet it was born on.

World peace is impossible. Space travel is the only way humanity will ever survive. We could evolve beyond what our current violent, selfish, aggressive nature, but that would take way too long, and we don't have that much time.

Skadi_the_Evil_Elf
World peace is impossible. Space travel is the only way humanity will ever survive.

If humanity cant get along on their own planet, whats the point of survival? You would have the "chosen" elite douche bags hop in their ships and go find other worlds to destroy?

Tucket

If humanity cant get along on their own planet, whats the point of survival? You would have the "chosen" elite douche bags hop in their ships and go find other worlds to destroy?

Survival has always, throughout human history, been paramount to getting along. I do not really care if humanity survives or not. But, if we want to, we shall have to leave this planet.

The current elites won't be running the show forever. Nor are they really interested in space travel. The elites actually would not benefit from colonizing other worlds. Their grip on the planet depends on us all being earthbound. Populations are easier to control when limited in their movement.

Space travel, and colonization, on the other hand, can actually be liberating, and misfits on earth will be able to create their own working systems elsewhere, without the all seeing eye upon them.

World peace will come as soon as its more profitable that way. Remember, its not us that causes wars, its tptb!

It's hard to say just how long we humans have been around for, maybe a million years, give or take. At least human-like, but not yet Homo Sapien. Or Homo Sapien Sapien if you will.

I don't think there is a culture past or present that hasn't look at the cosmos and tried to fit together the bigger picture. People began to understand how the universe worked, and they began noticing patterns in the sky to help them navigate themselves in life. Maybe it was to get from one place to another, or when particular events were going to take place. They would find comfort in creating elaborate stories based on the stars in order to understand their place. Though it was usually pretty mythical.

Human technology has basically grown exponentially. And it will come to an end one day. If we are unable to venture outward. Although we may destroy each other before that day comes. Or maybe we will simply go extinct due to a cosmic collision, our sun going supernova, or some other type of extinction period similar theorized by scientists in the Earth's past. Or anything in between for that matter.

We're still rather young in our development. It's going to take a very long time before we are able to take on such a task such as space travel or total world peace. The only way we will truly change is when things hit rock bottom, and it has to hit very hard. And maybe even then we still won't learn. History has been repeating itself for sometime now. And it's hard to say if the cycle will ever break or not. But it has to, it's our only hope. Earth isn't going to around forever. Chances are this planet will be here for millions and millions of years to come. But we humans are not guaranteed to be around in the meantime.

Reaching out and even settling down in other worlds will be our greatest accomplishment. We would be basically cheating death and becoming the masters of our own fate. We will live on and be the universe experiencing itself. If it is even possible that is. If not, all of this work we have down will be for nothing. All of the knowledge and experience would just wither away. I don't know about you, but having that happen would seem like the greatest failure mankind could face. It would be our absolute and total endgame.

Good posting this one, leaves much to ponder about.....could we have been expelled from somewhere else in the universe because of our "seven deady sins" and perhaps have colonized Earth?

Fact is we have no idea how long we are even here. Throughout ancient Sumerian Mayan artifacts, there are indication that there was some interaction between some giant Humanoid's, perhaps Gods, and the dinosaurs.
The question is, were we here in those times? because if we were, that would set our history back as much as 57million years, or even longer. Sounds crazy and impossible, but hey, who really knows.
Here is an example, (www.smithsonianmag.com...)
I don't know if its a hoax but there are many other references for example, the Ecuador artifacts discovered not too long ago. There is a good presentation done on the subject by Claus Donna (seems very credible to me).

So to complete my ponder, if we could have enough advancement in technology, in the future we could build a time machine, warp time and see for ourselves. if that were at all possible. As I research seems like, according to Einstein theories and others, that time travel may very well be possible in the future. But unproven yet.


Thanks for starting this thread.

Skadi_the_Evil_Elf
World peace is impossible. Space travel is the only way humanity will ever survive. We could evolve beyond what our current violent, selfish, aggressive nature, but that would take way too long, and we don't have that much time.

If humanity do not learn the lesson then it is good that humanity are quarantined in this system since the current level of what collective humanity is should not be allowed to destroy more planets. To screw up the habitat on earth is enough.

it is easy to create a stable world. You just lock up and reprogram the insane ones instead of making them your leaders and following them and believing their manipulations. It is the insane ones running the asylum.

Wow here is now, a thread that can get some looking into....yet humans are more concerned with threads like a singing catholic nun, and some sexist dude that thinks women out power men.....where are we (humans) going?

reply to post by Astrocyte


I am going to have to go with what the science says we are technically capable of and therefor I have to throw my support fully behind space travel and here is why ...

The Original Project Orion (nuclear pulse detonation intra-solar system space ship) was a 4000 ton mass spaceship with 500 ton limit of extra cargo and 150 crew. [There are far larger versions designed as well.]

It was designed to be able to handle the hard cosmic radiation of deep space due to getting up to speed, so it could coast just like chemical rockets do and I have a solution to this written below, by detonating small nuclear shaped charge bombs a mere 40 meters aft of the the spaceship.

We can also add MORE radiation shielding by using some of the 500 ton cargo limit to add a gap filled with water, which acts as a multi useful fluid.

To solve the coasting problem, and hence floating around in zero G, we can simply use some of the 500 ton cargo limit to add some VASMIR thrusters (or similar constant propulsion methods)that can thrust at 1G and generate a pseudo gravitational environment for the astro/cosmo/taiko-nauts to live and work in.

