Key Messages
Exploring The Possibilities Of Outer Space: Technology And The Human Quest To Find A New Home
When thinking about the future of humanity, science fiction often comes to mind first.
But what if some of these ideas are closer to becoming a reality than we think? Wealthy entrepreneurs have started investing in the potential of humanity’s future by investing in space shuttles and endeavors to establish humans off planet Earth.
Nanotechnology and artificial intelligence are also being used as viable ways to explore galaxies for welcoming habitable planets – or adapted ones that aren’t so welcoming.
Those looking for a peek into the potential world-to-come can discover how ancient lava tubes on Mars could be useful building spaces; how carbon nanotubes may become the answer to living off-world; and how light sails may be our ticket to discover a new home for humankind.
With all this progress, it’s no surprise that more and more people are searching for answers about what the future may hold for all of us.
Konstantin Tsiolkovsky And Wernher Von Braun: Pioneers Who Helped Make Space Travel Possible
For over a century now, scientists have been nerding out on rockets and contributing major breakthroughs in space travel.
It all began with Russian scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky and his revolutionary publication in 1903 which included the famed Tsiolkovsky equation.
This provided a mathematical relationship between rocket fuel and the speed that could be achieved with it, essentially proving that escaping Earth’s atmosphere was indeed possible.
The American scientist Robert Goddard then entered the scene, making advances by switching from powdered to liquid fuel as well as introducing efficient multi-stage rockets of multiple tanks jettisoned one after the other.
In 1940s came Wernher Von Braun, doing projects funded by German militarization under the Nazi regime, which led to the V-2 project – a rocket three times faster than sound and immune to defence systems.
Unfortunately this also spelled disaster when it functioned as a missile against nearby cities in 1944.
Despite his regret over aiding German war efforts, von Braun was integral later during the space race after WWII.
This is just another example of how scientists throughout history have made contributions so space travel could become a reality today!
From A Low-Point To A Vision Of Colonizing The Moon: The Journey Back To Space Exploration
Humans first landed on the moon in the 1960s, but now there is renewed interest in returning.
After two major events pitted the US way behind the Soviet Union in terms of space exploration – with them launching Sputnik, and then later with Yuri Gagarin being the first human to orbit Earth – the US became determined to be the first to put a human on the moon.
And they did: Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took NASA’s Apollo 11 mission to make this dream become a reality in 1969.
Interest in rocketry and space travel dropped off after this legendary event, however, due to poverty, Vietnam War tragedies, and other factors that made it seem unimportant to spend tons of money on NASA projects.
Fast forward fifty years though, and suddenly billionaires have their sights set on space exploration – such as Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ project Blue Origin.
Not only are they aiming to make space tourism a new business through creating their rocket system New Shepard, but Bezos also has a long-term goal of colonizing the Moon– something he intends to do by establishing a delivery system for getting supplies from earth up there.
With all these innovative ideas emanating from those with wealth and power looking into outer space again, humanity may once again take steps towards a future among the stars!
Creating Habitable Conditions On The Moon Requires Solutions To Find Oxygen, Generate Energy And Protect Against Radiation
There are many problems to overcome before we can make living on the moon a long-term reality.
For starters, we need resources like air, water and food in order to live there comfortably.
Obviously, oxygen is not present in the atmosphere on the moon, so we’d need to find other means of extracting it from soil or water.
Fortunately, there is plenty of ice beneath the lunar surface that could provide us with both oxygen and drinking water.
Food will also be an issue; however, scientists believe that once oxygen is harvested then crops can be grown through solar photosynthesis.
On a similar note, solar energy can be harnessed by placing solar panels on mountain peaks where the sun never fully sets – though there is a risk of radiation exposure if these panels aren’t shielded properly.
This could be largely avoided by building underground shelters using lava tubes from ancient volcanoes or using protective shields made from metal or space-grade materials.
By having measures in place such as harvesting oxygen and providing shelter from radiation exposure, it may one day be possible for humans to make their home on the moon – but until then, we have a lot to figure out first!
Elon Musk’S Journey Towards Establishing A Sustainable Home On Mars
SpaceX is making incredible progress towards its goal of creating and sustaining a colony on Mars.
Through their innovative use of reusable booster rockets, they have reduced launch costs drastically, allowing them to move ever closer to their goal.
Already they have announced plans for an unmanned mission by the end of 2018, with a manned mission in the works for 2024 – several years ahead of NASA’s timetable.
However, while Elon Musk’s long-term vision is certainly laudable and fascinating, there are many challenges still to be faced before cities on Mars can become a reality.
For starters, the planet is bathed in radiation and has an atmosphere largely composed of carbon dioxide with very low atmospheric pressure – meaning that any unpressurized environment could potentially cause humans’ blood to boil!
Then there’s the fact that the low level of gravity on Mars leads to muscle and bone atrophy, meaning astronauts will have to do intensive exercise simply to maintain health.
And since our bodies are made specifically for Earth’s environment and not Mars’, further adaptations may need to be made if millions of people eventually migrate there.
