How would interstellar travel benefit the human race?

Question

If the human race were to successfully create the means to travel throughout space for an indefinate period of time, how much would that actually benefit us? What do you think we would find along our travels?

Answer 1

Given that eventually the sun will be depleted of hydrogen for fuel and will expand to either envelope or push out the earth, leading to the end of life as we know it, it would be best if humanity were somewhere else when that happens.

However, I suppose that you are asking about more tangible benefits. First of all, the issue of space is important. That is, we will eventually run out of it. It's true that the solar system is fairly large, but eventually that may no longer be enough.

It's hard to determine the immediate benefits as we have very little idea of what we might discover. Perhaps we might encounter a Gaia-type world that contains the cure for every known disease. Perhaps we'll find nothing and make the earth all that much more valuable.

I suppose that for right now, the only benefit would be the appeal to human curiosity. Instead of staying in one place, we can go out as see what's out there, and no price can be placed on that.

Answer 2

We could put all the idiots in a rocket and shoot it into space...

(since everyone has a different idea of who idiots are, i'm sure to be correct!)

As long as some of those idiots are the kind of idiots that don't care about preserving this planet. They will be the first to be kicked off. Enjoy Pluto, oil spillers!

Answer 3

The second part of your question answers with Interesting stuff. As to the first part, survival of the human genepool, a rethink of all religions.

But for mankind to be able to travel to the stars, he would have to undergo a radical change in his way of life, including his relationships to his fellow man.

Answer 4

You know, I've sat and thought about this for some time, and it all comes to one word:

Colonization.