Here's the thing we probably won't colonize space. It costs a lot of money to get people into space and keep them alive the only so unless there is a financial benefit such as gathering resources its not going to happen. However the gathering of those resources is most likely to be fully automated with robots and machinery that it is operated remotely.

There are only two scenarios I can see where we are going to colonise space with actual humans. Survival because the planet has become screwed or as a leisure activity because somebody has discovered a way to get people into space and keep them alive for cheap.

Problem is we live ridiculously short in intelligent species standards. Space colonization would only make sense if we break this cycle , we need at least practical immortality and then enough number of exoplanets to inhabitate billions. (as not everybody will die)

Before that, it's just leading the path. In that pov, very miserable we are, it's sad to know you'll not survive when it's a matter of time.

Problem is we live ridiculously short in intelligent species standards. Space colonization would only make sense if we break this cycle , we need at least practical immortality and then enough number of exoplanets to inhabitate billions. (as not everybody will die)
Before that, it's just leading the path. In that pov, very miserable we are, it's sad to know you'll not survive when it's a matter of time.

I can still see space colonization working without large lifespans, as there is the notion of robotic incubation, generation ships, etc.

I feel that the reasons that the Europeans colonized the Americas were varied. Firstly, it was discovered by sheer chance because of people hoping that they'd get to India by going West. After that, it turned out there was economic value to coming to the Americas. The we can do this because we can argument right now applies to bored billionaires, because of how much more vastly expensive space travel is compared to ships. For us to reach the point of why not, space travel has to be a lot cheaper, and granted, we may yet reach it.

I can see an Interstellar kind of scenario where people are just forced to go out. I can definitely see the scenario where we find out there's a sentient species out there, and we decide to get drop by for a visit (or they visit us and we're like we really should get off this one rock). I also feel like that surviving a potentially hostile sentient race would require being on more than one planet.

I can see an Interstellar kind of scenario where people are just forced to go out. I can definitely see the scenario where we find out there's a sentient species out there, and we decide to get drop by for a visit (or they visit us and we're like we really should get off this one rock). I also feel like that surviving a potentially hostile sentient race would require being on more than one planet.

If we meet a hostile sentient race then we can't just hide from them on another planet: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-replicating_spacecraft#Berserkers

I may be too individualist but I see no point is sending out generation ships (the kind of ships with only embryos like the old prof wanted in Interstellar) just for the sake of um.... colonization and spreading our genes. The best point so far I saw in the posts was the case when we acquire significantly longer lifespans of immortality.

It's started already.

On the news today I heard that spacex is willing to take rich tourists on an orbital trip around the moon for 500 million dollars a go per person.

Next step lunar expeditions?

It's started already.

On the news today I heard that spacex is willing to take rich tourists on an orbital trip around the moon for 500 million dollars a go per person.

Next step lunar expeditions?

Yea I saw that news too. I wonder if the first colonies on the Moon will just end up being tax havens and getaway resorts. How weird would that end up being?

Most scifi depictions of colonies are either independent planets or something along the lines of tons of workers living in shit conditions under a corporatocracy.

EDIT:

I feel that something along the lines of cryosleep would work for large scale space travel. Or you build giant ships that have huge communities living onboard them and people just keep living there until they hit a planet. It'd be like a moving space city type thing.

EDIT:

I feel that something along the lines of cryosleep would work for large scale space travel. Or you build giant ships that have huge communities living onboard them and people just keep living there until they hit a planet. It'd be like a moving space city type thing.

I could see this happening. Large space ship/cities that travel to a destination over 100's or even 1000's of years. Stopping at a solar system for a few decades to drop off any would-be colonists and repairing/refueling before heading off to the next one.

Did anyone here ever watch the TV series "ascension"?

How long before we see a scandal like that, thousands of people scammed into thinking they're going into space, never to return, perhaps even for a fee?

Did anyone here ever watch the TV series "ascension"?

How long before we see a scandal like that, thousands of people scammed into thinking they're going into space, never to return, perhaps even for a fee?

You mean Mars One?

Did anyone here ever watch the TV series "ascension"?How long before we see a scandal like that, thousands of people scammed into thinking they're going into space, never to return, perhaps even for a fee?

You mean Mars One?

No, short TV series about a bunch of people who thought they were on a generational ship heading for alpha centurai, they never really left earth and it was all a huge psychology/science experiment with people observing them from outside the spaceship in a big warehouse...