Making Humans a Multiplanetary Species [video] • Hacker News Board

Re: Making Humans a Multiplanetary Species [video]

#51

Post by leojg » Tue, Sep 27, 2016, 6:50 PM UTC

astazangasta wrote: post #37

verandaguy wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's your point?

I wrote a long essay about this that I have yet to publish, but my basic point is this: 1. Mars is a fucking desert. There is no air, water or life. 2. Venus is covered in CO2 clouds and sulfuric acid rain. Metal melts on its surface. We are not going to live in space. To even WANT to live in space is an absurd fantasy that is in violent conflict with the reality of space as an airless, inhospitable, largely resource…

Because we are a migrant species... and because of this: http://www.greatdreams.com/asteroid-map.jpg

All those nice dots are potentially dangerous asteroids :)

And also, to prove we can.

Re: Making Humans a Multiplanetary Species [video]

#52

Post by rtkwe » Tue, Sep 27, 2016, 6:50 PM UTC

Red_Tarsius wrote: post #17

davidw wrote: post #6

This is so pleasant to see after being bombarded with US presidential politics. Science, hope and progress!

Agree. I watched my first and last presidential debate yesterday, they raised no relevant solutions. I'm so giddy, what a better way than to spend such historical date with my fellow HN users!

The whole process is kind of built against showing any solid plans until as late as possible. It's hard to argue against the nebulous idea of 'create more jobs' other than 'that's not an actual plan'. Once your opponent provides a solid plan you get all sorts of new ways to attack it like cost (especially cost). Another reason to not put out a detailed plan is that the actual bills/regulations you can get in office are going to look pretty different than what the base of $PARTY would like to see because you have to actually get it passed, but then you're not delivering on the promises and no one likes to hear 'we knew the proposal was ambitious and impractical to get passed but we told you we would to get your vote'.

Re: Making Humans a Multiplanetary Species [video]

#53

Post by sfeng » Tue, Sep 27, 2016, 6:50 PM UTC

astazangasta wrote: post #37

verandaguy wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's your point?

I wrote a long essay about this that I have yet to publish, but my basic point is this: 1. Mars is a fucking desert. There is no air, water or life. 2. Venus is covered in CO2 clouds and sulfuric acid rain. Metal melts on its surface. We are not going to live in space. To even WANT to live in space is an absurd fantasy that is in violent conflict with the reality of space as an airless, inhospitable, largely resource…

We need to live in space because having all human life on one planet is intrinsically unreliable. However lucky we get, every year there is a tiny chance that we are all killed by anything from an asteroid impact to global climate change. No matter how small that chance is, what it means is given enough time, eventually this planet will no longer be host to humans. We need to branch out to other planets before that happens if our civilization is to survive.

Yes, it requires a lot of effort to do it. It required a lot of effort to build the first airplanes (I can find you many, many quotes similar to yours about how 'man was not meant to fly though the air like a bird'). That doesn't mean you shouldn't try to do it.

I will also remind you that at many points in history (for the vast majority of its existence in fact) the Earth was an inhospitable wasteland. Given time and innovation we can make space a more welcoming environment.

Re: Making Humans a Multiplanetary Species [video]

#54

Post by andars » Tue, Sep 27, 2016, 6:51 PM UTC

astazangasta wrote: post #37

verandaguy wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's your point?

I wrote a long essay about this that I have yet to publish, but my basic point is this: 1. Mars is a fucking desert. There is no air, water or life. 2. Venus is covered in CO2 clouds and sulfuric acid rain. Metal melts on its surface. We are not going to live in space. To even WANT to live in space is an absurd fantasy that is in violent conflict with the reality of space as an airless, inhospitable, largely resource…

Redundancy. A bad backup is better than none at all.

In addition, because I believe it is worthwhile to attempt difficult things to see what we can achieve. Inspiration is a valid goal.

Re: Making Humans a Multiplanetary Species [video]

#55

Post by aninhumer » Tue, Sep 27, 2016, 6:51 PM UTC

verelo wrote: post #25

lucb1e wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> CST sigh Central standard time I'm guessing, so mid-US I guess "central" and "standard" mean here, so I'm guesstimating GMT-7. That would put it around 8:30 GMT.