SpaceX is doing some astounding work in rocketry technology – but it’s clear that there are many issues still needing addressed before we can create a sustainable city on the Red Planet.
Graphene And Artificial Intelligence Could Be The Keys To Building Cities On Mars
In order to build cities outside of our current planet, we’ll need to use nanotechnology and intelligent robotics.
Nanotechnology is a material that consists of carbon atoms bonded together into micro-thin sheets, known as graphene, which are incredibly strong (two hundred times stronger than steel).
Graphene can also be used for conducting electricity.
We also need robots with AI in order to successfully construct these cities in outer space.
The construction jobs that would need to be done–i.e.
dirty, dull and dangerous– are perfect for an automaton, or robot powered by Artificial Intelligence, since they wouldn’t get tired or grumpy like a human after a long day under the hot Martian sun.
These robots could explore extreme temperatures and radioactive atmospheres without worry or hesitation!
This level of sophisticated technology has yet to be achieved but chemists are optimistic that it will become reality in the near future.
And when it does finally become available? We could have cities on Mars and the moon before we know it!
Using Nanoships To Explore The Mysteries Of Outer Space
The idea of being able to explore the deepest reaches of space and beyond is incredibly exciting.
Fortunately, advances in technology may make this a possibility.
Nanoships are small, thumb-sized spaceships that can be propelled by light sails using lasers or the sun’s rays thanks to their ability to harness the pressure of light.
Carrying sensors that can collect data and send information back to Earth, nanoships could allow us to travel across our galaxy, even reaching Alpha Centauri in as little as twenty years!
However, these advanced plans come with some complications.
Huge amounts of power are needed to propel a nanoship towards distant star systems and we don’t yet have the capacity for it on Earth; we would likely need federal funding or private investors for something like this.
Moreover, laser beams used to propel the ships lose much of their power when passing through Earth’s atmosphere, meaning new laser stations would have to be set up abroad.
In addition, if the beam is slightly off-course it can cause the nanoship to go astray – making new precision technologies essential.
Despite these hurdles though, our current advancements could soon see us pushing humanity’s reach ever further towards unknown galaxies!
The Search For Eternal Life: Can We Defeat Aging And Build Multigenerational Starships?
If humanity hopes to ever visit other galaxies, it would require an incredibly long journey.
Our only hope is to make use of multigenerational starships, which allow several generations of people to live and die on the trip out.
In order for such a plan to work, a population needs to be maintained without an unsustainable growth over time.
This calls for careful measures like birth control and food rationing.
Going with too many people on board would simply lead to disaster after 50 years or so.
That’s why the option of prolonging life has been entertained in recent times.
Wealthy investors have been putting money into anti-aging techniques and scientists are attempting different solutions in order to tackle the issue of aging.
For instance, Elizabeth Blackburn is investigating telomerase – an enzyme that could prevent cells from dying; while the focus of some is on resveratrol – a chemical compound which prompts a molecule which slows down oxidation process of aging.
But even with all these attempts aimed at defeating death, experts remain pessimistic about finding eternal life any time soon – so the best chance for us space travellers may lie with these multigenerational starships that could sustain us through our interstellar odyssey.
Is Alien Life Fiction Or Reality? Assessing The Possibility Of Extra-Terrestrial Beings
When it comes to discussing intelligent alien life, there is bound to be some similarities with our own species – humanity.
This idea is based on the underlying assumption that if intelligent life does exist on distant planets, they are likely to have evolved similarly to us and thus share certain traits.
For instance, most scientists agree that the carbon-based lifeform structure of human bodies is likely to be found in other intelligent creatures as well.
Carbon satisfies two key criteria for living forms: it can store information such as DNA and other genes, and it can also reproduce itself.
However, although we may share commonalities with extraterrestrial beings due our carbon composition, we should expect them have quite different features too.
After all, the chemical composition of humans has changed throughout evolution and so it’s highly likely that an extraterrestrial creature will have a completely different set of characteristics – ones developed by their own unique evolution.
Consequently, while science fiction may imagine aliens to look like grasshoppers or bipedal robots, the truth is more nuanced than one-dimensional caricatures would suggest.
We can assume that any new intelligent life form will be able to communicate somehow – whether by sound or tactile senses like smell – just as any predator species needs well-developed eyesight for survival.
Finally, aliens might possess a common trait amongst intelligence species – the ability to use tools and manipulate their environment which we usually see in practice when animals build shelters for protection from predators.
In conclusion, if advanced alien life exists in some distant planet then certain similarities between us and them must exist alongside variations built from countless years of evolution since single cell organisms first took flight on their planet just as it did here on Earth millions of years ago
Wrap Up
The Future of Humanity is a book about the possibilities for mankind’s future.
The key message here is that we need to explore deep space in order to find ways to ensure humanity has a secure future.
Whether it be finding livable planets, or turning inhospitable places such as Mars or the moon into livable options, we will need more than SpaceX rockets to achieve this kind of breakthrough.
Nanotechnology and intelligent machines will play a huge role in making these potential solutions a reality in the future.
So if we want to pave the way for an even better future for ourselves – then these are areas we must focus on now!
