Some scientists claim that this universe of ours cannot exist forever. Some predict that the fabric of space will tear itself apart one day in a "big rip." Others foretell of how the universe's expansion will reverse, with all of the matter we can see being forced into a single, infinitely small point with a so called, "big crunch."
But what if neither of these things will occur and the universe is destined to carry on forever? Can mankind make it into infinity? Is plannet hopping a viable strategy? There may be a hundred trillion habitable planets in our universe and if we go from one to the other perhaps we could last out for a quadrillion years. That's an impossibly long time but it's not forever. Then what?
Should we be thinking of ways to conquer the distances of space, to colonise other worlds or should our energy be focused on solutions for planetary decay, ensuring that we'll never have to leave Earth? Should we be asking if it is possible to keep our Sun from dying or maybe the way forward is to create synthetic stars as well as building our own planets from scratch?
I believe that if we all cram ourselves onto man made ships and head off into the blackness it will be for reasons of horrible necessity rather than ambitious exploration and conquest. If we find ourselves being visited by an alien space craft one day will those visiters be superior to us or will we actually find ourselves having to play host to a species which had failed to maintain its' home?
But what if neither of these things will occur and the universe is destined to carry on forever? Can mankind make it into infinity? Is plannet hopping a viable strategy? There may be a hundred trillion habitable planets in our universe and if we go from one to the other perhaps we could last out for a quadrillion years. That's an impossibly long time but it's not forever. Then what?
Should we be thinking of ways to conquer the distances of space, to colonise other worlds or should our energy be focused on solutions for planetary decay, ensuring that we'll never have to leave Earth? Should we be asking if it is possible to keep our Sun from dying or maybe the way forward is to create synthetic stars as well as building our own planets from scratch?
I believe that if we all cram ourselves onto man made ships and head off into the blackness it will be for reasons of horrible necessity rather than ambitious exploration and conquest. If we find ourselves being visited by an alien space craft one day will those visiters be superior to us or will we actually find ourselves having to play host to a species which had failed to maintain its' home?
