[gkihueonhjh]

[1] What if we find a dinky di Earth like planet within say 100 L/years distant?

[2] What if we find irrefutable evidence of ETI within say 100 L/years distant?


Would we then stick our collective heads together to reach such a planet?
Would we stick our collective heads together to try and make contact with said ETI?

Sticking our collective heads together I suggest in the first instant we would build a generation type space ship to reach such a planet using one of many or a combination of drives to propel us there...solar sails...Ion drives...Nuclear propulsion methods.
In the mean time further progress and technological advancements could very well see a generation type ship be overtaken.
What if we discover how to manipulate space/time [warp drive for instant] Yes most probably it will be "New Physics" but then it was "New Physics" just over 100 years ago that gave us a new picture of the Universe we live in.
Even more incredible, it is only just over 100 years that we learnt how to conquer atmospheric flight with heavier then air machines....All in 100 years!
Remembering of course that while reaching for the stars, we will create benefits with every step along the way.


With number [2] if we find evidence of ETI, I suggest that we would try and make contact with such a species, just as I believe they would try and make contact with us. Let's presume that the ETI and us are reasonably close in technological achievements and capabilities.
Just as I believe we would not make any approach to them that could be mistaken for aggression, so to I believe they would not be making any aggressive approach to us.
As in [1] I reckon we would pool our collective heads together to try and reach them [maybe in a generation type ship again] ....
Going to the extreme some would probably scream blue murder and cut their throats to learn that we are not "IT"
It could on the other hand give some Christian missionaries imputus to go forth and reap what the Lord has sown.
Then we could have the dreaded militarists amongst us dreaming up reasons for a more hostile approach.

All in all I think in the main, we would take both issues as they came, and cool sensible heads would prevail without the need for any extreme action.




In conclusion, I found this little ditty...and as you guessed I quite like it.

The best way to predict the future is to create it.

[amusaasyday]

Just as I believe we would not make any approach to them that could be mistaken for aggression, so to I believe they would not be making any aggressive approach to us. how will we know what they consider aggressive?

travelling around this planet you soon realise that some things, either actions or words, that your society considers ok are not ok in other societies.

i think we would try to set up communication. it wouldn't be a two way conversation of course more a sending of information about our planet and people.

as for travelling to each others planets i think would be well down the road.

[Intockatt]

think we would try to set up communication. it wouldn't be a two way conversation of course more a sending of information about our planet and people.

as for travelling to each others planets i think would be well down the road.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>


Can't argue with that.

[Freeptube]

> [1] What if we find a dinky di Earth like planet within say 100 L/years distant? Would we then stick our collective heads together to reach such a planet?

Have just designed a new/old type of spacecraft engine for getting us there. Will post the design on a blog in the next couple of days.

It's new/old in that it's a very old idea but but to get it to work requires a new bit of half-insane engineering.

[WoCTrt0X]

WELCOME



Imagine the historic moment when the first Earth-like planet is detected deep across interstellar space. Like an inaccessible jewel it will beckon us. Is this a future home for humanity? What forms of life are already there? How do we get there? What happens when we arrive?

Based on today's technology, traveling to the stars is a long-term proposition. While existing space agencies grapple with sending astronauts beyond Earth orbit, and entrepreneurial firms bring the thrill of spaceflight to the people, no one has taken on the challenge of reaching other habitable worlds; until now.

The Tau Zero Foundation is a volunteer group of scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, and writers who have agreed to work together toward practical interstellar flight and to use this quest to teach you about science, technology, and our place in the universe. By posting the latest developments and unfinished advancements here, we give students the starting materials to begin their own discoveries. By showing both how daunting and incredible this challenge is, we hope to increase attention on protecting the habitability of Earth while planning journeys into the galaxy. By reaching for the stars we will create benefits every step of the way.

Here is how you can help with this ambition. With enough support we can competitively award grants and scholarships. Help us create a future worth striving for, where humanity can survive and thrive into the heavens. Let's make this dream a reality together.



http://www.tauzero.aero/index.html#

[Hoglaunccoolf]

Quite an interesting site with plenty of innovative and futuristic ideas....

