Poll: Do you (still) believe humanity will ever get to travel the galaxy?

[crudus]

The problem with space travel is it takes so damn long. The trip from Earth to Mars takes about 2 years. The problem the ships will have to be built for maximum efficiency and humans will get in the way of that.

theoretically it seems to be impossible to reach a speed faster than light, regardless of the level of technology our
race has at it's disposal.

Actually, we have already (theoretically) solved this. It is just a pain in the ass and requires building a lot of rings.

 

[AWDMANOUT]

I want it to happen. Oh so bad.

And I do think it will. The only problem is I might not live to see it...

But, I do believe some form of life-extending chemical or tiny army of nanorobots will (or already has been) invented soon. Probably won't be commercialized, but I'll get my hands on some of it...

One day... One day I will have an alien girlfriend...

 

[Daystar Clarion]

We just have to get to Mars and dig up that Prothean technology, then all will be well.

At the cost of an ancient, all powerful race of machines wanting to kill us all...

S'all good! We have Shepard...

Well, we will eventually have Shepard.

 

[Illesdan]

Considering NASA contracts go to the LOWEST bidder who is going to use the cheapest, lowest-quality materials known to man, I think I'll just chill here on Terra Firma, thank you very much.

 

[MartianWarMachine]

We just have to get to Mars and dig up that Prothean technology, then all will be well.

Hey, I found that stuff first! It's mine! Get your own!

 

[BlumiereBleck]

Yes i do, eventually theyll realize this world is over populated.

 

[kingcom]

Theres two options:

A: Travel the galaxy (solar system), with humanity being fruitful and multiplying
B: Not travel the galaxy, continued population growth of poor people, run out of food for all the poor people, shoot the poor people when they rise up to take food.

I suggest A.

Um...how does sending people into space prevent poverty on Earth?

Are you going to make a spaceship fuelled by poor people?

Well theres always the star trek idea, that if we're not alone in the universe people actually start to act differently or a more realist perspective, creating a situation requiring a far greater need to unskilled labor to be trained into a specific task would be magnified if another planet was involved. Similiarly to how jobs and colonial resettlement opportunites were created by the discovery of the Americas and later Australia. Its only theory but it has some reasonable backing behind it.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Well theres always the star trek idea, that if we're not alone in the universe people actually start to act differently or a more realist perspective, creating a situation requiring a far greater need to unskilled labor to be trained into a specific task would be magnified if another planet was involved. Similiarly to how jobs and colonial resettlement opportunites were created by the discovery of the Americas and later Australia. Its only theory but it has some reasonable backing behind it.

Ah, a massive cultural change?

That actually makes sense...but only to an extent. There's always some people that will refuse any chance of becoming better people...even during the second world war, Britain needed to keep a police force, for example. If threat of Nazi occupation isn't enough to get people to rethink their life and work together, not much will.

 

[kingcom]

Well theres always the star trek idea, that if we're not alone in the universe people actually start to act differently or a more realist perspective, creating a situation requiring a far greater need to unskilled labor to be trained into a specific task would be magnified if another planet was involved. Similiarly to how jobs and colonial resettlement opportunites were created by the discovery of the Americas and later Australia. Its only theory but it has some reasonable backing behind it.

Ah, a massive cultural change?

That actually makes sense...but only to an extent. There's always some people that will refuse any chance of becoming better people...even during the second world war, Britain needed to keep a police force, for example. If threat of Nazi occupation isn't enough to get people to rethink their life and work together, not much will.

Thats not true, people in a desperate situation are going to perform desperate actions, in wartime I would expect crime to increase so that the individuals can survive (the feed your family kind of crime). The Star Trek example is after World War 3, you know, the nuclear apocolypse kind of war. The survivors made contact with the Vulcans and saw themselves as so utterly small and insignificant ultimately leading to the formation of a perfect communist society. Doubt that will happen but the idea of humanity being so utterly insignificant in the universe is a potential motivator. Though there is the distinct possibility that we are in fact the most advanced form of life in the galaxy.

 

[bad mad]

I like to think that in this case, the universe is one big minecraft world and we as humanity are one player.Its possible to build something impressive in our world, but we need to find the materials first! Which is an inventive way of looking at it ^_^

 

[Thaluikhain]

Thats not true, people in a desperate situation are going to perform desperate actions, in wartime I would expect crime to increase so that the individuals can survive (the feed your family kind of crime).

That sort of crime, yes, but I meant common or garden crime for profit or passion sort of things.

 

[Seneschal]

I think it's perfectly feasible to explore the galaxy at sub-light speeds. Preferably near-light speeds. What's the rush? It's not going anywhere in the next few billion years. Our nearest star would be some 5 years away, and the rest of our neighbourhood some 10-50 years away. You can get to the galactic core in 30,000 years or so.

But the universe is relatively uniform, you don't need to visit 200 billion stars to learn about the galaxy. Creating a dozen colonies some 20 years away from home sounds like a good place to start, and it assures we'll survive if an asteroid or a supervolcano makes home less than hospitable.