4 ms·
Our eggs are currently all in one celestial basket. We need to try, desperately, to ensure that the human race does not go extinct (by fault of our own or other
by Fej 9y ago
Our eggs are currently all in one celestial basket. We need to try, desperately, to ensure that the human race does not go extinct (by fault of our own or otherwise). This means an alternative habitat.
We've gotten really good at terraforming the Earth (unintentionally) and killing each other (intentionally) in the past century. In particular, one man has the power to end the world, he has no political experience, and he is in the White House. If we have a nuclear holocaust, the only silver lining can be in human populations on other celestial bodies. Hence, it is in the best long-term interest of humanity to go to the Moon and Mars - to ensure our survival.
- louithethrid 9y agoAgreed, we need a multi-planetary omlett.
- Toast_ 9y agoI've got just the thing: https://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=cheese+ly%5E3 https://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=cheese+ly%5E3
- jcranmer 9y ago> Our eggs are currently all in one celestial basket. We need to try, desperately, to ensure that the human race does not go extinct (by fault of our own or otherwise). This means an alternative habitat. Killing off humanity requires killing off 99.9999% of the population in a short amount of time. There is no plausible scenario that can do that: nuclear weapons won't do it, biological warfare won't do it, bolide impacts even at the scale of the Sudbury or Chicxulub probably can't do it.
- erikj 9y agoWhat about a gamma ray burst?
- coward83847 9y agoShould only affect the half of the Earth facing the burst
- ouid 9y agonot that I think this part of the argument is going anywhere, but, https://www.gfdl.noaa.gov/wp-content/uploads/pix/user_images/atw/research/pacific_globe_att.png https://www.gfdl.noaa.gov/wp-content/uploads/pix/user_images...
- coward83847 9y agoNot that I don't think we could all be killed off
- Fej 9y agoThere's a good chance that a nuclear exchange would result in a nuclear winter, and in the process drastically decrease the amount of arable land. In the worst case, agriculture could become impossible entirely. You might say that the science on the nuclear winter effect isn't anywhere near settled... why take the chance? I like to have faith in humanity but this is a bit too much.
- lisper 9y agoEven in an absolute worst-case scenario there will still be more arable land on earth than on the moon or Mars.
- TeMPOraL 9y agoFair enough. Though personally, I care less about end of human race, and more about end of technological civilization. Life is resilient, but if we nuke ourselves back to the stone age, then frankly, what's the point?