Human Development - Space Exploration???

Question

The universe is absolutely huge and still expanding, but mankind has only ever been able to send probes as far as the edge of the solar system.

It doesn't seem logical that this universe is so vast for one planet to explore.

Do you think that mankind will ever be able travel between galaxies or could it be possible that there is terrestrial life out there?

Do you think that we'll ever know before we destroy ourselves?

Answer 1

i think we will have destroyed outselves before we develop the technology to travel outside the solar system.

i wouldnt like to say it is impossible because 100 years ago, it would have been thought impossible to get in space at all but i think there will be a nuclear war before we can get much further in space

Answer 2

Barring that great big breakthrough in hyper-space manipulation (hey, it's impossible until it happens), we'll have to develop a lot of patience. Still, our powers of observation from a distance have led to some amazing discoveries. What we are starting to learn from our own solar system is keeping us occupied for now. Our AI programming skills are making robots more capable. We may be able to send some of them to the nearby stars within the century and get feedback by the next one (If we don't leapfrog them somehow). We can design novel, long-term projects like a galactic polar probe to give us a better map of the Milky Way. There's nothing like an obstacle to spur creativity.

The other galaxies will remain untouchable for the forseeable future but we can observe the heck out of them. We are learning that we don't laways have to go someplace to make discoveries.

There is a danger we may culturally collapse and technologically implode due to war or ecological disaster. Hopefully we've learned how to see and deal with the problems before they spin out of control. If not, hopefully we have the means to preserve a technological kernel, or have enough information written down (not just on unreadable binary disks) to survive a dark age. It's been done before.

Ignoring possible interruptions, I do think we'll end up colonizing Mars when the plan becomes self-sustaining and is in our interest as a species to do so. That's the usual motivator, lack of alternatives. We just need to make sure we give ourselves enough time to accomplish the deed. We can only accomplish one goal at a time.

Answer 3

It's highly unlikely that we'll travel that far.

Answer 4

i think there has to be but we'll never find it