Time To Stop The Obsession With Space Travel?

[tinfoilhat]

We are going to run out of helium at some point. If memory serves, we can’t get hold of any more in the planet, it’s finite. Nearest source? The moon.

[Annie Bynnol]

6 minutes ago, muddycoffee said:

Survive in terms of evolution means only getting old enough to be able to reproduce, this is not necessary very long.

 

Adaptation of immune system is unlikely to happen while we have medicine to treat people to prevent them from becoming infected. The same genes perpetuate to the next generation and no significant evolution occurs, unless mass gene editing becomes ethically acceptable and effective.

 

I still maintain that people in the developed world have stopped "evolving" as many medical issues can be overcome. Although it will be interesting to see what effect people having children into older age will do to the genetics of their offspring.

 

I agree that Eugenics is a poisonous subject and I have always noted it interesting that so many people who advocate that certain people have less worth, are not particularly glorious specimens of physical humanity themselves.

For nearly every mammal and bird survival to reproductive age is insufficient to guarantee that offspring survive.

For that "set of genes" to survive into further generations, not only does the offspring have to survive but it has to be looked after until it reaches reproductive age. And even then have a set of adaptations that gives it the best chance in selecting a partner.

 

Behaviour and habit are also part of the process of Evolution. So the success of the Human species must be due to the genes which select for this behaviour.

 

 

Most people do not have access to medicines that work. Medicines that work now will often not work in the future. 

Every generation discovers new groups of pathogens and every year new species of pathogens are found and they evolve much faster than us.

There is no effective medical attack (globally available) on the AIDS viruses.

There is effective treatment and suppression of HIV symptoms available to the very few people who can afford it.

In the very short time since AIDS began there is evidence now of natural immunity in a few people. 

When the cause of this immunity is identified, it can be exploited by science and lead to a mass attack on HIV or even the AIDS viruses.

 

Through the mechanism of Evolution,  human society has evolved to the point where we understand some of our environment, this has led to now being able to exploit the classical mechanisms of Evolution -this is how Evolution will continue to impact on us now,  in the future and until ...

 

 

 

 

 

[Albert the Cat]

On 20/09/2019 at 13:33, lil-minx92 said:

Given the issues of climate change which appears to be becoming an emergency, is it time for all countries to put space exploration on hold and ban the development of space tourism? It seems a little extravagant and a total waste of our earths resources.  

Also, how about ban business class air travel & just fit as many seats on a plane as is safe?

The space programme should definitely not be banned.  The ungodly advances in science, engineering and medicine due to the space programmes is phenomenal.  The anti-intellectual rhetoric you display is very short-sighted.  Any programme  that advances our current understanding in science, engineering or medicine should be allowed to progress.

 

Using your line of logic, why stop with the space programme?  Why not scrap ITER?  That programme has been going on for years and costing billions.  There is no guarantee that it will work either.

 

[lil-minx92]

On 20/09/2019 at 20:45, muddycoffee said:

Exactly correct. The average journalist and person on the Clapham omnibus has no concept of the vastness of space. Our species will be extinct long before we can work out how to successfully travel a distance as big as that without dying.

Buck Rogers and Star Treck is never going to be reality. This planet "Earth" is where the entirety of the story of Homo Sapiens is going to be acted out. From emergence to extinction. We will be very lucky if humans finish up existing one tenth of the duration of the dinosaurs. Most species are but a blink of an eye to this planet.

Well put. Which is why I think wasting time and effort and resources on space travel/tourism benefits nobody but those employed by it or making money from it.

[apelike]

On 20/09/2019 at 20:37, muddycoffee said:

Essentially if everyone can choose to have children, then evolution has stopped.

No that's not correct. Not everyone chooses to have children and many births are accidents and are unplanned. Evolution is still going on and at a more accelerated rate as the population increases and now can be seen in our genes through modern DNA sequencing.

 

On 20/09/2019 at 20:15, Jim Hardie said:

And a mere 20 light years away. When we can travel at the speed of light, a one way ticket might be affordable. Bring your own food.

We may not have to travel at the speed of light. Ever heard of the Einstein-Rosen bridge (wormhole) theory .

Edited September 23, 2019 by apelike

[Obelix]

45 minutes ago, lil-minx92 said:

Well put. Which is why I think wasting time and effort and resources on space travel/tourism benefits nobody but those employed by it or making money from it.

You might want to try listing what the space program has given us and then decide if you would think scrapping all that would be a good idea....

[Jim Hardie]

7 hours ago, apelike said:

We may not have to travel at the speed of light. Ever heard of the Einstein-Rosen bridge (wormhole) theory .

Yes, I've heard of it but don't believe it. According to the theory, how far would we have to travel to a planet that's normally 20 light years away by taking the shortcut? Don't tell me, it's right next door.

Edited September 23, 2019 by Jim Hardie

[woolyhead]

What about cryogenic sleep on the journey? Is awakening safely from that possible yet?

[apelike]

2 hours ago, woolyhead said:

What about cryogenic sleep on the journey? Is awakening safely from that possible yet?

No as it does not work. 

[Guest]

On 23/09/2019 at 12:17, lil-minx92 said:

Well put. Which is why I think wasting time and effort and resources on space travel/tourism benefits nobody but those employed by it or making money from it.

You may want to do some research about what it has given us before making such bold, ill-informed statements.

 

Living on a planet with finite resources and an ever-expanding population, sure let's not try and explore other planets with those resources, let's follow your views and instead allow the human race to die out due to over-population, starvation and exhaustion of the planet's resources.