Destiny of humanity and complex life on the Earth

[Moontanman]

Any movement starts with the realization of a need. The need to start on the road toward humanity becoming a space fairing civilization is paramount. The movement needs to start 50 years ago, we need to be in overdrive to start the realization of space travel. If we wait to long lack of resources and fear will defeat us. Once we gain a foot hold in space the movement can begin to show it's value by the transfer of resources to the planet and by building more habitats. If it's not done soon society will be drained by the negative influences of war, religion, greed, and apathy.

[charles brough]

Originally Posted by Moontanman

Any movement starts with the realization of a need. The need to start on the road toward humanity becoming a space fairing civilization is paramount. The movement needs to start 50 years ago, we need to be in overdrive to start the realization of space travel. If we wait to long lack of resources and fear will defeat us. Once we gain a foot hold in space the movement can begin to show it's value by the transfer of resources to the planet and by building more habitats. If it's not done soon society will be drained by the negative influences of war, religion, greed, and apathy.

As you say, the need is already here---even 50 years ago---but it is still not a part of popular acceptance or belief. It will not and has not sprung up by itself. It needs to be apart of whole world-view and way of thinking. The old indifference survives because our secular belief system is so fragile that it cannot offend or contradict the basic religion, Christianity, the foundation of our ancient society. For example, it is because of Christian Genesis belief in multiplying and populating the earth that one does not hear anything about over-population being the cause of our environmental and pollution problems. It is also why we are in danger of having birth control and abortion made illegal.

You mentioned a movement. What we need is a movement that is "the wave of the future," one that is based on a scientific understanding, an ideology that is advanced and sets the colonizing of space as its major goal. I have been working on just that project for a long time. New such belief systems have arisen in the past and changed the world. It will have to happen again. We will then need to think in a different way than today.

[Moontanman]

Originally Posted by charles brough

As you say, the need is already here---even 50 years ago---but it is still not a part of popular acceptance or belief. It will not and has not sprung up by itself. It needs to be apart of whole world-view and way of thinking. The old indifference survives because our secular belief system is so fragile that it cannot offend or contradict the basic religion, Christianity, the foundation of our ancient society. For example, it is because of Christian Genesis belief in multiplying and populating the earth that one does not hear anything about over-population being the cause of our environmental and pollution problems. It is also why we are in danger of having birth control and abortion made illegal.

You mentioned a movement. What we need is a movement that is "the wave of the future," one that is based on a scientific understanding, an ideology that is advanced and sets the colonizing of space as its major goal. I have been working on just that project for a long time. New such belief systems have arisen in the past and changed the world. It will have to happen again. We will then need to think in a different way than today.

Agreed, we need a new belief system but sadly any new belief system would be just as vigorously opposed as current belief system oppose each other now. Humanity shows no sign of becoming more rational any time soon . I would even go as far as to to say that irrationality seems to be in the increase.

[charles brough]

Originally Posted by Moontanman

Agreed, we need a new belief system but sadly any new belief system would be just as vigorously opposed as current belief system oppose each other now. Humanity shows no sign of becoming more rational any time soon . I would even go as far as to to say that irrationality seems to be in the increase.

Oh, I don't think people are LESS rational now than they were before! It used to be that even scientists (such as the great ones of the 17th and 18th century) believed in God and spirits. Now, it is mainly only the Penticolstals, Baptists and Evangelicals in the US. In the rest of the world, there are billions of people who believe secularly and are only liberal in their belief in their own religions.

Besides, even ancient people were rational. The just didn't know what we have gradually learned. Then, they based their agricultural or herding or hunting technologies on spirit causation. It was still cause and effect they used. Now we find more accurate cause and effect patterns and processes not based on "spirit thinking."

What holds these old religions together and makes them last so long and have such influence is that they all answer the question: "what is our origin, our goal(s), how do we achieve them (the moral system) and what stands in our way?" We can answer all those questions scientifically (advanced) and, hence, have an ideology that is much more self-consistent than even the major faiths are. Being self-consistent turns it into a closed system and hence one that can endure for centuries.

Such a belief system would have to set space exploration and colonizing as the prime goal.

Right now, funding for NASA is totally inadequate and not growing. At any time, it could be cut. People are increasingly less and less interested in it.
Some actually resent the "waste of money" that it costs. After all, our secular goal is only "the pursuit of happiness." What can you expect?

[Moontanman]

NASA has been the whipping boy of nay sayers almost from the beginning. People in power who want to act like they are saving money and eliminating waste always use NASA as an example to distract people from their own pet projects and pork agendas. The money NASA gets is minuscule compared to the money we waste on things like the war in Iraq, bail outs, subsidies, even so called pork projects often spend more money than is used by NASA. It's sad that innuendos and misdirection make up so much of what we "know" Most people would rather be told what to think than take the time and effort to see what is really going on. Very sad and very human.

[charles brough]

Yes, people are mostly unaware of the importance of space exploration and colonizing to the future of the human race.

But, it is not a human "fault." We are, after all, unchanged for the last tens of thousands of years. All that has changed is what we believe. Our belief systems are what shape us and explain where we are. Now, the problem is that our belief system is divided by diverse old religions and united (weakly) by our Secular belief system. The secular belief system's goal for us is "the pursuit of happiness." Does that strike you as a goal that will get us out into space colonies?

We need a whole new belief system to replace all those mentioned above! In the Atheistic Science Institute - home page I show how to build such a world-view system.

charles

[Fitness]

Singularity -> Astronomical leaps in technology -> Branches off into: The Terminator time line (which i believe is false) or Integration with humans (Which we're already seeing beginnings of).
I don't believe it's a matter of if, but when the singularity comes about, anything we ourselves create is going to infinitely surpassed by AI. Through that, the technology needed to colonize the galaxy comes, ultimately saving the human(if we can still call ourselves that) race.

[Jerusha]

This video shows another view:

YouTube - HERCOLUBUS : THE PLANET OF THE END OF...