Terraforming

Terraforming, in it's most basic definition, is to change any large celestial object (planet, moon, mini planet, etc.) into a naturally inhabitable planet.

There have been so many theories on how it could be done, and some REALLY good one's too. In fact, many people know of the Mars mission, which has been pursued for years. One of the possible goals on that mission is to do further research on how transforming the planet into an Earth esque world could be accomplished.

Here's an artists rendition of what that world might look like. And another. (I linked, because they're big.)

Quoting Wikipedia:

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Originally Posted by Wikipedia

Terraforming Mars would entail two major interlaced changes: building up the atmosphere and keeping it warm.The atmosphere of Mars is relatively thin and thus has a very low surface pressure of 0.6 kPa, compared to Earth's 101.3 kPa. The atmosphere on Mars consists of 95% carbon dioxide (CO2), 3% nitrogen, 1.6% argon, and contains only traces of oxygen, water, and methane. Since its atmosphere consists mainly of CO2, a known greenhouse gas, once the planet begins to heat, more CO2 enters the atmosphere from the frozen reserves on the poles, adding to the greenhouse effect. This means that the two processes of building the atmosphere and heating it would augment one another, favoring terraforming. However, on a large scale, controlled application of certain techniques (explained below) over enough time to achieve sustainable changes would be required to make this theory a reality.

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Do you think it's a good idea, or a bad one? Discuss.

Why go to all that hassle when we have a perfectly good planet right here? If we treated it properly and reached a sustainable population level, then there would be no reason to colonize Mars or the Moon...which would probably take a lot more time than we have. You'd have to account for the lack of magnetic fields around the Moon and Mars, which would allow solar winds to sweep the planet clean (again). Eh...seems like more trouble than its worth. We still have many, many mysteries right here at home...not sure we should be turning an eye to colonizing space just quite yet. ;)

How coincidental, I was just thinking of this today. I think it's neither practical
nor probable for humanity at its current level. With much of our population
contributing (petrol consumption) we're having a hard time figuring out if we're
even tipping the CO2 balance here at home. To apply an atmosphere-changing
technique to another planet would be a project of epic proportions for us to
undertake. The amount of resources we'd have to expend to make AND get
equipment there would be phenomenal. If getting there wasn't a big deal, then
perhaps the amount of time it would take to terraform would. Could it be done
within a lifetime? Ten lifetimes (that would actually be considered pretty quick
in my book, were it possible)?

It's a neat problem to solve, but we're just shy of the technology to do it.
Perhaps if we had antigrav drives and a means of working our industries on
uninhabitable land.

Overpopulation, the future of the sun, resources, scientific research. All valid reasons for the terraforming and colonization of another planet. The knowledge and experience we gain from doing so could be invaluable to us here on Earth.

Sure we could stay here and try and fix all our own problems first, striving for a "We can do more, once everything is fixed" perfection, but that will never happen. What will happen if we take that course is we will stagnate as a species and ultimately make things worse. Besides, what if we get the answer we need up and out there?

Pursuit, advancement, moving forward. We'll solve our problems here in the process, learn our mysteries here in the process. But if we try to get all that done first, we'll never move forward and we'll ultimately spell doom for our species.

We step into the great beyond, take on new challenges while solving old ones at the same time.

Exobyte, you make some great points, and I agree with them. At the moment, however, I have to say nay to terraforming. We need to develop better technologies here at home before taking on such a monumental task. We have some four billion years until the end of the sun...as for resources, that proves more immediate a threat, but it would make much more sense to limit population growth before it caps out at the maximum level than to terraform Mars. One day, perhaps thousands of years from now, I can see terraforming becoming a very useful thing, but at present, it seems rather impractical.

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Originally Posted by Mario92

Exobyte, you make some great points, and I agree with them. At the moment, however, I have to say nay to terraforming. We need to develop better technologies here at home before taking on such a monumental task. We have some four billion years until the end of the sun...as for resources, that proves more immediate a threat, but it would make much more sense to limit population growth before it caps out at the maximum level than to terraform Mars. One day, perhaps thousands of years from now, I can see terraforming becoming a very useful thing, but at present, it seems rather impractical.

