How do we get to the Star Trek future?
- Thread starter wildsulu
- Start date
I like to tell my friends that in order to have Star Trek socialism like they want, we have to put a cork in modern-day socialism.
Mainly because I believe that First Contact was right, and the development of the technology we need to make Star Trek more of a reality is going to be developed by Capitalists who are trying to get rich, just like FC's Cochrane. And we need to push them along, not hold them back.
What I believe we need is the advancement of 5 technologies:
1 Low cost-to-space launch platforms. Elon Musk and others are working on lowering launch costs right now, but we still have to go further.
2 Orbital Solar. There's no clouds or night in space, so with a significant up-front investment and relatively low maintenance cost (See 1), we should be able to build orbital solar power stations which "beam" back microwave energy to receiving stations here on earth. Japan, and the US military among others are working on this. Give it a push with a few X-prizes and contracts.
3 Advanced 3D printers. This tech is growing by leaps and bounds. Soon we'll be able to print everything from pizza to organs to toys to houses (to a limited extent, we can print all those things NOW) Won't be long before we almost have replicators.
4 DE-Replicators. I don't know if we have anything like this yet, but what we really need is something that can break down 3D printed objects back into their component parts. For recycling. Once something breaks or wears out or you're just done with it, instead of a junkyard, into the de-printer it goes, back to be used as raw materials for the next thing you print.
5 Mine the asteroids. There are crazy-rich people already planning to do this. Asteroids have crazy amounts of raw materials (stuff you can put in an advanced 3D printer) just waiting to be captured. I've seen estimates that a 1-km asteroid could contain upwards of $4 TRILLION worth of raw materials, metals, etc. And there are rocks out there WAY bigger than that.
Put these things together and you eradicate the scarcity economy (at least for a few hundred thousand years), and that's as close as I can imagine to finally having a life like Star Trek shows. (Except for developing FTL, but AFAIK that's still in the realm of theoretical flights of fancy.)
I just think we'll never get there if we keep listening to people who say "why spend all this (really a tiny, tiny amount) money on space when there's so many problems on Earth?" Well, to SOLVE those problems, of course! (Imagine what we'll learn about stopping global warming if we can use Mars as an experiment in affecting it?)
And wouldn't it be beautifully ironic if a bunch of rich guys were the key to fixing things?
Mainly because I believe that First Contact was right, and the development of the technology we need to make Star Trek more of a reality is going to be developed by Capitalists who are trying to get rich, just like FC's Cochrane. And we need to push them along, not hold them back.
What I believe we need is the advancement of 5 technologies:
1 Low cost-to-space launch platforms. Elon Musk and others are working on lowering launch costs right now, but we still have to go further.
2 Orbital Solar. There's no clouds or night in space, so with a significant up-front investment and relatively low maintenance cost (See 1), we should be able to build orbital solar power stations which "beam" back microwave energy to receiving stations here on earth. Japan, and the US military among others are working on this. Give it a push with a few X-prizes and contracts.
3 Advanced 3D printers. This tech is growing by leaps and bounds. Soon we'll be able to print everything from pizza to organs to toys to houses (to a limited extent, we can print all those things NOW) Won't be long before we almost have replicators.
4 DE-Replicators. I don't know if we have anything like this yet, but what we really need is something that can break down 3D printed objects back into their component parts. For recycling. Once something breaks or wears out or you're just done with it, instead of a junkyard, into the de-printer it goes, back to be used as raw materials for the next thing you print.
5 Mine the asteroids. There are crazy-rich people already planning to do this. Asteroids have crazy amounts of raw materials (stuff you can put in an advanced 3D printer) just waiting to be captured. I've seen estimates that a 1-km asteroid could contain upwards of $4 TRILLION worth of raw materials, metals, etc. And there are rocks out there WAY bigger than that.
Put these things together and you eradicate the scarcity economy (at least for a few hundred thousand years), and that's as close as I can imagine to finally having a life like Star Trek shows. (Except for developing FTL, but AFAIK that's still in the realm of theoretical flights of fancy.)
