Let's say that we will have the technology in 50 - 100 years to travel from star to star (a general estimation). What things should we bring into space (as in the expansion of the human race)?

What political structure?
What law and order?
Should a monetary system be included or something else instead?
Should the "new world" resemble this world in anyway at all?
Will our human rights translate well or should we start over?

I ask these questions simply because I look at the news each and every day and realize how much we have messed up this world of ours, and I seriously wonder if we will ever be successful in expanding our kind to the stars. If we do succeed before we blow ourselves up or poison our environment beyond repair then I believe that we should be giving this issue some serious thought NOW! Clearly money will be the single most important factor in getting our kind off this rock but I wonder if we are even ready for this. Perhaps my questions are too simple or seem strange but i'm trying to imagine (and hope) that we can evolve in ways that are not technical in nature.

Your thoughts?

In any political structure you're going to have those with the most power enforcing their will on everyone else. So, with pride and enough time, this "new world" will resemble the current one.

A monetary system could start as bartering. Or just exchanging resources. But eventually an "IOU" will show up and people will start exchanging them. And then you'll get our current monetary system.

Should it resemble our current world? Maybe not. But because of the nature of intelligent species as we know it, it's inevitable.

Hopefully, evolution will mold human nature to a level of allowing for a utopia

[edit on 7/28/2004 by Rev_Godslapper]

good points good points

let me ask this what do the grey , the et's , aliens how what ever we want to call them, Need dollars or Euro's for?

they don't use dollars or Euro's IF they use curency like us.

lets go the startrek way and don't use money no more if we have a warp or a dimensionshift propulsion system.

Interesting points Mark.
So perhaps it's better if we EXPECT to make contact at some point? This may be the excuse that the military will use to make it a national security issue and maintain control from the start at least. We cannot however ignore the possibility of contact as we expand that's for sure.

Thanks Fred. Sagan truly had a great mind; Broca's Brain is still a good read to this day. While I agree with you in respect to the Golden Record having an international flavor, it still was proposed by NASA.

NASA reminds me somewhat of the Encyclopedists in Isaac Asimov's Foundation novels, in that they care about science and little else. While NASA will hopefully provide the technology that we need I am very sure there will be political pressures or influences that are obvious or not.

This question made me think about the Europeans coming to America with a native civilization already intact. Whoever had the numbers and more advanced weaponry won out. I hate to think of it in those terms, but there really might not be much choice for the common man to make regarding what goes and what stays. Historically speaking from a earthling/human viewpoint, it hasn't gone well for one side or the other when somebody new comes on the scene. Either the visitors get clobbered or the people who are already there do. I hope we'll handle our spread into space better than we've handled it here throughout history.

Odd as it sounds, I watched something like this on South Park last night. The ethiopians found a wonderful planet to relocate too. Unfortunately some missionaries were also inadvertently led there as well. It's just a cartoon and purely entertainment, but it did make me think about the effect of religion's relentless pursuit of all beings. Will missionaries go? Depending on who's running things at that point, it might well happen. Will it ruin things or create the same hardships as here on earth? Will religious groups decline to "reach out" to alien races, should we encounter them? Money is certainly a curiosity, but I'm even more interested in how humans will handle spreading their religious beliefs.

Hey Dakuma, good questions there. In my opinion, the beginning of colonization will probably set the bar for a while. In my view, it can go three ways. Military, scientific, or commercial or a combination of the three with a dominating influence by one over the others. At this point, its tough to tell. I'd say it will begin as scientific and slowly become commercial in nature meaning resort type trips as well as mineral mining. I'm not sure where military will fit in but they always find a niche. As for politics, whether at our current national level or more likely at the interpersonal professional level, its bound to play a part. By that I mean, be nice to the guy who decides things or you're likely going to suffer. Thats the local level.

In contrast to what some have thought, I would say money or wealth in some form will be , as always, the biggest factor. It would be nice to think we could escape greed by moving to the moon or space station but I think its fantasy at best.

Actually the Record was proposed By Carl and then girl friend, later 3rd wife Ann Druyan. Nasa went along with it for the publicity value.

I doubt very much if propulsion in just 100 years will allow us to travel much more that 1/2 light speed. Even at 10 times LS it will take 100's of years to reach most of the stars in our quadrant. Warping or folding space is the best bet for rapid travel, and we are 1,000's of years from that technology.

Knowing humans as I do, I doubt they can keep from destroying the planet before such technology is invented.

[edit on 30-7-2004 by drbil]