Terraforming

[Murphy]

What do you guys think about Terraforming Mars. I was talking about the possibility of it in Earth Science and a catholic chick behind me said that God only meant for their to be one "Earth." That confused me. Why would she oppose something like that. Am I doing something wrong by thinking it would be ok?

[Lochaber Axe]

No of course not, if the Lord doesn't come back by then, humans will expand off this little dirt ball. Space is like the Americas were. Also, remember that the churches (Catholic and Protestant) believed the world was flat. My, did we prove them wrong.

[Murphy]

Yeah I didn't see how saving humanity from their own mistakes could be anit-christian but I don't know there are alot of things I don't understand so I may as well ask. Ya?

[Lochaber Axe]

Questions never get old. Well, maybe not after the one-thousandth repeated questions that some people keep asking me.

[Murphy]

You know what you do then? You Push 'Em naw just kidding. After the one thousandth time, you ignore them! Whee!

[Lochaber Axe]

Sadly, I am the one asking repetitive questions. I have bad hearing, it comes from my dad. However, aren't we off topic...

What techniques of terraforming did they teach in your class?

[cbwing0]

I agree: there is nothing wrong with terraforming Mars. If God doesn't want us to colonize other planets, then He can always just return before it is necessary.

[Lochaber Axe]

Or he can make all the rovers we send up there go kapustki. BAD ROVER BAD!!! YOU DON'T GET NO NEW CIRCUIT BOARDS!!!

[CDLviking]

I see no problem with it at all.

[andyroo]

Red rover, red rover, come on right over...

I would like to see Mars terraformed. So, yeah, I see nothing wrong with it.

There are different theories on how to get the planet warm enough for terraforming. One that I can think of right quick is increasing the atmosphere temperature by increasing the amount of gas of a few various kinds that would retain heat well.

[Azier the Swordsman]

*imagines the world of Cowboy Bebop becoming a reality*

[Fsiphskilm]

There's nothing sin

[Technomancer]

I don't see anything wrong with terraforming other planets, or with using our abilities to their fullest in the service of civilization. If we have been given such talents it would seem ungreatful not to use them. Of course, this assumes the non-existance of intelligent life (or any sort of complex ecosystems), which at least seems to be the case in this solar system.

Mars itself though does pose some problems. An atmosphere could be created by bombarding the surface with comet fragments, which would also add much needed water to the surface. There could be additional reactions that release CO2 from the native rocks and soil (possibly by warming or throug microbial action). This is of course, a long term project.

There are a few significant problems with human habitation though. Principally, the low gravity and the lack of a magnetosphere could cause serious problems for us medically. Also, the atmosphere would also eventually bleed off into space due to Mars' low gravity, although this would occur over a very large timescale.

[Fsiphskilm]

Uhmmm yea I

[Orange Kitten]

If God doesn't want us to colonize other planets, then He can always just return before it is necessary. ]

I agree with nothing wrong in colonizing planets, but I wouldn't use that phrase as reason. That's the same logic as "If God didn't want people to murder, he would just stop them."

Even IF God didn't want us to colonize planets, he would still allow us. There's that thing called free will which, unfortunately, still allows things to happen such as sin.

Space is like the Americas were. Also, remember that the churches (Catholic and Protestant) believed the world was flat. My, did we prove them wrong.

Good point

[SwordSkill]

Space is like the Americas were.

You mean already inhabited by other beings and we homo-sapien Earthlings have to decimate them so we could colonize the planet and call it ours? ^^;;

EDIT: Sorry. >.< Forgive me, I couldn't help it; it was so irresistible. I'd love to see Mars and other planets accessible and inhabited by humans, but I think we also have to take consideration the term "colonization" (since some people were using it) and its ramifications as well (I'm a believer of the existence of other kinds of life out there). After all, terraforming takes a lot of trespassing. ^^;; Okay, enough of that.

But as far as the possibility of living somewhere else, I don't think there's a problem with God. I don't remember God saying that we should stick where we are or that Earth was the only place His children could be (of course, it would be interesting to speculate whether there was another pair of "Adam and Eve" somewhere out there, but that's another matter XD).

