Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

If Mankind discovered FTL travel

Collapse
X
Collapse
 
  • Page of 3
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
Previous 1 2 3 template Next
  • #1

    If Mankind discovered FTL travel

    Here is another little hypothetical:

    If mankind discovered faster-than-light travel, like "warp drive", what effect would that have on humanity?

    Obviously, FTL would make colonization of the solar system a lot easier. And it would make exploration beyond our solar system, a lot more possible. What would that do to humanity? Would it improve humanity, or would we just take our problems with us into space? Would it change our philosophy of life?
    'There is a greater darkness than the one we fight. It is the darkness of the soul that has lost its way. The war we fight is not against powers and principalities, it is against chaos and despair. Greater than the death of flesh is the death of hope, the death of dreams. Against this peril we can never surrender. The future is all around us, waiting, in moments of transition, to be born in moments of revelation. No one knows the shape of that future or where it will take us. We know only that it is always born in pain.'"
    G'Kar - from Babylon 5 episode "Z'ha'dum"
    Tags: None
  • #2
    hmmm..depends when it was discovered.

    I think the effects would first be political. If it was horribly expensive then a few nations would hav a monopoly on space colonization, which would be troublesome. If it was cheap, it might lead to a free for all.

    In short, unlike what Pravin lal says, a change in our possible top speed would not really change mankind too much.Only if we found somehting very interesting out there would it change.
    If you don't like reality, change it! me
    "Oh no! I am bested!" Drake
    "it is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong" Voltaire
    "Patriotism is a pernecious, psychopathic form of idiocy" George Bernard Shaw

    Comment

    • #3
      Very little without cheap transportation to and from orbit.

      It WOULD mean we could launch unmanned probes to explore nearby starsystems - but I can't see it being a colonization issue for another 50-100 years.

      We can't even produce enclosed envionments on earth, let alone space. Being in space for even a few months has a drastic effect on the human condition.

      We'll have to learn to crawl before we can walk or run.
      Some cry `Allah O Akbar` in the street. And some carry Allah in their heart.
      "The CIA does nothing, says nothing, allows nothing, unless its own interests are served. They are the biggest assembly of liars and theives this country ever put under one roof and they are an abomination" Deputy COS (Intel) US Army 1981-84

      Comment

      • #4
        Travel is only one obstacle facing future space exploration.

        I, actually, don't see a problem with only a few nations being able to have this technology.
        urgh.NSFW

        Comment

        • #5
          Originally posted by Cruddy
          Very little without cheap transportation to and from orbit.

          It WOULD mean we could launch unmanned probes to explore nearby starsystems - but I can't see it being a colonization issue for another 50-100 years.

          We can't even produce enclosed envionments on earth, let alone space. Being in space for even a few months has a drastic effect on the human condition.

          We'll have to learn to crawl before we can walk or run.
          The changes would probably be gradual and take time. But there would be social/political and technological consequences to discovering FTL travel. I am just trying to figure out what they would be!

          It would take time, but FTL would eventually lead to colonization of the solar system. Would colonization of Mars make environmental concerns on Earth less important? Once colonization of Mars becomes possible, and people can move there, will we become less concerned about population growth on Earth?
          'There is a greater darkness than the one we fight. It is the darkness of the soul that has lost its way. The war we fight is not against powers and principalities, it is against chaos and despair. Greater than the death of flesh is the death of hope, the death of dreams. Against this peril we can never surrender. The future is all around us, waiting, in moments of transition, to be born in moments of revelation. No one knows the shape of that future or where it will take us. We know only that it is always born in pain.'"
          G'Kar - from Babylon 5 episode "Z'ha'dum"

          Comment

          • #6
            So long as it was only benevolent nations (US, Britain, Spain) who have the technology, I wouldn't mind.

            Not that it is going to happen, mind you.
            www.my-piano.blogspot

            Comment

            • #7
              Depends on how much faster than the speed of light we're talking here. If we're talking 190,000 MPH, then hooray for breaking the light barrier, but it'll still take us years to leave the solar system.

              That's really the only immediate use I could see for a FTL space drive -- interstellar exploration (unmanned probes, most likely), and probably an increase in stellar exploration as well (now it will take much less time to take pictures of Pluto -- gotta make sure that the Old Ones are still asleep and all...). The technology just isn't there for colonization, particularly since the cost of space travel will still be prohibitive until we develop a cheap and effective means of getting a ship up into orbit.
              <p style="font-size:1024px">HTML is disabled in signatures </p>

              Comment

              • #8
                Depends on how much faster than the speed of light we're talking here. If we're talking 190,000 MPH, then hooray for breaking the light barrier, but it'll still take us years to leave the solar system.
                Even 1mph faster than c and the travellers would arrive before they set off.
                www.my-piano.blogspot

                Comment

                • #9
                  If overpopulation is under control, which is not an unreasonnable assumption, the only motive for the travel toward the stars is acquiring knowledge. That would not make a lot of change for most of the humans, but a great deal for some.
                  Statistical anomaly.
                  The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    By mankind, I'm assuming you mean the human race and not the brain damaged professional wrestler.....

                    ACK!
                    Don't try to confuse the issue with half-truths and gorilla dust!

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Originally posted by loinburger
                      Depends on how much faster than the speed of light we're talking here. If we're talking 190,000 MPH, then hooray for breaking the light barrier, but it'll still take us years to leave the solar system.
                      The light barrier is indeed at roughly 190,000 miles, just not per hour, but per second.

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        The 'H' stands for 'seconds.' Honest!
                        <p style="font-size:1024px">HTML is disabled in signatures </p>

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          If Mankind discovered FTL travel

                          Righties would still insist that we must buy weapons first and Lefties would still insist that we must eliminate world hunger first. Moderates like me don't have a voice about these things.

                          We have the technology to colonize Mars now.
                          Blog | Civ2 Scenario League | leo.petr at gmail.com

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            Originally posted by St Leo
                            Moderates like me...
                            I make no bones about my moral support for [terrorist] organizations. - chegitz guevara
                            For those who aspire to live in a high cost, high tax, big government place, our nation and the world offers plenty of options. Vermont, Canada and Venezuela all offer you the opportunity to live in the socialist, big government paradise you long for. –Senator Rubio

                            Comment

                            • #15
                              Originally posted by St Leo

                              We have the technology to colonize Mars now.
                              let you be the first
                              The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits

                              Hydey the no-limits man.

                              Comment

                              Previous 1 2 3 template Next
                              Working...
                              X