[blam]

"Can you imagine the level of technological advancement we'd have today, if the Roman Empire had not collapsed, but merely morphed politically? I think we would have already colonized other worlds."

I think natural disasters, plagues and etc. should have more credit for the collapse/demise of civilizations. An example:

Santorini Eruption Much larger Than Originally Believed

The Dark Ages: Were They Darker Than We Imagined?

If humans are to survive, we must get off this world.

[Windflier]

If humans are to survive, we must get off this world.

I totally agree. Planets and cultures are frail things. They do not persist. We need to seed the cosmos with our progeny.