From: Spike Jones (spike66@ibm.net)
Date: Sat Jul 17 1999 - 17:47:02 MDT
> GBurch1@aol.com wrote:Is there a near-term role for manned space stations?...I'd
> be
> especially curious to hear the thoughts of younger folks who may well not be
> infected so strongly with the "space station meme".
Greg, as sad as it sounds, it may be our generation only that is turned on
by the space station meme. I have yet to find a person under 25 that is
all that excited by it. Perhaps the low earth orbitting station is an idea
whose time is passed. You and I grew up with the same pictures in
the encyclopedia, the same books no doubt. I recall seeing the first
moon landing as an 8 yr old, and thinking how wicked cool is this whole
adventure. But I have seen some of the younger crowd, Eliezer for instance,
diss the whole thing.
My view is this: even if we get nanotechnology and tinkerbellize ourselves, sooner
or later, we will convert this whole planet, then this solar system into
tinkerbellized
transhumans and supporting infrastructure. Sooner or later, we *must* go
out there. This is why I am so interested in SETI@home, just so I can
estimate what kinds of challenges face us, or future transhumans. spike
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