Has anyone discussed this here?

[Hopeless]

Evacuation Earth

Can't help wondering as it mentions a 75 year time limit and I'm left thinking surely you mean 50 years just to have time to escape what's coming?

If I'm wrong and this has been mentioned before could you link in that thread since I'm curious to know what they thought about it?

 

[GypsyComet]

Every world-ending disaster will have its own range of advanced warning margins, from days to decades, or longer. Consider that we are on a several billion year countdown to death by solar expansion.

Our ability to evacuate for the purpose of species survival will depend a lot on how many of our current impossibilities are just engineering problems instead.

 

[Hopeless]

How long would it take to design and build an O'Neill cylinder generation ship?

Assuming it was say a joint venture mixing world governments and the corporate world to help finance and assist the research and development, how would you even get as far as deciding who goes?

Would you agree with what is said in the linked video above as to the criteria for deciding this?

Lets assume the world at large isn't aware there's a problem but this is a truly massive endeavour what kind of emphasis would be needed to make the populace actually willing to be involved given the scale involved?

I wonder how tv would handle a series based on such a generation ship sent out to start colonising other worlds or even establish something like the Babylon station near the asteroid belt to speed up the refining of materials needed for such a task?

I am assuming such a program would be needed as part of preparation for a pr program to promote such a mission.

Do you agree about the forms of propulsion available?

Would world unity be impossible and if so who would be allied with whom?

Would ESA and NASA become rivals if it became the case one nation specifically would insist on being in charge regardless of the consequences?

Okay so they'd also need to build underground shelters to protect their so-called star ship city not just from terrorist attacks but eventual effects of whatever they're preparing against... even their orbital construction site has to be protected from that too maybe beyond the moon... where would be safe in space?

 

[GypsyComet]

A usefully large O'Neill that could also handle thrust is going to be a huge undertaking just to design. Construction time will be controlled more by how quickly materials can be moved to the construction orbit than anything else.

All is complicated by that inevitable fringe who will fight any attempts at salvation. Several "reasons" (to the extent such folks are ever reasonable) come to mind, though I will not go into them here.

"Who goes?" is an ugly question, made simpler with more lead time and better technology that allows more people to go. Efforts dominated by a single nation have a smaller pool to pull from, but risk retaliation from external forces.

The rest is too subject to government, corporate, national, and religious variation to make general statements (aside from this one).

 

[Hopeless]

The bit about an anti-matter powered ship made me wonder what if it had worked, would it have been better designed with a chemical rocket system so they could avoid using it until they were out in space?

Detach the chemical rocket or its maneuvered out of the way so it can be used once they reach their goal, still looked awfully small for their desired purpose though...

Anyway would a lunar base work better as part of the construction effort so they have somewhere for the work crews to shelter when not working on assembling the O'Neill cylinder?

 

[Jacqual]

Who goes the rich and powerful, plus medical and science teams to keep the rich and powerful alive. I hate to say it but I have been very pessamistic of late and money makes the rules. Sorry about any spelling errors but I am very tired.

 

[CosmicGamer]

Who goes the rich and powerful, plus medical and science teams to keep the rich and powerful alive. I hate to say it but I have been very pessamistic of late and money makes the rules. Sorry about any spelling errors but I am very tired.

Perhaps more realistic than pessimistic?

Is every single person that plans and builds the exodus going to be allowed on? Their family and friends too? Even if it's kept secret I can still see the people who do know revolting and/or going to war over disputes in the design and construction, the method and selection of people, who is in control of the ship once it's launched. Is that pessimistic or realistic?

 

[Jacqual]

Who goes the rich and powerful, plus medical and science teams to keep the rich and powerful alive. I hate to say it but I have been very pessamistic of late and money makes the rules. Sorry about any spelling errors but I am very tired.

Perhaps more realistic than pessimistic?

Is every single person that plans and builds the exodus going to be allowed on? Their family and friends too? Even if it's kept secret I can still see the people who do know revolting and/or going to war over disputes in the design and construction, the method and selection of people, who is in control of the ship once it's launched. Is that pessimistic or realistic?

It's sad to think of how fast that the Governments of this world would throw the rest of us under the bus so to speak. When I read what is happening in the world, I just start feeling bad I need to think good thoughts, and some folks wonder why I like superhero movies they have a happy and unrealistic ending.

 

[Condottiere]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqC0M6VrViQ

 

[ShawnDriscoll]

I'm a fan of this video. Lots of Traveller ideas. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ancfun2U04s