Humans could have a permanent base on the moon in 20 years and a colony on Mars in the next 40 years, the British scientist told a news conference...I did a video project on this very topic for my college astronomy class. The ideas espoused in this recent article have been around for a long time. The technology to do what he suggests has been around for a couple of decades. We just need to make it a priority as a species.
"It is important for the human race to spread out into space for the survival of the species," Hawking said. "Life on Earth is at the ever-increasing risk of being wiped out by a disaster, such as sudden global warming, nuclear war, a genetically engineered virus or other dangers we have not yet thought of."
And damn it! I want to live in space! Can't ride my chopper there, but I would make that sacrifice.
1 comment:
Heinlein, before his death, was a major advocate of going to the stars (or at least our own solar system) too, for some of the exact same reasons.
The only problem, I fear, is that the only people who would be able to afford to go out and colonize other bodies (planets, moons, asteroids or orbits) are the one's currently holding the purse-strings, preventing a feasible exploration into the possibility.
Like you, Jake, I want very desperately (more than being published as a viable writer) to go out into the ether beyond our planet -- if only to see it from a low orbit, if nothing else.
I thought that the X-prize might stimulate growth in this direction, but its starting to look as if the governments of the world have regained firm control of anyone using their airspace for such "nefarious" reasons.
Poo.
Thanks anyway, for reminding me of my undying dream.
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