No hatred. I'm a humanist, but not at the cost of the destruction we are wreaking right now.
The dream of colonising space is just that, a dream. Our real challenge is to grow up as a planetary civilization, stabilise and manage our population, and help the biosphere heal from the ravages we have inflicted on it.
I firmly believe this will take place. I also thinking colonizing space will actually take place as well. As I said above, there are a lot of resources that would increase our control of the planet in positive ways and remove our need on varying things.
The Fermi Paradox makes it rather clear that colonising other star systems is not practical. The Milky Way is old, and we are not the first technological civilization to arise. If spreading to the stars was possible, it would have been done. We'd see signs, and most likely prime realestate like the Earth would have been claimed.
While this is true, we are currently in a process of merging into another galaxy if I remember correctly (I could be wrong). As well the Andromeda Galaxy is headed towards us which will create another merger. While I understand what you are saying about it having taken place by now, I think that there is a chance that it in fact has and perhaps our technology is to primitive to pick up on these life forms, or we are to far out in the outer arm to have been visited any number of times by an alien race (note I don't believe we have been visited, I am saying that perhaps we are in the "new development" of our galaxy if you think in terms of a cities growth). But again, I could be wrong. It is just my hope that we aren't alone.
The lack of Von Neuman probes suggests things as well. It's awfully quiet out there.
Again, you are right. It is quiet, but the lack of Von Neuman type probes does not prove we are alone. Any races that exist out there could have taken any number of paths in their evolution. They might not believe in sending drones or probes. Perhaps they believe in exploring space? There is also a chance that the Speed of Light issue hasn't been crossed by many races that may exist, or that any race that did exist was much like we are and has done considerable damage to their planet, including but not limited to nuclear wars or global destruction. Perhaps they missed there window to get into space by crossing the thresh hold of mine-able resources that can be used to create space vehicles. Perhaps some races are in solar systems with single planets and little to no asteroid fields or other planetary bodies. While we know a system does better with large planetary bodies like Jupiter and Saturn (because they clean up incoming asteroid and comets by sucking them into their gravitational field. Basically a giant shield for inner planets) that doesn't mean that they are a requirement. In fact, to date we are finding that the rules we once lived by happen to be the exceptions. We just recently found Trappist-1 with the seven earth like worlds. Preciously we thought there would be only one or two.
Binary systems, as well, seem to be the norm, not single sun systems like our own. There are even triple and quadruple star systems found. With the number of requirements for sentient life to form there is also chances that in the evolutionary scale many species have been wiped out. Also, while you are talking about Von Neuman, I must point out the
Drake equation which basically, mathematically, hints there must be other life out there (which I realize you are not disputing my friend) and I am wondering with that equation if, depending on the expanse of technology, we can see the probability of space fairing races. I truly believe we will end up making it into outer space, as well, because there are important discoveries for us out there. Even some things that may lead to curing some diseases and varying things here on our planet and that's not even mentioning the scientific discoveries that will answer fundamental questions for us about the universe, physics, evolution, and in fact the number of sentient species.
For companionship we have the near-human intelligences on this planet, which we are sadly making extinct. The great apes, the whales... Those, maybe with some Uplift, and any AI we manage to create will be the non-human intelligences humanity gets to interact with.
And believe me. I respect and enjoy them. My favorite species on this planet is Elephants. I really enjoy the way they look at you, or seem to remember you. In the province I live in within my country there is a place called African Lion Safari (which I don't agree in, by the way, I tend to dislike Zoo's or the variants to a large degree) and I tend to let my wife and four kids head off on their own for an hour, while I stand outside the "Elephant Ride" paddock. I refuse to ride them. I think thats cruel, especially if you know how they are trained to allow people to ride them. However, I like to just watch them. There is one of the three that seems to remember me coming to stand there all the time (or my brain is seeing traits that don't exist, but I feel like this may not be the case based on how smart these animals are and how long they remember things for). This one comes over to me, even with people on its back and investigates me with its trunk, in such a gentle way. Of course this majestic beast could also just be looking for food, but I have never brought or given food to them... so... I don't know.
And Aaron, I promise I'm one of the most optimistic, positive people you are likely to meet. If you get posted to Europe some day, I'll see about buying you a beverage of your choise.
I'm just very allergic towards any suggestion that humans will "escape" the destruction of the Earth by getting off this rock. Thr threat is us, we are currently walking a knife-edge thin path over extinction of our own making. We are facing the Great Filter, and it's up to us to rise to the challenge. Darwinistic, in a way, except natural selection will not help us here. We either prove to be not onky intelligent, but wise, or we perish due to our own hubris and madness.
Glad to hear it friend, I will take you up on that offer. Though I must point out, I don't wish to escape the destruction. I wish to become advanced enough to stop it. We have millions of years before the sun expands and engulfs the planet, and I hope we exist for that entire time, batting away asteroids and comets, and defeating our own hubris and madness.
On the subject of our population,
We are taking steps to control it. The global population is projected to max out at around 11bn mid century before starting to decline towards the end of the century.
Already the birth rate is dropping as people adjust to the fact that hold mortality has fallen due to falling poverty.
We are perfectly capable of feeding a world of 11bn people, the main causes of famine are economic and political rather than simply not enough food to go around.
Climate change is a huge challenge and one best avoided but humans would be perfectly capable of living in a warmer world. UT may mean disruption a traditional areas of agriculture become less hospitable (the US grain belt for example) or low lying land gets flooded (like Florida golf clubs) but humans will survive what nature can throw at us.
You are right. Studies show as developing countries being to allow their citizens (in cases of highly religious countries) access to birth control and medical health the need for eleven children decreases and the birth rate of these countries also decreases due in part. I actually think that Globalization will help with population control world wide as we start to help each other out more in varying ways including free trade and of course as you have stated environmental aspects.
What we can't survive is ourselves.
Humans are a weak an vulnerable species. We have no class or teeth or spines or poison glands. We can't run or swim fast. We aren't as agile as monkeys or mountain goats. We can't survive heat or cold or go without food or water for long.
Our sole advantage, the one that has made us a successful species, is our ability to cooperate in large groups and to communicate with each other.
Conflict destroys that one advantage.
This is why international cooperation to avoid conflict is so vital. Without armed conflict, which is almost always driven by some form of "my country first" humans can develop and thrive.
This is why I think nationalism (in the sense of thinking of international relations as a zero sum.game) is bad.
This is true as well. Of course our largest evolutionary trait would be our brains. We don't need to have poison glands (we do enough damage to each other with technology). And I agree with you on the cooperation aspect of your post. Globalization will only lead to more cooperation, especially once we stop seeing other 'races' (Asian, Latin, etc) as enemy and start realizing that each has powerful small dynamic changes from the next which give benefits based on varying degrees of evolution. Of course you basically said this yourself, my friend. And I tip my hat to you.
