/sci/ - Science & Math

[Anonymous No.9968767]

will humanity ever become a spacefaring civilization?
is it even a desirable outcome for our species?

[Anonymous No.9968778]

>>9968767
Probably a few centuries before it becomes a "spacefaring civilization" as opposed to one with specialists and elites and a few bold maniacs. Mars colonization is a dream shackled by many difficult issues ( scant atmosphere, no magnetic field, limited water with possible native microbial life which might make it all a refuge and hands off, fractional earth gravity). We don't have the skills and tech for big orbital habitats yet. We don't have functional asteroid mining. Fewer people get into space than the earliest exploratory sailing ships had.

[Anonymous No.9968784]

>>9968767
The only way it is going to happen is if people stop fucking asking if it is going to happen and start putting work into making it happen. Do you want to see it happen? Then stfu and start working towards it.

[Anonymous No.9968786]

>>9968767
>is it even a desirable outcome for our species?
Fuck if I know. I don't see why not. I don't see why. Someone please illuminate.

[Anonymous No.9968792]

>>9968767
We are a spacefaring civilization. You guys are here to witness the beginnings of it all. Just no satisfying you nerds.

[Miniature Spacecraft No.9968827]

>>9968767
Certainly not during the presidency of Trump (nor any other republican)

[Anonymous No.9968831]

>>9968827
>Certainly not while I complain and make excuses for myself

FTFY FUCK YOU

[Anonymous No.9968868]

>>9968767
we have been one for decades

[Anonymous No.9968923]

>>9968767
We will have to, if we want to insure the continued existence of our species to the point at which we evolve to a state that we are no longer the present species that we are today.
By that, I mean, there will always be a risk of extermination of all KNOWN life from natural, or manufactured causes. Unless we become an interplanetary, and given enough time, hopefully interstellar.
The issues with the whole affair are the relatively short duration of current human lifespan, although this will hopefully be extended with the means of things like SENS, and nanotechnology assisted cryogenics or some form of hibernative medicine.
Then you have the issue of resources, power, nutrition and other things. This could be combated by a larger craft, with renewable resources onboard, like a hydroponic greenhouse. Although, this would mean that we would require to build such crafts in space, and launch them from space, due to their mass. It is also likely that they would need some sort of synthetic gravity to develop properly, so we would need to make use of rotating space habitats.
The major issue is velocity, initial G force from acceleration can be combated by cryogenics, but the issue of debris, or interstellar hydrogen is what poses a major risk to the craft. At 50% of C, if you struck the hydrogen it would decay into radiation which would then penetrate the craft at 95% of C, this would kill plants and damage equipment.
To combat this, you would either need to travel slower, meaning longer spent in cryogenic preservation. Or using some sort of magnetic field to repel it.
However, this leaves the question of debris, like meteoroids. The solution to which is probably a materials science issue, as "force fields" seem unlikely.
And then, finally, I suppose the ultimate issue is what you find at the end. Whether the planet you've spent thousands of years, or longer, traveling to is even inhabitable or not. For that I'd say, come prepared for any eventuality.

[Anonymous No.9969021]

>>9968923
I think a combination of a suficiently large and powerful magnetic field to deflect charged particles with a stupid large and dense shield of depleted uranium or something similar on the front of your ship will suffice. Combine with laser sails for .99c craft using more or less existing science and materials.

[Anonymous No.9969025]

>>9969021
Point being, it can be done and must be done if you're going to continue existing.

[Anonymous No.9969263]

>>9968784
op btfo by 16 year old who read atlas shrugged one time for school

[Anonymous No.9969305]

question 1=NO, it would be possible, with a global effort of resources being allocated to a project, but humans are dumb and we already have tons of problems here on earth that may never be solved, they could be solved but because humans are dumb and don't want eugenics, leading to war, overpopulation, damaging our planet with our dumb activities, and a lack of global cooperation.

question 2=yes i think going to space could extend our species survival, and i think it is possible with our current technology it would just require a lot of resources.

In the far term, a sail made of doped carbon nanotubes could probably approach the sun within 4 solar radii, and if it had an ac of 10 m/s2 , could reach α Centauri in a century. A sail made of doped carbon nanostructures could reach our nearest star in a few decades if ac >100 m/s2 as suggested by extensions of microwave theory.
here is something about solar sails,
It can thus be seen that the ultrathin solar sail holds the potential to revolutionize the prospects for interstellar travel. Uniquely, with this technology, such missions could not only become feasible, but potentially cheap, since all the motive power is provided in the form of crude sunlight – no giant lasers or other power systems are required.

