[smallpoxgirl]

It's sort of the same logic it seems as the people who say they will comit suicide at the first wiff of peak oil. "The sun will explode in 500 million years so lets see if we can't destroy all life on the planet during our life times making stupid crap like space ships." The most grave and imminent threat to life on this planet is civilized humans. Period.

[nero]

It seems to me the only real hope for life on earth living on after the earth has snuffed out is if we develop a new machine life form and send it out into space. I think that is much more realistic than believing our flesh and blood descendents will colonize space.

Hopefully if we ever do send out our creations into space we will instill into them the humility to understand that there is something greater than themselves.

[Heineken]

The notion of colonizing the stars is part of the same mindset that's gotten us---and our fellow creatures---into so much trouble on Earth.

At this point in our general death-struggle we'd have trouble "getting it up" just to go back to the goddamned Moon.

[Graeme]

I suspect that most people thought that this article was about the end of the world in our lifetime. That's why more than 500 people had a look at this thread. This is very telling because it indicates that self preservation is innate and most (some?) of us will survive peak oil and who knows the demise of the Earth.

[Clouseau2]

Instead of colonizing space, why don't we repair the Sun instead? We could mine all the extra material and build new planets, and dump hydrogen from nearby gas clouds to fuel the Sun.

That isn't possible today, but neither is moving to another solar system.

[smallpoxgirl]

Look guys. We're not going to escape planet earth. We're not going to colonize the universe with human machines or any stupid crap like that. The simple truth is that we're nothing all that special and the universe really doesn't need us that badly. Every one of us is born, grows old, and dies. Same thing with species, planets, etc. Why? No idea. I didn't design the system, but that's how it is. Maybe its to keep us humble. The truth is that we are pretty puny stupid little critters and there are things in the universe that can crush us like a bug. Is the sun someday going to burn out? Sure. Is the Yellowstone caldera going to explode and trigger an ice age? Someday. Why in the blazes would I want to worry about some uncontrolable calamity that is millions of years away. Figuring out my own trite, finite human life is complicated enough for my puny little human brain. Best case scenario, I got maybe 40-50 more years on this planet. If I can make it through that time without my species trashing the place any worse, that's good enough for me.

[EndDays]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('BlisteredWhippet', 'T')ruer than Jesus

[TWilliam]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('smallpoxgirl', 'L')ook guys. We're not going to escape planet earth. We're not going to colonize the universe with human machines or any stupid crap like that. The simple truth is that we're nothing all that special and the universe really doesn't need us that badly. Every one of us is born, grows old, and dies. Same thing with species, planets, etc. Why? No idea. I didn't design the system, but that's how it is. Maybe its to keep us humble. The truth is that we are pretty puny stupid little critters and there are things in the universe that can crush us like a bug. Is the sun someday going to burn out? Sure. Is the Yellowstone caldera going to explode and trigger an ice age? Someday. Why in the blazes would I want to worry about some uncontrolable calamity that is millions of years away. Figuring out my own trite, finite human life is complicated enough for my puny little human brain. Best case scenario, I got maybe 40-50 more years on this planet. If I can make it through that time without my species trashing the place any worse, that's good enough for me.

[grabby]

I think the real true eak oil will come before any of the above events. Red sun is just a feel good red herring, like"Oh well we got a long time"
Well we dont. almost all of us here will have our lives ended directly from peak oil effects sooon.
forget red suns.

[justgas]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'W')u Wei involves a lot of quiet thinking, reflection, inward mediation. It lets go by slipping out of the grip of thinking that things "must", "are", "or else". It asks questions but is comfortable without knowing an answer. It avoids wrong actions by not doing.

And if it was difficult, I would guess it really wasn't wu wei. Maybe on the path toward understanding it, but not part of its mature embodiment. It is in itself just a reflection of power in simplicity.

[o2ny]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('smallpoxgirl', 'T')he simple truth is that we're nothing all that special and the universe really doesn't need us that badly.

[smallpoxgirl]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('o2ny', 'A')h, but how are we much different from the universe that we feel separate from?

[Lighthouse]

I'm working on becoming a conscious spirit without a body. I read somewhere not stepping in the light will achieve this.

So I will be around when our sun will grow, implode, explode etc.

But before that I will haunt you all ...

[threadbear]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('justgas', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'W')u Wei involves a lot of quiet thinking, reflection, inward mediation. It lets go by slipping out of the grip of thinking that things "must", "are", "or else". It asks questions but is comfortable without knowing an answer. It avoids wrong actions by not doing.

And if it was difficult, I would guess it really wasn't wu wei. Maybe on the path toward understanding it, but not part of its mature embodiment. It is in itself just a reflection of power in simplicity.

[Zardoz]

Hawking's insistence that we must survive as a species is insufferable arrogance at it's very worst. How can someone so otherwise intelligent think such a thing?

Smallpoxgirl is so right when she says we're nothing special. Our passing will not be noticed.

Hell, if we haven't completely driven ourselves to extinction in the next couple of hundred years it'll be a miracle. And we're supposed to be worried about millions of years?

[Raxozanne]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Zardoz', 'H')awking's insistence that we must survive as a species is insufferable arrogance at it's very worst. How can someone so otherwise intelligent think such a thing?

[Doly]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Zardoz', 'H')awking's insistence that we must survive as a species is insufferable arrogance at it's very worst.

[Zardoz]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Doly', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Zardoz', 'H')awking's insistence that we must survive as a species is insufferable arrogance at it's very worst.

[smallpoxgirl]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Zardoz', 'A')nd, given our record of total irresponsibilty, do we deserve to survive? Do we deserve a second chance considering what we've done to our home planet?

[eric_b]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('willjones4', 'O')K, so am I really supposed to give two skips about what will happen in half a billion years?