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> For one, why would we colonize the galaxy? [...] It just isn't a rational choice. If things are universally good on Earth, then sure. Bear in mind that many
by mmcdermott 3y ago
> For one, why would we colonize the galaxy? [...] It just isn't a rational choice.
If things are universally good on Earth, then sure. Bear in mind that many of the European colonies that would become the United States were built by people fleeing situations in their home country.
Of course, replicating that scenario still requires a lot of technological advancement and I agree that level of sophistication is not a given.
- bccdee 3y ago> If things are universally good on Earth, then sure. Bear in mind that the choice is between living on Earth vs spending the rest of your life in an extremely cramped spacecraft with the hope that, after several generations of spacecraft life and many more of terraforming, your great-great-great-to-the-nth-power grandchildren will have a nice home. Bear in mind too that destitute people will never be able to make this call; you'd need to be quite powerful to start this sort of program.
- perilunar 3y agoYeah, nobody would want that. But why assume the spacecraft will be cramped? They could well be extremely large rotating colonies, with an internal area equal to a large city or small country. And if you can build such craft, then why bother terraforming planets? Mine asteroids or planets for materials to make new colonies, study the stellar system, and move on to the next star when it gets a bit crowded.