[Anonymous No.9969434]

>>9969305
Are We Overpopulated?
>https://streamable.com/u1ydj

[Anonymous No.9969517]

>>9968831
Do not respond to redditors

[Anonymous No.9969523]

>>9968778
The tech and techniques to make large orbital habitats has existed since the 70s, you uneducated shitboot

[Anonymous No.9969533]

>>9969523
We need a well funded company, or preferably a charity who isn't swayed by politics to focus on nothing but the ascertainment of for-want-of-a-better-term 'transhumanism.'
By that, I mean everything from SENS to space habitation, and more.
Then again, that truly would be scientific fiction to find such an institution.

[Anonymous No.9969623]

I always thought i t might be easier to send human sperm and egg, on a solar sail ship, it would require a much smaller ship to establish a colony.as it was said in the last post a solar sail ship could travel 4 light years in 1 century."Biologists believe that correctly frozen cells in long term storage can literally last forever, as long as the temperature is properly maintained. It is believed that constant exposure to normal levels of background radiation is the only thing that could cause loss of viability and this effect is difficult to measure."

[Anonymous No.9969628]

>>9969623
Imagine the psychological damage of being raised by AI and a bunch of robots.
No thank you, I want functioning and tested humans who have some sort of applicability.

[Anonymous No.9969663]

>>9969628
well you would need a giant ship to sustain something like that it would require large amounts of resources, the best shot is with frozen gametes, i argue that AI would be less likely to cause psychological damage than a human, humans are prone to abusing others imagine being stuck in a space ship like that. The kids would grow up together and then raise the next generation from pre-programmed messages, it seems starnge to us but it could mean the survival of humanity

[Anonymous No.9969668]

>>9969663
I suppose it could work. More research would need to conducted into the "formative psychological input" that goes into creating a "healthy human".
You'd want to limit as psychological damage, as they would be crucial to the success of your mission, as mental breaks would mean the whole project would've been a waste of time, innovation and resources.

[Anonymous No.9969685]

>>9969668
yeah there would need to be a lot of research to prepare

[Anonymous No.9969757]

>>9969517
But I need them to know how pathetic they are and how much I resent them for it anon :(

[Anonymous No.9969948]

>>9968767
>is it even a desirable outcome for our species?
imo only to prevent impacts from space. Not for communicating with aliens at least since we can do that now by manipulating the consciousness space.

[Anonymous No.9970446]

>>9968767
>will humanity ever become a spacefaring civilization?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

No.

[Anonymous No.9970475]

>>9968767
>will humanity ever become a spacefaring civilization?
Maybe - shit's looking kinda dark right now, but maybe.

>is it even a desirable outcome for our species?
If long term collective survival of the species and Earth forged life in general is desirable, then yes, obviously. If we don't give a shit, then maybe not, though if you just want more stuff, more freedom, more chances to start over unhindered by the established civilizations, and other such shit, then also yes, so I suppose it's only bad if you're an antinatalist or want to retain control of all of humanity or some such. ...or are worried about the Dark Forest scenario (though even there, just another reason to get some backup plans, as we've kinda already fucked ourselves there).

[Anonymous No.9970479]

>>9969668
Though I suspect by the time we had the tech to do all that, what one would refer to as a "psychologically stable human" would be unrecognizable as human today.

[Anonymous No.9970618]

>>9968767
>will humanity ever become a spacefaring civilization?
Somewhat, space is not a lifefriendly region, the explorer's of space will be probably some sort of transhuman/posthuman. People that don't need to breathe have a considerable advantage in vaccum.
The economic reason for becoming a spacefaring civilization is that space has a lot of resources in asteroids and Helium-3 for Fusion reactors. You can also built factories there that normally would kill the life on the entire planet.
>is it even a desirable outcome for our species?
The ressources on earth are limited, we got to expand.

[Anonymous No.9971628]

>>9969533
We'll have it soon
SpaceX BFR giving us 150t to LEO would make asteroid mining viable, this would then let us refine the metal required to build a habitat, if a small one hadn't already been made from launched mats

[OP No.9971674]

>>9968767
>will humanity ever become a spacefaring civilization


No. I would say why but death and all...

[Anonymous No.9972343]

>>9968827
Now this is good bait.

[Anonymous No.9972415]

>>9969948
>since we can do that now by manipulating the consciousness space.

[Anonymous No.9973784]

Bump.