Geo-engineering...

[Spiced_Rum]

This just makes me think of that dreadful film 'The Avengers' with Sean Connery as an arch villain Sir August De Wynter the mad weather man.

[Cybermat47]

Originally Posted by Spiced_Rum

This just makes me think of that dreadful film 'The Avengers' with Chris Hemsworth as arch villain Thor the mad weather man.

Wrong. Thor was a good guy. It was his brother who was the villain

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by Cybermat47

Wrong. Thor was a good guy. It was his brother who was the villain

Wrong Avengers.




Anyway, I've long believed that we need to go up as well as out. Unfortunately the Earth rarely a still place, and thus any buildings would have to be extensively tested against wind and tremors, however skyscrapers and vertical farms are going to be something that is desperately needed if our population continues to grow and does not level off in 'peak child'.

Of course, we also need to expand outwards and better our defences against extraterrestrial objects, and for the love of God, get something, anything on another planet so that if this one takes a massive hit the human race will survive in some form elsewhere and our knowledge and technological achievements will continue. Otherwise, one rock and we're back to the dark ages for a few centuries before we're able to slowly claw our way back up the ladder. From being able to touch the sky to crowding around a fire in a cave in one easy hunk of rock.

[Cybermat47]

Originally Posted by Oberon

Wrong Avengers.

I know. I edited the quote in my post a little.

[BrucePartington]

Originally Posted by Oberon

Wrong Avengers.




Anyway, I've long believed that we need to go up as well as out. Unfortunately the Earth rarely a still place, and thus any buildings would have to be extensively tested against wind and tremors, however skyscrapers and vertical farms are going to be something that is desperately needed if our population continues to grow and does not level off in 'peak child'.

Of course, we also need to expand outwards and better our defences against extraterrestrial objects, and for the love of God, get something, anything on another planet so that if this one takes a massive hit the human race will survive in some form elsewhere and our knowledge and technological achievements will continue. Otherwise, one rock and we're back to the dark ages for a few centuries before we're able to slowly claw our way back up the ladder. From being able to touch the sky to crowding around a fire in a cave in one easy hunk of rock.

Agree. My view as well.
There is (or was?) a plan to "terraform" Mars, for exactly this purpose.
However, there are a few major obstacles, not least the ferrous micro-dust that gets everywhere, including atmospheric filters, and the fact that Mars is "dead". Not as in devoid of life (which it is), but rather as in no tectonic activity, necessary to recycle and renew materials in the crust, vital to sustain plant life and provide mineral resources.

So I would think Mars would be viable only to be used as an outpost and a springboard.
This leaves us stranded in this system for now, since we do not yet have the technology to make interstellar travel feasible.

All we can do for now is enjoy old Star Trek episodes and hope one day we'll have some sort of "warp drive" to enable us to boldly go where no one has gone before.
Meanwhile we should try and maintain our little garden.

[Stealhead]

Personally I think that any species that lasts millions of years it must survive some very trying times and come through.Alligators and Crocodiles are two good examples they have been around for much much longer than humans have and they surely have survived several near extinction events.

Even humans just barely made it past the last ice age and that actually wiped out a cousin to modern humans the Neanderthals(some speculate that the last of them inter bred with modern humans).

If there are and feel that there are advanced life forms in the universe at or above humans level intelligence I am sure like gators they must have survived near extinction several times and having better cognitive abilities they learned.We humans learned we did survive the last ice age by adapting to the change only once you live in relative ease it is easy not to fear long term dangers.

One type of event that could cause a near extinction would be one of the major volcanoes having a massive eruption there are several that have enough size to pump out enough ash to bolt out the sun for up to a year.That would be very serious and there is nothing that we can do about it.

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by BrucePartington

Agree. My view as well.
There is (or was?) a plan to "terraform" Mars, for exactly this purpose.
However, there are a few major obstacles, not least the ferrous micro-dust that gets everywhere, including atmospheric filters, and the fact that Mars is "dead". Not as in devoid of life (which it is), but rather as in no tectonic activity, necessary to recycle and renew materials in the crust, vital to sustain plant life and provide mineral resources.

So I would think Mars would be viable only to be used as an outpost and a springboard.
This leaves us stranded in this system for now, since we do not yet have the technology to make interstellar travel feasible.

All we can do for now is enjoy old Star Trek episodes and hope one day we'll have some sort of "warp drive" to enable us to boldly go where no one has gone before.
Meanwhile we should try and maintain our little garden.

This is, sadly, true. As much as I would love to reinvigorate Mars, it's far beyond our technological limits at this time, however as an outpost and springboard it would work out fine.

As regards to warp drive, one of my biggest hopes is that one day we will be able to work with the UN to get a prototype 'Orion' drive built in orbit and sent out in to space. I can think of no better use for our obscene stockpiles of nuclear weapons than to enable us to explore this solar system and beyond it within reasonable time constraints. Alas, human nature will keep these weapons firmly for our own self-destruction.

[BrucePartington]

Originally Posted by Oberon

This is, sadly, true. As much as I would love to reinvigorate Mars, it's far beyond our technological limits at this time, however as an outpost and springboard it would work out fine.

As regards to warp drive, one of my biggest hopes is that one day we will be able to work with the UN to get a prototype 'Orion' drive built in orbit and sent out in to space. I can think of no better use for our obscene stockpiles of nuclear weapons than to enable us to explore this solar system and beyond it within reasonable time constraints. Alas, human nature will keep these weapons firmly for our own self-destruction.

Carl Sagan presented the Orion drive concept in one of Cosmos episodes, one of my favourites.

Sadly, (I believe) aggressiveness is inherent to every living being, in this and in any other world. Species survive by defeating other species.
It all began when the first cells felt the need to swallow other cells in order to absorb their energy. The arms race had begun.
It has always been about resources.

However, I do believe our species will survive to go on and discover new worlds. But not before some really hard times that lay not far ahead. And I fear it will be ugly this time. WWII will look like a lovers quarrel.
I apologize for my grim view. I have faith and I am generally a positive person, but I am also realistic, and the current big picture I see does not look good.