The endless thread on Space Colonization

[Loppan Torkel]

We and any species are naturally programmed to worry about our offspring, not about the species conservation, not directly at least. That comes as an indirect consequence. So i doubt most people would care that much about the far future of humanity or the survival of some stranger they wont ever meet.

Just because then?

Link to video.

 

[Tarquelne]

I don't really care about 'species'. I care about individuals.

The last surviving individual will feel really bad because there's no one to take care of his hyper-rat when he's gone. If there were interstellar colonies with travel times within the projected lifetime of his hyper-rat's hyper-sleep chamber, he could at least hope.

Checkmate.


How about fear as a motivation?

If you accept that there is life elsewhere, then there may be intelligent life elsewhere. If there's intelligent life elsewhere it might be hostile. If there's intelligent life elsewhere it might spread to the stars even without any economic benefit, because it's hostile, paranoid, or simply perverse.

Therefore we should spread to the stars and grab resources before some hostile, paranoid and perverse species does it.

 

[uppi]

Some moths ago i read about a new laser device the size of a PC capable of creating positrons when shot at heavy atoms. So not need for huge particle accelerators anymore, at least for positrons. Dont know if it could become useful for propulsion though. Maybe indirectly.

Positron production is not the problem. That can be quite efficient. Antiproton production is the inefficient part, because we cannot prevent all kinds of other stuff to be created in the process. And unless we find some way to do that, it will remain inefficient.

 

[Thorgalaeg]

How about fear as a motivation?

If you accept that there is life elsewhere, then there may be intelligent life elsewhere. If there's intelligent life elsewhere it might be hostile. If there's intelligent life elsewhere it might spread to the stars even without any economic benefit, because it's hostile, paranoid, or simply perverse.

Therefore we should spread to the stars and grab resources before some hostile, paranoid and perverse species does it.

Mr. President, we must not allow... a mine shaft gap!


Link to video.

 

[Borachio]

Peter Sellers. He's good, isn't he?

 

[El_Machinae]

The last surviving individual will feel really bad because there's no one to take care of his hyper-rat when he's gone. If there were interstellar colonies with travel times within the projected lifetime of his hyper-rat's hyper-sleep chamber, he could at least hope.

Yes, I find lifeboat scenarios to be reasonable.

If you accept that there is life elsewhere, then there may be intelligent life elsewhere. If there's intelligent life elsewhere it might be hostile. If there's intelligent life elsewhere it might spread to the stars even without any economic benefit, because it's hostile, paranoid, or simply perverse.

Therefore we should spread to the stars and grab resources before some hostile, paranoid and perverse species does it.

I accept this logic, but I'd think that 'sending robots' would still be the superior strategy. Sol would get much richer, much faster, if there was a mechanism to send resources back to us. And, there's always the Berzerker option, instead of just other colonies.

 

[Kyriakos]

Peter Sellers. He's good, isn't he?

He likely was quite depressed, though. Recall his film with the El' Orens protagonist?

 

[Tarquelne]

I accept this logic, but I'd think that 'sending robots' would still be the superior strategy. ... And, there's always the Berzerker option, instead of just other colonies.

Actual colonies would form a population base to produce reality TV shows.

This is assuming, of course, we'd still need people to create reality TV shows. If it can all be handled by computers ... well, perhaps we should just zip ourselves up into tiny digital colonies, hiding from any Berzerkers, and tell RL to go screw itself.

We'll have a reality show about extra-solar colonies to keep Winner happy.