Re:Lunar bases may need to be quake-proof (2006)
by jcranmer on Saturday July 15, 2017 @08:07PM
(#14779794)
> Our eggs are currently all in one celestial basket. We need to try, desperately, to ensure that the human race does not go extinct (by fault of our own or otherwise). This means an alternative habitat.
Killing off humanity requires killing off 99.9999% of the population in a short amount of time. There is no plausible scenario that can do that: nuclear weapons won't do it, biological warfare won't do it, bolide impacts even at the scale of the Sudbury or Chicxulub probably can't do it.
Re:Lunar bases may need to be quake-proof (2006)
by TeMPOraL on Sunday July 16, 2017 @06:55AM
(#14781474)
Fair enough. Though personally, I care less about end of human race, and more about end of technological civilization. Life is resilient, but if we nuke ourselves back to the stone age, then frankly, what's the point?
Re:Lunar bases may need to be quake-proof (2006)
by Fej on Saturday July 15, 2017 @11:02PM
(#14780251)
There's a good chance that a nuclear exchange would result in a nuclear winter, and in the process drastically decrease the amount of arable land. In the worst case, agriculture could become impossible entirely.
You might say that the science on the nuclear winter effect isn't anywhere near settled... why take the chance?
I like to have faith in humanity but this is a bit too much.
Re:Lunar bases may need to be quake-proof (2006)
by lisper on Saturday July 15, 2017 @11:09PM
(#14780265)
Even in an absolute worst-case scenario there will still be more arable land on earth than on the moon or Mars.
Re:Lunar bases may need to be quake-proof (2006)
by erikj on Saturday July 15, 2017 @09:16PM
(#14779998)
What about a gamma ray burst?
Re:Lunar bases may need to be quake-proof (2006)
by coward83847 on Saturday July 15, 2017 @11:13PM
(#14780279)
Should only affect the half of the Earth facing the burst
Re:Lunar bases may need to be quake-proof (2006)
by ouid on Sunday July 16, 2017 @02:25AM
(#14780795)
not that I think this part of the argument is going anywhere, but, https://www.gfdl.noaa.gov/wp-content/uploads/pix/user_images...
Re:Lunar bases may need to be quake-proof (2006)
by coward83847 on Saturday July 15, 2017 @11:14PM
(#14780281)
Not that I don't think we could all be killed off
Re:Lunar bases may need to be quake-proof (2006)
by louithethrid on Saturday July 15, 2017 @06:08PM
(#14779277)
Agreed, we need a multi-planetary omlett.
Re:Lunar bases may need to be quake-proof (2006)
by Toast_ on Saturday July 15, 2017 @06:40PM
(#14779455)
I've got just the thing: https://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=cheese+ly%5E3
We've gotten really good at terraforming the Earth (unintentionally) and killing each other (intentionally) in the past century. In particular, one man has the power to end the world, he has no political experience, and he is in the White House. If we have a nuclear holocaust, the only silver lining can be in human populations on other celestial bodies. Hence, it is in the best long-term interest of humanity to go to the Moon and Mars - to ensure our survival.