For a budding space-faring race, Humans got dealt a folding hand. The biggest burn is the dead ball that orbits our planet. A living moon would have been critical to our chances. The next insurmountable barrier is that there are no other planets in our Solar System that can sustain life (get out of here, Io). Forget about travel to even the nearest star. All we could hope to do is seed another planet in a distant system with our genetic material.
I'd love for someone in the future to prove me a defeatist long after my death, but I think such endeavors such as SETI to be a tremendous excersise in futile masturbation.
I'm against conservation because it's akin to a starving family trying to save the last slice of baloney in an otherwise-empty refrigerator.
Drive SUVs, and drink to excess while it lasts.
Have a wonderful holiday weekend, RightWhale. :)
The Fitzgerald translation of Omar is hopelessly bogus. Burn your copy. And have a happy and safe fourth.
On the contrary having any moon, especially a large one like ours, is a big plus. It gives you somewhere close to aim for. Then when you know you can do it, you can think about going farther. An airless world even has some advantages as a staging point for further explorations. The jury is still out on Europa, (IO is a sulpherous ball, heated by tidal friction resembling nothing so much as hell).
On the contrary having any moon, especially a large one like ours, is a big plus. It gives you somewhere close to aim for. Then when you know you can do it, you can think about going farther. An airless world even has some advantages as a staging point for further explorations. The jury is still out on Europa, (IO is a sulpherous ball, heated by tidal friction resembling nothing so much as hell).