While I know what you meant in the parent, "numeric timezone" isn't a thing. When it's in a numeric format the correct term is "offset". It cannot be referred to as a timezone as it's timezone will remain constant, but offset may change depending on the time of year (and the impact daylight savings has on the correct offset). For what it's worth, i too hate when people say things like "EST","CST" etc. Not only are th…

Well that's some interesting pedantry, but I think it was fairly clear what they meant, and I was sighing along with them when I had no idea what time the answer actually referred to.

Re: Making Humans a Multiplanetary Species [video]

#56

Post by saiprashanth93 » Tue, Sep 27, 2016, 6:51 PM UTC

aerovistae wrote: post #34

AndrewKemendo wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What about going to a different planet makes you think we won't just be taking those same problems with us? The earth isn't the problem - The problem is the human brain. We aren't genetically capable of processing the world we have built. Expect there to be Trump IV vs Clinton IV 2117 hosted live on Mars if we haven't made significant improvements in human engineering.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding but you seem to be saying "Let's not be excited about colonizing another planet-- life will be just as depressing there."

I think the point being made is life will be just as depressing in Mars if we are running behind things in Mars like we do here.

Re: Making Humans a Multiplanetary Species [video]

#57

Post by jsprogrammer » Tue, Sep 27, 2016, 6:51 PM UTC

aerovistae wrote: post #34

AndrewKemendo wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What about going to a different planet makes you think we won't just be taking those same problems with us? The earth isn't the problem - The problem is the human brain. We aren't genetically capable of processing the world we have built. Expect there to be Trump IV vs Clinton IV 2117 hosted live on Mars if we haven't made significant improvements in human engineering.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding but you seem to be saying "Let's not be excited about colonizing another planet-- life will be just as depressing there."

You misunderstood. Nowhere was it implied that we shouldn't be excited about anything.

Re: Making Humans a Multiplanetary Species [video]

#58

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Sep 27, 2016, 6:51 PM UTC

aerovistae wrote: post #34

AndrewKemendo wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What about going to a different planet makes you think we won't just be taking those same problems with us? The earth isn't the problem - The problem is the human brain. We aren't genetically capable of processing the world we have built. Expect there to be Trump IV vs Clinton IV 2117 hosted live on Mars if we haven't made significant improvements in human engineering.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding but you seem to be saying "Let's not be excited about colonizing another planet-- life will be just as depressing there."

[deleted]

Re: Making Humans a Multiplanetary Species [video]

#59

Post by wolfram74 » Tue, Sep 27, 2016, 6:51 PM UTC

aerovistae wrote: post #34

AndrewKemendo wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What about going to a different planet makes you think we won't just be taking those same problems with us? The earth isn't the problem - The problem is the human brain. We aren't genetically capable of processing the world we have built. Expect there to be Trump IV vs Clinton IV 2117 hosted live on Mars if we haven't made significant improvements in human engineering.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding but you seem to be saying "Let's not be excited about colonizing another planet-- life will be just as depressing there."

It's more like unless we are conscientious about what dependencies we include, we will have the same headaches with bloat using python as we have using ruby. And if the environment change is going to cost a very large amount, it would be prudent to see if any improvements can be made locally first as a form of low hanging fruit.

Re: Making Humans a Multiplanetary Species [video]

#60

Post by tcoppi » Tue, Sep 27, 2016, 6:51 PM UTC

AndrewKemendo wrote: post #29

davidw wrote: post #6

This is so pleasant to see after being bombarded with US presidential politics. Science, hope and progress!

What about going to a different planet makes you think we won't just be taking those same problems with us? The earth isn't the problem - The problem is the human brain. We aren't genetically capable of processing the world we have built. Expect there to be Trump IV vs Clinton IV 2117 hosted live on Mars if we haven't made significant improvements in human engineering.

Throughout human history, there has always been a new/unexplored land to emigrate to for new opportunities or to escape political persecution. Nowdays there is nowhere left for someone in the West to emigrate to that is not substantially the same or worse. Mars and the stars could potentially offer that opportunity, which might be why some people are excited.