What if we find a new Earth?

In a decade or so, we may be able to detect Earth-like planets using
spacecraft currently being developed. We may even be able to detect evidence
for life on such planets (detection of methane through spectroscopy) and
even chlorophyll (?).

What could the discovery of such a planet lead to? An interstellar mission
using solar-sails? Plans for colonization? Focussing of SETI on such
star-systems?

"Ultimate Buu" wrote

In a decade or so, we may be able to detect Earth-like planets
using spacecraft currently being developed. We may even be able
to detect evidence for life on such planets (detection of methane
through spectroscopy) and even chlorophyll (?).


What could the discovery of such a planet lead to?

An interstellar mission using solar-sails?

Just maybe conceivably launching a fly-by nanoprobe along the lines of
Forward's "StarWisp". Interstellar solar sailing as such doesn't
get to very high speeds, and laser-pushed light sail schemes are
technically quite challenging.

http://ffden-2.phys.uaf.edu/213.web....ightsails.html

Plans for colonization?

We don't have the technology to do that by a long shot, and the
prospects for getting it in the foreseeable future are dim at
best. Maybe in the unforeseeable future...

Focussing of SETI on such star-systems?

Yes. Once you detect an exoEarth, devoting resources to study it
in as much detail as possible (which subsumes SETI) would be
the obvious thing to do.

"Ultimate Buu" wrote in message .. .
What could the discovery of such a planet lead to?

Developed Majin Buu and send him there to destroy it?

An interstellar mission using solar-sails? Plans for colonization?
Focussing of SETI on such star-systems?

We probably won't be leaving the Solar System for a few hundred
centuries.

In the mean time, there's still plenty adventure to be head the realm
of the Earth's sphere. Earth is more dimensional than some would
think.

"Ultimate Buu" wrote in message .. .
In a decade or so, we may be able to detect Earth-like planets using
spacecraft currently being developed. We may even be able to detect evidence
for life on such planets (detection of methane through spectroscopy) and
even chlorophyll (?).

What could the discovery of such a planet lead to? An interstellar mission
using solar-sails? Plans for colonization? Focussing of SETI on such
star-systems?

Probably lots of plans.

EAC wrote:

"Ultimate Buu" wrote in message .. .
What could the discovery of such a planet lead to?

Developed Majin Buu and send him there to destroy it?

An interstellar mission using solar-sails? Plans for colonization?
Focussing of SETI on such star-systems?

We probably won't be leaving the Solar System for a few hundred
centuries.

I would make that merely a 'few' centuries, and even that I consider
conservative.

But almost definitely not *this* century.

In the mean time, there's still plenty adventure to be head the realm
of the Earth's sphere. Earth is more dimensional than some would
think.

So? Humans don't research or explore in a linear manner. When
interstellar travel becomes possible and pratical, people will go. No
one is going to wait until every last square inch of this solar system
has been under a microscope. Besides, many of those staying behind, will
be content to continue to do this.

Trust me, when the first starship departs, someone will still be
doing some basic research on the physical nature of the Moon...

...or even Earth.

"Rand Simberg" wrote:
I wouldn't bet on that. Who thought in 1903 we'd be going to the Moon
in that century?

Hell, look at all the other advances we've made, they're
simply astounding. Who would have thought that hundreds
of millions of people could be in near instant
communication with each other from all over the planet?
Who would have thought that it would be possible to
determine the cause of a new, unknown disease, and go
on to create a working treatment (for a virus no less)
in less than two decades? Who would have thought we
could take organs from a pig and use them in a human
being? Hell, who would have thought we would be able to
make movies with talking animals that looked utterly
realistic? And that, obviously, is only the tiniest tip
of the iceburg.

In article ,
Christopher M. Jones wrote:
I wouldn't bet on that. Who thought in 1903 we'd be going to the Moon
in that century?

Hell, look at all the other advances we've made, they're
simply astounding.

The comment that I like to use (not original, but I can't remember just
where I saw the original) is that there are still a few people alive who
can remember a time when man could not fly, radio did not exist, and
"antibiotic" was not an English word.
--
MOST launched 1015 EDT 30 June, separated 1046, | Henry Spencer
first ground-station pass 1651, all nominal! |

Rand Simberg wrote:

On Fri, 04 Jul 2003 19:40:34 GMT, in a place far, far away, Joann
Evans made the phosphor on my monitor glow
in such a way as to indicate that:

We probably won't be leaving the Solar System for a few hundred
centuries.

I would make that merely a 'few' centuries, and even that I consider
conservative.

But almost definitely not *this* century.

I wouldn't bet on that. Who thought in 1903 we'd be going to the Moon
in that century?


I hope you're right. That's exactly why I used the contitional
'almost.'

"Henry Spencer" wrote:
In article ,
Christopher M. Jones wrote:
Hell, look at all the other advances we've made, they're
simply astounding.

The comment that I like to use (not original, but I can't remember just
where I saw the original) is that there are still a few people alive who
can remember a time when man could not fly, radio did not exist, and
"antibiotic" was not an English word.

It's all the little stuff too. Just go to the store and
buy a bunch of things. Then look at all the stuff you
will just throwaway and ask yourself how valuable all
that "garbage" would be in 1900. A lot of products these
days come in containers which are durable enough and
reusable enough to have been worth serious money a century
ago. And you can buy microchips for a dollar or less which
are more powerful than any computing system available a
century ago. Just compare a modern $1 quartz watch to a
pocket watch of 1900, and ask yourself how much the pocket
watch would cost a fraction of an average worker's pay
back then. Or, compare all the diseases which are
currently considered merely chronic, treatable diseases
today but which in 1900 were terminal illnesses.
Including, for example, certain types of diabetes.


Judging by that level of progress, 2100 should be
astounding. Even judging by the progress we are making
today in certain direction (genetic engineering,
electronics, MEMS, etc.) 2100 should be inconceivably
different than today. I fully expect a cure for all
causes of death except accidental injury and homocide in
the next century, and I have a damned decent bit of
science to back up that assumption as well. Next to that,
who can say what will or won't be possible (within the
reasonable bounds of physics, of course)?

"Christopher M. Jones" wrote in message
...

Or, compare all the diseases which are
currently considered merely chronic, treatable diseases
today but which in 1900 were terminal illnesses.
Including, for example, certain types of diabetes.

Judging by that level of progress, 2100 should be
astounding.

The rates of many diseases are up. We have to hope that trend doesn't
continue. If it does, that may provide some incentive to get off the
planet.