Main Reasons why Humans Remain Earthbound - Essay Example

Section/# A Discussion and Review of Some of the main Reasons why Humans Remain Earthbound Introduction: Since thedawn of time, mankind has looked to the heavens and imagined the ultimate question of whether or not we are alone. This preliminary question of astronomy has predate the very first telescope, the basic understanding of how planets revolve around the sun, and/or the fact that the celestial bodies are themselves not a representation of a pantheon of Gods. As such, as science has grown and developed throughout the years, one of the primal questions that have been born from this original question of the solitary nature of life within the universe is a better understanding and more complete explanation of the universe in which we dwell. For this reason as well as for many others, scientists have long sought to find ways in which to explore the bounds of the neighborhood in which the Earth and the Milky Way galaxy ultimately reside. The extant problem that is illustrated though is the fact that there are a number of constraints that provide an ultimate barrier to humans traveling to other solar systems throughout our galaxy. As such, this brief analysis will consider the key issues that constrain mankind to inter solar system travel (and a limited amount of that). Furthermore, by analyzing each of several different viewpoints for how exploration within and without of our own galaxy might seek to take place, as well as analyzing the key weaknesses inherent in each, it is the hope of this author that the reader might be able to come to a better understanding of just what is preventing us from further exploring and/or colonizing other regions of the universe. The first of these is the fact that the distances that must be traveled are so vast as to be nearly incomprehensible. As a function of this understanding, the reader should come to an appreciation of the fact that distance within the universe is calculated not in miles or kilometers but rather in light years; i.e. the distance covered by a beam of light during the period of a year’s time. To understand just how vast such a distance is, one must understand that the actual speed of light is something approaching 300,000,000 meters per second. As such, the reader can begin to comprehend the actual distance that a single light year actually represents. Furthermore, due to the fact that the nearest star to our own Sun is that of Alpha Centuri, one might assume that it would be most reasonable to visit this one as a means of further exploring our universe and understanding the many nuances that exist within it. However, the fact of the matter is that although Alpha Centuri is the closest star, besides our own Sun, it is nonetheless 4.2 light years away (Corley, 2012). This distance provides a seemingly insurmountable obstacle to the current technology that exists. For instance, scientists and researchers in the Russian Federation have been performing extensive rounds of testing on how a manned mission to Mars would affect the health of the crew members. This has been done by isolating a crew of several individuals and putting them in a replicative environment that would simulate the same stresses, both physical and psychological, that such a mission would necessarily engender. Although the trip to and from Mars would take a little under a year’s time, the strain and pressures of sustaining life aboard an unnatural environment for such an extended period of time present a whole array of challenges which are but a brief understanding of the means that such pressures would be realized should a longer voyage be undertaken (Landau & Strange, 2011). Although an understanding of the means by which our universe has come into existence, continues to expand, and will ultimately experience a heat death, the science and technology governing astrophysics and space exploration has advanced greatly since the first manned trip into space. However, surprisingly, one aspect of technology that has not developed at all is with relation to the speed that mankind can hope to travel within space. Whereas all of the other factors with relation to science and technology have experienced what can only be considered as exponential growth in the intervening years, the technology that places humans in space and transports them within it has remained very traditional. Due to the fact that even near light speed is impossible given the current technology that exists, travel to other solar systems and even within our own has been severely limited (Andrews, 2012). The reasons for this can ultimately be traced back to the sheer power demands of accelerating even one pound of matter to near light speeds. It has been estimated that in order to accelerate the mass of something akin to the space shuttle, it would take the entire electrical output of the United States electrical grid for three years to accomplish moving even a small substance to near light speeds. As such, the sheer level of energy required along with the necessary restraints that exist with regards to the amount of energy that the world could hope to provide for such an endeavor ultimately reduce any hope that interplanetary or extra solar system travel will take place within the near future unless a giant breakthrough is discovered with regards to the technology that could make such speeds possible. As has been briefly discussed, even with light speed, travel to the very nearest star would take around 4.2 years. As a function of this amount of time, the primary concern becomes how would it be possible to sustain life in an unnatural environment, purify air, provide sanitation, meals, healthcare, fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as carrying all the requisite scientific equipment and fuel that such a voyage there and back would require. As one can readily see, there is a great many issues with regards to interplanetary travel and the exploration of other solar systems within the constraints of how our technology currently exists within the given time. For this function and to such an end, NASA has previously noted these deficiencies of manned travel and has chosen instead to appropriate its funds to more reasonable endeavors that can hope to explore the same level of distant locations without accruing such a high cost in time, resources, or in human life. One does not have to think very far back in order to recall that the sole intent of Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 were to provide scientists