Five reasons why humans can't colonize space

a reply to: olaru12

Thanks olaru.

a reply to: schuyler

I think we'll have to agree to disagree.

a reply to: ArMaP

Thanks ArMaP.

Interesting idea.

Where do you get the materials to be used in the on board factory?

a reply to: blackcrowe

It's not space through its space-time that's the issue really.

Master space-time and any journey through such could be almost instantaneous to any point in our universe hence somewhat negate the problems associated with 100/1000 year generation ships and the like.

a reply to: andy06shake

Thanks andy06shake.

That is one solution.

Not the OP.

But i agree. It will have to be something along those lines.

a reply to: blackcrowe

They would need to load the materials onto the ship, but they could also recycle them, so they wouldn't need that much raw materials.

a reply to: ArMaP

Cool.

Very interesting point.

Just need a bigger ship.

But.

a reply to: blackcrowe

How do you think ships in the 15th century were? They had people that knew how to rebuild the ship, people that knew how to cut and treat the wood to rebuild the ship, people that knew how to make the ropes, people that knew how to make and repair sails, etc. For long voyages they also had, sometimes, some chickens and goats to have eggs and milk.

That's why we have a saying in Portugal: "quem vai ao mar avia-se em terra", which translates into something like "those that go to the sea get their supplies on land", meaning that those that go to the unknown must be well prepared.

a reply to: blackcrowe

Hollowed out Asteroids could facilitate production of ships of almost any desired size, our star system is full of Asteroids, especially so between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.

They are also most lightly loaded with most of the raw materials we would require.

Technically we already have a large generation ship traveling throughout the universe, we just call her Earth.

to me, it just seems rather arrogant to think that we have the right to go and start claiming other planets for colonization though. as if we are so all knowing and all wise that we would most certainly recognized any life that may be on that planet, and know for sure it wasn't already occupied by some kind of intelligent life form, maybe far more intelligent than us even, that might not be willing to give their home to us??

a reply to: dawnstar

To keep all our eggs in the one basket ensures humanity will at some point go the way the dinosaurs did.

Stands to reason that we would wish to get off this rock and expand our civilization.

Kind of what humans do really, that being exploring, adapting, and overcoming obstacles.

I think by the time we even consider visiting a nearby system we'll be sprawled about our own solar system. Most of those problems will be solved if not all of them.

It's 3D sailing... You don't go off exploring unless your well prepared and you never go visiting places without a destination in mind, keeping with the nautical theme, we'll have most likely received our "land finding" birds.

Once we truly penetrate the outer solar system we've pretty much got all the mass around the Sun at our disposal, think behemoth telescopes off Saturn and mining bases everywhere. AI commanding drones and constantly launching resources, packages and scouts out into space... Let's not forget that by then the solar system will be our playground.

That's a lot of space to do ridiculous and potentially irresponsible stuff, all in the name of discovery of course.

Go big or go home.. I imagine our ships would be huge and why not? We could collect supplies along the way or even have the ship get up to speed around the solar system whilst we "shoot" resource missiles at it a bit like air to air refueling. We might even develop fusion reactors and new propulsion methods.

We might not even need go...

I'll leave it at that and just say as is the stars are just a dream, for now. But it's an exciting time to be alive and I'm hoping for Mars in my lifetime and the next generation hoping for the outer solar system.

We're breaking free

a reply to: RAY1990

"I think by the time we even consider visiting a nearby system we'll be sprawled about our own solar system."

Well we may find it rather difficult, nevermind counterproductive and not exactly cost effective to build starships at the bottom of the gravity well, which is pretty much where Earth is located system wise.

By the time we are ready to attempt a journey to the next star we will most lightly have colonized our own system via Ion propulsion vessels.

Ok , "Imagine if you will..."(Prof Carl Sagan)

We find a planet with our present technology that "may sustain life" . At this time , that theory is based on the color prism of a shadow as it passes in front of a star on a 4x4 pixel array. Hell , we had better graphics output on an 8-bit Commodore 64 on a RF switch attached to a CRT television...

So , we send a ship designed to withstand trillions and trillions of miles of space based on the above. What happens when it reaches the destination just to realize that it is a blank , barren world with a mixture of poisonous gases that just happens to project in the blue spectrum ?

Now , we have a disaster in the making. There is little chance of finding another planet nearby for migration to , and no chance of a trip back to Earth.I.E. there are no do-overs.

1 Humans are not evolved for long term space travel. Where exposure from radiation, loss of muscle and loss of bone density are important factors to consider. Amongst others. Please see links www.nasa.gov... Or www.esa.int...

This is both a technological and biological engineering question.

We can make ourselves more resistant to radiation and we can create better shielding for our ships.