I quite enjoy exploring it and also some of their interesting and realistic quotes....



A journey of a thousand light-years begins with a single step." ~ Confucius (extended 13 orders of magnitude)



Earth is the cradle of humanity, but it is impossible to live forever in the cradle." ~ Tsiolkovski, 1912 (Russian rocketry pioneer & futurist)



The best way to predict the future is to create it." ~ Peter F. Drucker



"While reaching for the stars, we will create benefits with every step"




further....


Using the dream of reaching other worlds as both a long-range goal and a catalyst for near-term progress, the Tau Zero Foundation supports incremental advancements in science, technology, and education. As a private nonprofit (501c3) corporation, supported mainly through philanthropic donations, the Foundation seeks out and directs support to the best practitioners who can make credible progress toward this incredible goal and educate the public during this journey of discovery.




http://www.tauzero.aero/html/about_us.html



Nice having orginizations around like this.

[joOEMcheapSOFTWARE]

At the moment [1] would make no difference to us at all as getting there is a practical impossibility... We simply don't have the technology to make the journey.

And even If [2] turned out to be true, communication would be a minimum 200 yr turn around on messages, witch makes it a practical impossibility as well.

[MzTT]

At the moment [1] would make no difference to us at all as getting there is a practical impossibility... We simply don't have the technology to make the journey.

And even If [2] turned out to be true, communication would be a minimum 200 yr turn around on messages, witch makes it a practical impossibility as well.

May I quote...
A journey of a thousand L/years, starts with a single footstep...

and

The best way to predict the future is to create it."

[P1international]

May I quote...
A journey of a thousand L/years, starts with a single footstep...

and

The best way to predict the future is to create it."

I'm not sure how those quotes really help... But there is little denying that both scenarios are practical impossibilities at the moment and, baring a step change in technology, will remain that way for the conceivable future.

[BadbarmrapBef]

May I quote...
A journey of a thousand L/years, starts with a single footstep...
------------
You can, but if that first footstep is done wrong you may very well be dead for 999.99999L/years of that journey.

[Khurlxgq]

I'm not sure how those quotes really help... But there is little denying that both scenarios are practical impossibilities at the moment and, baring a step change in technology, will remain that way for the conceivable future.

They may appear very well near impossible at this time, but there is a thing called progress and time........
We, [well at least the astro-physicists and scientists at the coal front] are certainly not going to sit on their hands on this fart arse little blue Orb and stagnate, or worse still go backwards.
The Wright brothers overcame their impossibilities....
Chuck Yeager also defied the doom sayers....
NASA did the same with Apollo.
Scientists are still working at controlled Nuclear fusion and havn't given up because its difficult.
Wonderful don't you think diddly, how we can overcome problems and seemingly impossible odds if we work at it.




The best way to predict the future is to create it."



"A journey of a thousand light-years begins with a single step." ~ Confucius (extended 13 orders of magnitude)

[EasyLOAD]

I dips me Lid to this "tau Orginization' and what they are trying to achieve....Good stuff!

[CatLuvkaLover]

Has anyone got a graph of how far (Km ?) the average human traveled in its lifetime over the last thousand years or so.?

And a graph for the last few decades for our spacecraft travels ?

[sbrpkkl]

I imagine a spike during the late 60s and early seventies.

[clitlyphype]

> And a graph for the last few decades for our spacecraft travels ?
> I imagine a spike during the late 60s and early seventies.

As I type, we're four hours 46 minutes into a six hour spacewalk going on that the ISS. Not sure how to graph that though.

> Has anyone got a graph of how far (Km ?) the average human traveled in its lifetime over the last thousand years or so.?

Perhaps you could make one up yourself. My pedometer says I'm averaging 4 km/day on foot, and car odometer says 10,000 km/year. Could be two graphs, one for microtravel and one for home relocation.