Bring on the space colonies.
 

Hmmmmmm.......

Yes...Then we can all die of radiation sickness.

If only this dream could become real, but sadly, not just yet. I don't think our radiation technology is up to scratch just yet. Maybe Hawkins is the new Char Aznable.........Or maybe not.

how about just build the colony several hundred meters below the ground, and have a layer of water just above the living space. that would reduce radiation drastically.

I'm sorry, but I think this guy is a nut. Colonize the moon within 20 years? get outta here!

The idea of colonizing space, the moon and Mars within 20 years seems insane but I'm pretty confident that humans will be able to colonize space, but not in any of our lifetime.

And if you think that's a nutty idea, how about an idea of bombarding the entire Martian north pole with nuclear warheads to melt the create an atmosphere that is just right for us?

I think when he saids that he meant technologically humans can colonize the moon, which I would agree. Building basic long term bases on moon I think is already quite possible with the technologies now. All you need is the $$$$$$$$$

http://forums.animesuki.com/showthread.php?t=33006

you should post it there - quite a nice discussion going on about space there at moment. - I will leave the post to you if you want to discuss it there - if not fair enuff :D

By the time I retire, I'd like to live in a space colony. Even if it means I would die it would be worth the risk.

Hawkings has now become a modern Zeon Zum Deikun.... ;P




...That having been said, I don't honestly believe all of humanity should leave the earth completely behind for even another millenium if we can help it, nor do I really think we'll be forced to. I support the notion of space colonization as an eventual probability, but it won't be anything large scale for at least a century, realistically. Long after we're gone unless the human life-span is somehow increased.

Technically, if we got off our asses, we could have an Island 1 or 2 completed in maybe ten years. I saw that estimation in something that may not have been updated in since the 70s...

Island 1/2 are both a far cry from Gundam's Island 3, but once all the stuff is in place to construct them you can probably cut the time off by alot.

The key to getting it done would be massive international co-operation, something which, given current world events and outlooks, isn't going to happen anytime soon. I'd be contented with us reaching the level of space development depicted in Planetes (large orbiting space stations, lunar cities and martian colonies in 2076) on a similar timeline.

I don't think humans can effectively leave the earths surface for Colonization on any decent scale until we can get over ourselves and our individual claims of nations and lands.


Meaning, I think we would need a global governing body, to be able to pool all the resources our planet can provide, to get our first stepping stones into space so we could begin some extra terrestrial mining operations as to not completely drain all of the available resources on earth.


I say we need a global governing body because, lets face it..If we just do it with international cooperation, nations that don't aid might get upset that all these foreign nations are in space above them, and will either demand fair access to something they provided no aid to, or take a military action.

Actually, I am someone who believes in the complete opposite; we would get it done via massive competition, rather than cooperation.

All we need is a reason to go into space; a financially profitable reason, rather than just some glorified sense of grandeur.

Sure, we might do it out of survival, but that's ages away. It's more likely that before that, technological advancements would make space operations a moneymaker rather than the money-drainer that it is right now. Economics will do the rest.

That's the problem with present day space programs; they need to be self-sustaining in order for them to be widespread in a way seen in science fiction.

If a space station could make a profit, that's when we would get PLANT style colony clusters. Anything less would be a pipedream.

In the end, it's all about the money.

Have you watched Planetes? Overcoming and dealing with that is more-or-less the point of the series. >.>

The fact remains, I don't have enough faith in humanity to believe the nations will band together in order to reach out into space.

Nations will stay nations. Countries will murge and split, and their names will change once in a while. But such fantasies that unite the entire planet, like in StarTrek, will never come to pass.

I´m afraid of flying so I won´t be going either way. :p

I think colonizing the moon is realistic in the "near" future. But Mars and colonies are still a long way to go. For me Mars... We still haven´t gotten there. And as for colonies I don´t think the average person has the desire to lead the life an astronaut/kosmonaut does.

It may come to pass, but not in the way Star Trek does.


it'll probably be some great leader, Perhaps good, Perhaps bad, that will do a military campaign across the globe the likes of which not even the greatest of great conquerors could have dreamed of.


And unite the entire world under his flag.

That's already been done, several times.

It never lasted.

Conquering is the easy part; the hard part is keeping it together.

quite the expensive dream he has here... :p