To solve the nuclear fallout problem, for ground launches,.. well the spacecraft was designed to use nukes designed in the early to mid 1950's and we can simply employ the clean nuclear bomb designs designed since then.

Where to launch from? Any of the places that are already a nuclear hazard such as the nuclear testing grounds in Nevada USA or even concrete over Fukushima Japan to make a Space Port!

This ^^^ stuff limits the amount of biological damage associated with floating around in space in zero G for long periods of time with not much between oneself and the hard cosmic radiation and allows one to live a normal life.

Getting up off the planet in large numbers biologically diversifies and places our eggs in many baskets and therefor averts the risk imposed by sudden natural disaster on planet earth whether that be by large meteorite strike or by some other method like massive climate change etc.

BUT none of this will happen for two main reasons ... the nuclear bogey man and the fact that TPTB can't tax you in deep space!

World peace.....then maybe.....

We wouldn't really want to spread the way we are across the universe now would we.

Lets not be thought of as Evil Greys who are hostile to each other, a predator of other animals and a world destroyer.

It's no wonder we can't find any evidence elsewhere.........

They're all hiding.

Which brings me to the other point.

No species will want us up there the way we are so I would say trying to do so will leadoto a defensive response lol.

So Global Peace.
Pull up struggling nations and those in need of Aid.
Remembering aid is only a temporary measure if with the food, blankets, water and shelter you also send
Tools- so they can help themselves.
Knowledge- so they can learn to help themselves.

Keeping them surviving on handouts only benefits and profits those who have appointed themselves as the middleman.

De-clog the Ocean Conveyor Belt of its rubbish.....I meam our rubbish and you shall fix the climate.

The Ocean Conveyor Belt not only drives the sea currents but also drives the weather, the climate. Nearly all animals and life live because of the climate it lives in.
Lose the climate and you lose life. From the littlest to the largest from animals and mammals to humans.

Ocean Conveyor belt is as an artery. A clogged or restricted artery creates all sorts of problems.

I think Spiritual and Technological advancement would have to be balanced, go hand in hand through progression.
Perhaps it always was lopsided.
It seems to me that this world has seen many variations of progression.
The ancient civilizations were perhaps spiritually advanced and technological, but lack the war fighting spirit.
Our current society has a tremendous spirit for war and we are advancing technologically at an increased rate, but we are lacking in spiritual advancement, so in return we have ALMOST no regard for the planet.

IMHO, their needs to be a balance for our progression.
Space travel should never be considered a luxury, its a needed CRITERIA for the progression of mankind.
As we continue to develop, time will tell if we are FIT to survive or if our actions doom us as a species.

I have faith in Mankind. We are so preoccupied with the terrible events around the world that it would seem humanity has no hope..., but we can't just give up.
That kid who stops to help an old lady cross the street.
The man who gave out food an a few bucks to help the homeless.
That family who adopted a child from a distress upbringing.
That hero who gave his life to save a few folks from a burning building.
We have all the tools needed, we just have to expand on them.
So you see, of all the evils in the world can be reciprocal to all the greatness of the human heart.

We will walk, we will stumble, we will get back up, we will live, WE WILL PROGRESS.

This thread is sort of my attempt of a "panoramic" view of the state of sciences and the problems that exist socially, and scientifically.

I could have perhaps said it simpler. We humans do not merely cultivate one science, say, astrophysics, astronomy, etc, but many sciences at once.

This is all happening within a context. The context is: human civilization. As progress is being made in the space sciences, progress is also being made in the social sciences i.e. social neuroscience, sociology, traumatology, developmental psychology, epigenetics.

Our understanding of ourselves - at a scientific level - both as social beings, and biological organisms, is likely to lead to a more organized and enlightened civilization, as knowledge from the above sciences penetrate our institutions (schools, government).

While space sciences are undoubtedly fascinating, we are still nowhere close to achieving the goal of "leaving planet earth". Fact is, the only way to save ourselves is not to "leave the planet", but to go inward, cultivate mindfulness and self regulation, which in turn will promote more flexible social relationships.

Human beings are terrestrial organisms. The international space station is teaching us that we cannot stay in space for very long without our bodies literally falling apart. Bones dissolve (osteoporosis), muscles shrink, heart shrinks, veins constrict. We need to develop technologies that help us control these difficulties BEFORE we ever contemplate leaving the planet.

I'm by no means an expert in space sciences (or physics, chemistry, etc), but I do have sufficient knowledge of the above to know that social sciences will progress faster and change our institutions BEFORE we ever develop the means to locate another planet which can sustain human life, develop the means to go to that planet, and be able to sustain ourselves in that new world (which would likely require many back and forths).

Although the above picture may become a reality, I can't see how that will happen in the next 100 years. By that time, brain sciences and social sciences will have progressed far enough

This thread was designed with the intention of exploring a metaphysical relationship between human self knowledge - and the effect it has on the body politic - and our relationship with the universe beyond us. When humans become HUMANITY - an enlightened civilization which interacts as harmoniously as the 50 trillion cells of a healthy body - then, I believe, it would be appropriate that we live our "world" - the planet we were born on, and the universe beyond us becomes available for exploration. Not merely for the sake of "leaving" earth (hopefully by then we would have developed technologies and habits that support homeostasis within the biosphere), as if this planet were a lost cause, but simply to discover, and to explore.

Perhaps the universe makes reality complicated enough that human social relationships - and how we should understand ourselves, and one another - is a necessary precursor to exploration of space beyond our planet (or our own egotistical "worlds")