Posted on 09/08/2004 8:41:37 AM PDT by blam
Noah's Ark plan from top Moon man
By Pallab Ghosh
BBC Science Correspondent, at the BA festival
The European Space Agency's chief scientist has said that there should be a Noah's Ark on the Moon, in case the Earth is destroyed by an asteroid or nuclear holocaust.
Europe's first lunar probe is due to orbit the Moon in November
Speaking exclusively to BBC News at the British Association Science Festival, Dr Bernard Foing said that the ark should be a repository for the DNA of every single species of plant and animal.
Dr Foing is head of Europe's Moon missions, so his thoughts on matters lunar should be taken seriously.
He is concerned that if the Earth were destroyed, there would be little or nothing left of the rich diversity of life on the planet.
His solution is to build a DNA library on the Moon.
"If there were a catastrophic collision on Earth or a nuclear war you could place some samples of Earth's biosphere, including humans, [on the Moon]," he said.
"You could repopulate the Earth afterwards like a Noah's Ark," he said.
For the time being though, Dr Foing is awaiting the arrival of Europe's first probe to the Moon.
That mission is due to arrive ahead of schedule in November.
It is the first of what he hopes will be a fleet of robotic spacecraft sent to the Moon.
They would be used to build a lunar colony.
BTTT
Would there be anyone left to care?
That would depend on the size of the impacter and the intensity and duration of the subsequent 'cosmic winter.'
It seems lately that every scientists making the news from Europe is a top scientist. How many top scientists do they have over there?
But, their going to need a permit to park an Ark on our Moon.
Atos
Atos
Seriously, though, I'd like to volumteer for the moon procreation team - someone's gotta populate the place (and babys cheaper to make than to transport).
And how would this DNA miraculously regenerate the respective organisms?
What a dumb idea.
Roaches and bahiagrass will survive any catastrophe. What more diversity is needed? /sarcasm
Uh huh!
The same statement was made about flight in the first place. But, regardless of the shortsided criticism, until we can get families off the planet, it might not be a bad idea to establish a DNA 'encyclopedia' of sorts with other cultural information about the human race and life on Earth in the event of global catastrophe. Its vanity perhaps. But, I think that Man is far too precious to be forgotten.
The Earth is too small and fragile a basket for the human race to keep all its eggs in."Robert Heinlein
You and others think that is 'dumb.' I get that. But, I'll side with Heinlein on this one, if you don't mind.
Mr. Atos
Not that far fetched...even I have considered that possibility.
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