destiny (noun)
- The events that will necessarily happen to a particular person or thing in the future.
- The hidden power believed to control what will happen in the future; fate

Even though it may end up that way, we are certainly not 'destined' to travel the stars

I couldn't disagree more, and I'm sure plenty agree with me.

Until there is a step change in propulsion technologies the whole thing is a moot point...

I'm also worried about gamma-ray bursters. There shouldn't be any close to us but there's still a chance.
A big one could fry every living thing on Earth.
(not likely, but not impossible)

Again, the only way to survive is to get off the Earth. Nothing to do with destiny, just plain survival pure and simple.

so you believe that we live in a universe where our future is predetermined?

Again, the only way to survive is to get off the Earth. Nothing to do with destiny, just plain survival pure and simple.
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A bit of both actually...Like I said previously, space is all around us, and we have no where else to go.

gamma ray burst threat would probably mean we would have to leave the solar system and as diddly says, we need new propulsion technology.

so you believe that we live in a universe where our future is per-determined? hard to reconcile that with believing quantum theory is correct.

;-)

How soon would we know about a gamma ray burst threat? If it's close enough to do damage, is it close enough for us to leave with warning?

I can't read what Diddly says, he's on ignore.
We already have the technology to get to Alpha Centauri in about 44 years but yes I agree that's a hell of a long time, in terms of a human life-span. Getting around the local solar system can still be done in months without too much of a problem.

I believe we live in a Universe where progress and technologies are always generally advancing and space is the obvious direction to go....
Pre-determined??...That's your choice of words.

I'm not sure but think there'd be very little warning.
But it's something that is a very remote chance, not really worth worrying about. It would be if we were closer in to the middle of the galaxy though, where stars are more tightly bunched-up.

Forty four years?

Yep.

actually it was you that used the word "destiny"

We already have the technology to get to Alpha Centauri in about 44 years but ye
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Pft! 44 years!...
This thread is about military people making the first Manned Mars trip and it being one way.
Getting to the stars will come later. First will probably be a generation type star ship anyway.

Yep, space exploration including travel to the stars is our destiny.
But we are talking about the word "predetermine"

Actually I'll check out Carl Sagan's "Cosmos"
I'm pretty sure he uses the same phrase in that book.

OK... it's clear to me that you use the word destiny to mean "something that you believe will happen in the future" as opposed to its true English language definition...

Actually I'll check out Carl Sagan's "Cosmos"
I'm pretty sure he uses the same phrase in that book. So incorrect use of a term by someone else makes stuff OK now?? sweet... may have to let the education dept know about your change to the English curriculum.

We already have the technology to get to Alpha Centauri in about 44 years but yes I agree that's a hell of a long time, in terms of a human life-span. We've discussed that before, and my recollection is it turns out that we do not in fact have the technology to get to Alpha Centauri in 44 years, or anything like that.

You recall incorrectly - Probably from that confusing mass of dross that was a thread a while back about sending probes all over the galaxy. Everyone that knew what they were talking about confirmed that we couldn't do it.

Have a read of the bottom paragraph of this section - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project...ellar_missions

At 0.1c, Orion thermonuclear starships would require a flight time of at least 44 years to reach Alpha Centauri, not counting time needed to reach that speed (about 36 days at constant acceleration of 1g or 9.8 m/s2). At 0.1c, an Orion starship would require 100 years to travel 10 light years.