at NASA with a degree of further inference with regards to the nature of our own solar system. However, a secondary benefit that was to be provided by Voyager 1 and 2 was that they were designed to work well beyond the time that they would be in orbit around the solar system (Minami & Musha 2013). As a function of this, both craft were able to continue to relay information, as designed, once they had left the solar system and proceeded into the void between systems. Such an approach is worth discussing with regards to the way in which humanity can seek to provide themselves with a further degree of inference into other systems without the need to send multi-billion dollar manned programs to affect such a goal. An added benefit that such a program would have is that it would be able to take a much longer period of time traveling at sub light speeds and one arriving at the destination many years later, providing that thorough construction, long reactor life, and other factors have been considered, relay the photographs, sensor readings, and other scientific information back to Earth. As there would be no life forms on such a craft, it would be entirely possible to explore vaster regions of space that would otherwise consume an unprecedented amount of Earth’s non-renewable resources if such missions were ultimately manned (Fontana et al, 2007). There is however yet a third way that humans could provide a level of manned missions with regards to seeking to explore other galaxies within the universe. Although it may seem as a form of science fiction, there has been a great deal of discussion for the ways in which the human body could be put into a form of stasis in order to allow the very long period of time that a manned voyage would take to not have a profound impact upon the human age or lifespan. Naturally, if the craft itself was traveling at light speed, there would be little fear that the aging process itself would take place; however, given the constraints of the given system that has herein been elaborated upon, the reader can note that it is highly improbable that such technology will soon exist within our current system. However, it is conceivable that in the near future inducing a near comatose or stasis within the human body might be possible. Naturally, it would be necessary to engage the computer onboard the craft to awaken the individual/individuals on board at or near the destination as a means of providing them ample time to awake and treat any of the symptoms of time travel that may have transpired (Turek, 2006). In this manner, one can easily see the applications that this may have for manned voyages into space that would not require the same level of life support systems, food needs, exercise, or many other of the factors, both physical and psychological, that have otherwise caused so many other forms of transport within space to be disregarded as impossible and fanciful. Yet another more reasonable alternative would be to rely on the continual technological advancements that are taking place within our current world to enable a form of artificial intelligence to do the exploration for humanity. Gain, although such a proposition may currently be just out of reach, it is not outside the realm of possibility to assume that within a few years, a form of artificial intelligence may be available which could readily cope with sub arctic temperatures, excessively long travel times, lack of access to food, water, exercise, and little or no need for engagement of the faculties when the said entity is not functional. As a means of maximizing the amount of power that such a form could bring to bear once at the destination, the same approach which has been discussed previously with regards to human exploration could be employed; i.e. the computer system could be timed to “awaken”/”energize” the entity upon arrival so as the maximize the amount of time that research and inference could be gathered with regards to the foreign world and solar system that is the topic of a specific exploration (Mermel, 2013). Furthermore, the ultimate constraint of the human life-span would not be a limiting factor and it is possible and even conceivable that such an entity could ultimately be recharged through solar or some other form of energy generation system made available to the vessel upon which it would be housed. Conclusion: However, the fact remains that all of the options that this discussion has centered upon provide a unique level of drawbacks. Likely, it is these particular drawbacks, costs, and technological deficiencies that have kept space travel and exploration from advancing at a more developed pace than it has already. It is the hope of this author, as it has been the hope of many others including Carl Sagan, that one of these forms which has been indicated will experience a breakthrough as a means of providing humans a more detailed and nuanced view of the universe within which we live. Naturally, the ultimate goal is to be able to colonize another world as a means of ensuring that the human race does not pass away with the explosion of our own sun; however, the more prescient need is to seek to gain a level of inference with regards to where we have come from and whether or not life exists on other planets. Furthermore, it is the belief of this author that the many developments that continue to be made with regards to technology and computing will provide a breakthrough that will allow for more exploratory action to take place both within our own galaxy and beyond. References Andrews, B. (2012). How humans will travel to Alpha Centauri. (Cover story). Astronomy, 40(7), 22-27. Corley, A. (2012). WHERE IN THE COSMOS WILL WE EXPLORE?. New Scientist, 213(2854), 44-46. Folger, T. (2013). CRAZY FAR. National Geographic, 223(1), 68-81. Fontana, G., Murad, P., & Baker, R. L. (2007). Hyperspace for Space Travel. AIP Conference Proceedings, 880(1), 1117-1124. doi:10.1063/1.2437557 Landau, D., & Strange, N. J. (2011). THIS WAY TO MARS. Scientific American, 305(6), 58-65. Mermel, L. A. (2013). Infection Prevention and Control During Prolonged Human Space Travel. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 56(1), 123-130. Minami, Y., & Musha, T. (2013). Field propulsion systems for space travel. Acta Astronautica, 82(2), 215-220. doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2012.02.027 Turek, P. A. (2006). A New Method of Space Travel Optimized for Space Tourism and Colonization. AIP Conference Proceedings, 813(1), 1162-1169. doi:10.1063/1.2169298 Read More