I just think we'll never get there if we keep listening to people who say "why spend all this (really a tiny, tiny amount) money on space when there's so many problems on Earth?" Well, to SOLVE those problems, of course! (Imagine what we'll learn about stopping global warming if we can use Mars as an experiment in affecting it?)
And wouldn't it be beautifully ironic if a bunch of rich guys were the key to fixing things?
Just me, but I'd push for some kind of "all/most of the above" option, which is why I picked "other."
We should focus on protecting the biodiversity of the strange old world we already live on, so future generations may have as wondrous a planet to call home as we do. Accordingly, our foremost concerns should be humane human population reduction, and the preservation of endangered species and habitats. Guess what, rocket/space enthusiasts: there're no elephants, rhinos or tigers anywhere else in the solar system, and they might not be around in a century, whereas Mars and various asteroids aren't going anywhere. Priorities, people.
I'm just reminded of Futurama, where Fry hopes the world will one day evolve into the future of Star Trek. But then Leela points out that Star Trek is set in their past.
As to your point, 1984 came and passed. Our 23rd century will no doubt be vastly different no matter what we do.
By spreading blindness?!
I would like to see a small base on Mars. We would soon find out if they would turn into cannibals, or behave like the should and build something cool out there.
And I partially agree with Gaith that humanity has some bad impacts on earth. (but no reduction I.M.O.) But for me that's one more reason why people should be on 2 planets, in case one gets screwed up.
If countries can cooperate with the space station, they should also do it with more interesting/exciting projects.
And I partially agree with Gaith that humanity has some bad impacts on earth. (but no reduction I.M.O.) But for me that's one more reason why people should be on 2 planets, in case one gets screwed up.
If countries can cooperate with the space station, they should also do it with more interesting/exciting projects.
Are you volunteering? I'm damn sure not.
It wouldn't be pleasant, but it offers a little perspective. There's room for a couple dozen more folks on this rock before we start talking about scaling back.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/10/111031-population-7-billion-earth-world-un-seven/
Yes, in the sense that two humans produced me, and I'm seriously considering not producing two humans to replace me. As T'Girl understood, I was referring to birthrate reduction. (That said, I also have no objection to medically-approved euthanasia, so if I ever get to the point where I'm too senile or weak to be of any use to anyone, I'll gladly consider a more direct form of volunteering at or near that time.)Are you volunteering? I'm damn sure not.
Yes, in the sense that two humans produced me, and I'm seriously considering not producing two humans to replace me. As T'Girl understood, I was referring to birthrate reduction. (That said, I also have no objection to medically-approved euthanasia, so if I ever get to the point where I'm too senile or weak to be of any use to anyone, I'll gladly consider a more direct form of volunteering at or near that time.)Are you volunteering? I'm damn sure not.
Who gets to decides that you're too senile to live? I'll volunteer for that one.
Problem I have with that philosophy is it could come to be seen as a societal obligation. When you get to a certain age, or become infirm beyond a certain level, then you would feel a responsibility to off yourself.
^ while I don't like the idea of population reduction... (I mean who or what should decide about your children? and also the global innovation/productivity decreases)
..there is something to be said for it. For example: when only efficient food production remains, hunger is easier to eradicate. Feel free to point me to some information, - out of curiosity.
..there is something to be said for it. For example: when only efficient food production remains, hunger is easier to eradicate. Feel free to point me to some information, - out of curiosity.
Apparently humanity was screwed in the Trek universe until they invented warp drive. So all we need to do is get warp - all other accomplishments will be dwarfed by the alien technology we can recieve after the alien's decide we're evolved enough to break their prime directive and share the wealth.
I say maybe after a catastrophic event, where people become more valuable than profit, followed by an advance in technology (namely solar/wind power sciences and advancements in food production), we may get a Trekyish world (minus space travel or at least anything beyond our solar system).
