How many of you guys think?

Question

That humanity should move to the stars and colonize other worlds.

Answer 1

I think that whatever counts for human in the future will, biological or android.  The later can become sapient, and would really be an extension of the human race, I'd argue.  But we've only got another billion years on this planet, due to climate.

Answer 2

I think we will in time. But not for a few more centuries. How can we justify moving to a new planet just to mess that one up too if we can't get this one under control?

Answer 3

I believe this is the manifest destiny of the human species or our technologically integrated successors.

Even if we manage our worlds environmental crisis - we will still eventually face the prospects of a dying star.

I believe our future - on a time scale of thousands of years (assuming species survival) is as follows.  

- Mankind develops the means to be sustained on the surface of Mars, initially in enclosed environments with supported greenhouse farming.  

-Eventually, through 'terraforming' where chemical processes and bioengineering on Mars are leveraged to make the planet temperate and arable, our species, or it's successor, will have colonized another world.

- Subsequently, or in parallel, we will begin to experiment with relativistic space travel propulsion.  Initially probes - sort of 'interstellar sputniks' if you will.  

- We will direct these interstellar probes, likely capable of reaching greater than 0.25 C (a quarter of the speed of light) to extra-solar planets that have been identified through advanced astrometric methods using telescope arrays in space.  These extrasolar worlds will be Earth sized and have evidence of molecular oxygen, a product of photosynthesis, in an analysis of spectral light obtained from these arrays.

- Once the probe reaches one of these extrasolar worlds (assume 100 years transit time for a star within 30 light years of Earth) we will collect data on the habitability of the planet.

- The next step will be to launch ourselves towards this star.   Whether this is achieved through generational ships, ships capable of achieving enough a proportion of the speed of light to slow the aging process of those on board, or by shipping embryos in stasis with robotic 'nanny's' is at this point conjecture - but all are imaginable.

Great question - KEEP STUDYING SCIENCE - AND BE BOLD TO WONDER AND DREAM.  You may be one of the many pioneers to make this happen!

Answer 4

As soon as we find a suitable planet for the human race. And when we figure out the technology. That would be pretty cool!

Answer 5

I think we should, as soon as we're able!  It's human nature to explore and expand our habitat.  Our ancestors did it by settling most of the land areas on the Earth.  :-)

Answer 6

At some point in the future (if we have not destroyed ourselves before), we will have the choice:  move on or see the race die off.  Earth and Sun are not eternal.  Even though the Sun won't bloat up to red giant for 5 billion years, it will eventually get hotter.  Life on Earth might become impossible in a measly million years (not billion, million).

If I were given the chance to vote, I'd pick "move on".

We might as well start practicing now.

Answer 7

i belive its best if we stay here because we have practically destroyed the earth already so if we move than our solar system would be destroyed

Answer 8

I do, and were it not for the lack of interest from the public following the Apollo missions, and cuts to NASA's budget, we'd be a lot further along now.

Stay tuned. NASA is exploring several different propulsion systems that may make it possible:

http://www.nasa.gov/lb/centers/glenn/res...

Answer 9

I think humanity should just sit back and relax here on Earth.  Theres no place like home.