[SwordSkill]

Well! i WOULD go and press the wrong button. ^^;; please delete this one.

[Straylight]

I don't really think colonising space is a bad idea. When you look at pictures from the Voyager series and such, it's pretty clear that God created those planets knowing that humans would be sending probes out to gawk at their beauty. Think of all the amazing scientific breakthroughs that could be made on the way as well - these can be applied to more than just spacefaring (for example, medicine).

There one major issue though .. the price. It costs a lot to send a few people into orbit, imagine how much it would cost to terraform and colonise an entire planet. I expect that if it ever happens, necessity will drive humans to colonise other worlds.

I doubt it'll happen in our lifetimes unless major discoveries are made with regards to physics. We need to find a nice cheap way of powering our spacecraft. Perhaps the new fusion research project will yeild something that could be used. It's all small steps at the moment though.

[kaji]

I think the idea of colonizing space, and other planets is very interesting. Im not sure I would volunteer to live some where a little indoor football could turn into a mass decompresson and my insides get sucked out.
It almost makes me wonder if God made it that way so we wouldnt want to go there. Atleast in the 1400's the Americas were a nice fertal land of opertunity, but space is more like a baron wasteland.
Why dont we try to colonize the sea before we go prancing off into space? Atleast that way, if our colonists need some help, we wont be that far away.
But colonizing space is still a neat idea.

-kaji

[Mithrandir]

That's a good point. Oceans would be a good starting point.

And OK, thanks. I was gonna disect that one too.

[The_Marauding_Maniac]

Mars Diaries. >.> <.< It's about a kid from mars under a dome with parents working towards terraforming Mars. It's a christian book.

[Mithrandir]

For that matter, Empyrion. By Stephen Lawhead. THAT'S good stuff. (No about mars, but a very interesting read, nonetheless.

[skynes]

It's an interesting idea terrforming planets. I doubt it'll happen though. It'll take centuries for the planet to become liveable. Mankind will prolly have killed itself by then, that or Jesus will return, and he'll fix the planet back to the way it's supposed to be!! ;D

[kaji]

Ummmm, I think he is going to destroy the planet. Right? Either way is fine with me, I wont be there.^^

[Technomancer]

Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy is worth reading too, should you ever choose to pick it up.

I'll agree that the colonization of space will take a long time, and require a greater determination than most other human enterprises. It will likely also require several new advances in physics and materials science, as well as possibly a more global approach to the organization. However, if we wanted to go, we could do it. We have the technology if we're willing to pay (compared to some other sorts of expenditures, it's one that's far more worthwhile IMO).

[DrNic]

Hmm...if we were able to expand into space then we wouldn't have any problems with...well not having enough space if you get my meaning. But they haven't managed to find any planet with a climate that could sustain us yet, and some how I doubt they will. Be kool if they did though!

[Fsiphskilm]

I say we pick

[ThaKladd]

we have the opportunity and the spirit upp ther don't we? why not use the opportunity and get us up there too...

[skynes]

Personally I think instead of money being put into SETI and space research that it should be put to third world countries, eliminating pollution, furthering medical science.

They've got their head so far up in space that they're of no use on earth!

[kaji]

!!!!Way Off Topic!!!!!!

Some times I get a kick out of third world countrys. Its just like when I play Civilization II and I am buisy colonizing space, fighting an epic sea battle with my cruisers and air craft against other world powers, all the while squelching the ocassional uprising by the few civilizations that still can only produce chariots and elephants.
Its only funny because it is so real. Some civilizations today are just so far behind the rest of the world, there is simply no way they could catch up. And to have them catch up could be devistateing to our civilization, especialy in resource consumption.

Some times I wonder what SouthAmerican, rainforest tribes think when they see a Jet plane fly over head, or if what they would think if they ever went to a big city. That would be like us discovering that there is a super advanced civilization that has been living here on earth all this time. Would we just say, "Yah, I kind of figured that you guys were here, some where." Would you want to live there, or just go back to the way life always was, nice and simple?

I wonder.......