richard@sequent.UUCP (01/15/84)
First of all, I don't really believe that Interstellar anything will be available within this century. If the U.S. space program had continued without loss of enthusiasm after the Apollo program - when NASA was at it's zenith - Interstellar flight might have come much sooner. But it's doubtful now that we could even reach the moon in ten years! Alot of things have changed in the space industry - not the least of which is that NASA is now bogged done by a bureaucracy that didn't exist in the '60s. And, most tragic of all, our recent administrations haven't realized that space could again be the great moral booster it was back when; so the people are interested. As for the other point - should we wait for the spacecraft that can achieve a considerable fraction of light speed (or even the dreamt-of FTL drive) or should we send out generation ships ASAP? It is my humble opinion that the slow-boat method will also be a futile effort to be superseded by faster craft - but I believe we should go for it. With the world in the politically volitile state it's in, we should send out seeds as soon as they have a reasonable chance of surviving. There is, of course, alot of ethical discussion about whether we should start other worlds before we've learned to take care of this one, but this argument presupposes that the damage done to Terra rests solely on the shoulders of the current generation. If your parents willed you a house that was falling apart, would you think twice about living somewhere else while renovating the old place (assuming you could afford it)? It is my belief that mankind should strive for all knowledge, and journeying to the stars will be a requisite part of this quest. Does anyone have a better suggestion as to the purpose of humanity? ...!sequent!richard the rider in black
ksbszabo@wateng.UUCP (Kevin S. B. Szabo) (01/16/84)
Someone asked if anybody else had a better idea of what the purpose of humanity is. Well, tongue placed firmly in cheek, I will tell you all my father's stand on this. After examining the many and varied ways that nature has been taking care of itself, my father realized that we do indeed have a purpose on this earth. Like the wood peckers that remove the bugs from the trees, and the bees that allow reproduction of the plants, our purpose is to *release the carbon that has become trapped below the surface of this planet*! Could anything be more obvious? For millions of years carbon has been removed from the life cycle of this planet, yet it is a vital component of every creature on this planet. Thus we have removed the carbon, burnt it, and made it available to nature again. ( Quite efficiently actually , and at a very quick pace. something like one century of our industrial existance has removed multi-million years of entrapped carbon ). Think of ourselves as well educated ants..... Kinda' makes you feel insignificant doesn't it? Maybe this should be in net.jokes? net.religion???? Kevin. -- Kevin Szabo watmath!wateng!ksbszabo (E.E. U of Waterloo)