3 ms·

Not nearly as close as we are to colonizing the oceans: http://seasteading.org/ http://seasteading.org/

• tyohn 17y ago
  On the ocean? I was really hoping for under the ocean :(
  • Raphael 17y ago
    There'll be no accusations, just friendly crustaceans under the sea.
• joe_the_user 17y ago
  In other words, We are way bleeping far away from colonizing space... The problem that low gravity significantly accelerates aging isn't often mentioned but it serves as a pretty decisive hindrance. I mean, even a permanent settlement is a long way from colonization. We have permanent bases on Antarctica. We aren't planning to colonize any time soon. That part of the Jetsons will have to wait...
  • eru 17y ago
    > The problem that low gravity significantly accelerates aging isn't often mentioned but it serves as a pretty decisive hindrance. Interesting. Sources?
    • joe_the_user 17y ago
      I couldn't find a really good source. It is referred to fairly often however: http://weboflife.nasa.gov/currentResearch/currentResearchGeneralArchives/agingSpaceflight.htm http://weboflife.nasa.gov/currentResearch/currentResearchGen... "The lack of gravity during space flight affects living things in a variety of ways. A number of these mimic common effects of aging." Puts it very nicely. Perhaps the space scientists don't want scare people about going into space. Also, more googling for you: www.joanvernikos.com/uploads/space_and_aging.pdf As the duration of space flight missions has increased, many other symptoms related in particular to being away from gravity have been observed. They include a kind of anemia due to reduced red cell mass, muscle atrophy and reduced strength of those muscles that keep the body upright, loss of calcium from bones, reduced bone density and strength, reduced calcium absorption from the gut, disturbed sleep and a depressed immune system. These are all normal body function adaptations that occur when away from gravity. Degradation of body functions no longer needed in space is the normal adaptation to living away from gravity. -- Simulates the effects of aging...
      • daniel-cussen 17y ago
        As the duration of space flight missions has increased, many other symptoms related in particular to being away from gravity have been observed. They include a kind of anemia due to reduced red cell mass, muscle atrophy and reduced strength of those muscles that keep the body upright, loss of calcium from bones, reduced bone density and strength, reduced calcium absorption from the gut, disturbed sleep and a depressed immune system. These are all normal body function adaptations that occur when away from gravity. Degradation of body functions no longer needed in space is the normal adaptation to living away from gravity. OK, these are pretty bad, but they're not literally cancer. My space-age dreams live on.
        • joe_the_user 17y ago
          Hmm, With the things are going, you're more like to download yourself to a computer and then go into orbit than human society is to put biological human very far into space.
          • berntb 17y ago
            How about working out in centrifuges for one hour a day at ... 0.5 G? (2001, here we come!) This should be testable on Earth with people kept in bed 23 h/day and mild exercise. (It is like quite a few coding people's lifestyle.)
  • hugh_ 17y ago
    The sea, Antarctica, the Moon -- all these places can technologically be colonized, but it won't happen until there's some compelling economic reason for it -- either an industry which can make money there (see colonization of South Africa, South America), or a bunch of colonists willing to pay their own way for long enough until the colony becomes self-sufficient (see colonization of North America). Come to think of it, we already have colonies on the ocean floor, they're called oil rigs, and they're economically viable. I wouldn't want to live there, though.