2 The speed of light is a major issue for human space colonization especially outside our solar system.

In cosmic terms, we could colonize the galaxy within a few million years traveling at just 5% of the speed of light, provided we survive that long as a species, it isn't out of the realm of possibility to be able to colonize the galaxy, especially if we sent out drones ahead of us to build the infrastructure we would need to live in when we get to where we're going. The concept of the Von Neuman self-replicating probe comes to mind, but a far more capable system that builds habitats and looks for resources, while also making judgements as to suitability for human life, and whether life already exists in that system.

But. All 7 planets in the system are tidally locked. So. Without a nuclear reaction happening like in Earth's core. And not rotating on it's axis. I don't think it will have an Earth like magnetosphere. But may have a magnetic field. Although it still could have a habitable zone where a stable temperature band around the planet might have liquid water.

We could use localized magnetic field generators in order to protect ourselves from stellar winds and storms/flares in the places we intend to colonize. This concept has been considered quite a bit, especially since localized magnetic fields have been found on Mars and some may be ideally positioned for base/initial colony locations.

3 Earth has very good natural protection and, is the best protected planet in our solar system. Maybe our galaxy and possibly the entire universe.

Earth is very well naturally protected. While the conditions of Earth's magnetosphere and other factors are, at least to us, necessary for the course of evolution on Earth, it does not mean that those conditions are required for the continued existence and evolution on other worlds.

Water is surprisingly common in our solar system and likely in the galaxy and beyond.

And humans populate only 3% of land. And they're scattered around the globe. The chances of human extinction from an impact event are not as big as maybe we are lead to believe.

This is absolutely not how it works. To wit:



Here's a place where you can mathematically see how destructive an asteroid impact can be.

Earth Impact Effects Program - Imperial College London/Purdue University

The truth is, it may not matter where on Earth you are if we are hit by something big enough. we don't even have to be hit some something as large as what the Discovery simulation suggests for it to be a global cataclysm.

They are a threat, and because they are a threat it stands to reason that we should make plans to enhance our chances of survival as a species. Colonization of space is essential to that end.

4 Sustainability. Feeding humans in space is a real problem. Although space food is meant to be good. Can last for up to 8 years. A long journey is going to require food to be grown on board the ship. And then on the target planet.

This is why the fear mongering and pseudoscience conspiracy garbage BS surrounding GM Foods is so infuriating. THERE'S YOUR ANSWER PEOPLE!

GMO s are safe, they are good, and they can be engineered, like us, to thrive in the harsh environments awaiting us in the cosmos.

GM Foods will likely be the only crops grown elsewhere in the solar system for the purposes of sustaining a population.

In fact the colonization of space will be impossible without genetic modification IN LABS using modern scary technologies OOOhhhooooHHHOoooooHHHHoohhh:

GMO seeds could be critical for extended space travel, colonization

Biosphere 2 relied on conventional agricultural techniques among other issues that would not have fared well. The failure of that experiment is what taught us that we need to adapt ourselves and our food to our environment instead of trying to force existing ecology into an alien environment.

Space colonization is quite possible and much of it we can do with current technology. While there are many challenges, there is also a LOT of research addressing them. I remain optimistic.

a reply to: watchitburn

Once a Sophisticated A.I. Machine is Created and Evolves , it could conceivably Protect Human Life from the adverse effects of Space Travel . It could also be the Vanguard of Space Exploration ahead of Human Colonization of Mars and Beyond.....

originally posted by: watchitburn
a reply to: blackcrowe


Yet.

All you have listed are just challenges, some of which we already have solutions for. It's just a matter of time.

No challenges here.A neutral dimension field solves all of these problems....its simple simon...space is no different in principal than being underwater....dimensionally speaking of course....why do you think UFOs can fly underwater in the air in space and through all dimensions....they form a bubble that protects us and we slip through dimensions this way ...tis simple.

originally posted by: andy06shake
a reply to: RAY1990

"I think by the time we even consider visiting a nearby system we'll be sprawled about our own solar system."

Well we may find it rather difficult, nevermind counterproductive and not exactly cost effective to build starships at the bottom of the gravity well, which is pretty much where Earth is located system wise.

By the time we are ready to attempt a journey to the next star we will most lightly have colonized our own system via Ion propulsion vessels.

Or...we are a part of a Greater Universal Humanity that has ALREADY spread through the Universe...and TPTB here on Earth have suppressed this knowledge from the masses....just saying.

originally posted by: olaru12
It's been over 40 years since we were on the moon. We have had the technology for a long time to establish a moon base for a quest of other planets.

There is a reason we don't have a moon base. There is a reason we are stuck on this prison planet.

The reason is simple no one has figured out how to make money going to the moon. As soon as someone comes up with a profit model that works there will be all kinds of people on the moon.

a reply to: andy06shake

Exactly ! We just have to mimic same conditions to space travelling, all we need is necessary technology.