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You guys keep saying we need to gain the technology first... Of course we need to gain the technology first. I think when THAT does happen, inhabiting another planet will be benificial.. I mean were fuckin earth up already..

I think the idea of splitting the human race into different regions in space is a good idea. If anything were to happen here, whilst all of us were here too, that would be it. Good bye humanity. Of course, terraforming isn't the only solution. Building biodomes with their own sustainable atmospheres and vegetation would be a much more feasible alternative as for now.

Completely terraforming a planet of about equal proportions to earth would take many years indeed. We're talking 100's of years. It may not seem worth it when comparing it to the lives of humans but when compared against geological time it's nothing. Terraforming is a BIG idea for us brand new species.

I'm sure there is probably species in our universe that have been around for millions of years that have juggled with this idea for a long long time. Perhaps there are species terraforming planets as we speak. Perhaps they've found better, more efficient alternatives. If they've discovered ways of jumping from star system to star system instantly, or even a couple months or years, there probably would be no point in terraforming. It might be more efficient to just trek the distance to somewhere that's already habitable.

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Originally Posted by Exobyte

Sure we could stay here and try and fix all our own problems first, striving for a "We can do more, once everything is fixed" perfection, but that will never happen.

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Well, that's a little negative, don't you think? :?

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Originally Posted by Noogah

Well, that's a little negative, don't you think? :?

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No, that's the truth. People will always be competing, killing each other over something, flipping out, getting ahead, lying, cheating, stealing, believing different things and willing to die for said beliefs...world peace is basically a myth, a fairy tale.

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Originally Posted by Noogah

Well, that's a little negative, don't you think? :?

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Perfection is an unattainable goal. There will always be another problem to solve, another challenge to face. To stop space exploration because of overpopulation, poverty, starvation and deforestation is not rational or sound. The planet has survived more devastating events than mankind. Life will go on here.

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Originally Posted by Noogah

Well, that's a little negative, don't you think? :?

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Even if it were, does that make it less true? Not everything in life is positive, nor is every truth. Just because the idea of never being able to completely perfect things here is unappealing, doesn't mean it isn't truth.

However, I actually don't think its so negative. I find it quite liberating really. As long as perfection is impossible, all we can do is get better. There is always a way to set the bar higher, always a new goal to attain, always an improvement to be made, always a way to step forward.

I find that idea quite exhilarating.

I think we already have the technology, but as some already said it isn't practical yet. It would just cost to much money. It is such a shame we are so dead set to wasting so much money in this country. If we weren't wasting so much, we would be a lot closer to doing things like this.

It's impossible to terraform Mars. To create an earth-like atmosphere, you need an earth like planet. The atmosphere could be changed with current technology, but it the atmosphere would be too thin. The solar radiation would strip a thicker atmosphere away, we can't make Mars' core molten and spinning, so no protective magnetic field. :P

I for one am not interested in being a locust

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Originally Posted by ninja9578

It's impossible to terraform Mars. To create an earth-like atmosphere, you need an earth like planet. The atmosphere could be changed with current technology, but it the atmosphere would be too thin. The solar radiation would strip a thicker atmosphere away, we can't make Mars' core molten and spinning, so no protective magnetic field. :P

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True, but theoretically one could shield cities individually and only terraform the needed land. Then the only problem regarding radiation would be travelling between the cities.

Actually, borrowing ideas from 'Ringworld' and Halo, if you ran a giant electric wire around Mars you could theoretically create a protective magnetic field no?

If not, you could take Elis D's idea and create a subway network to travel between cities.

Also, I think terraforming Mars isn't necessarily a bad idea. Given that Earth is and will always be finite, expanding and chewing through another planet may be the only way for future generations to survive. This is, assuming, that the world doesn't get trashed by some evil genius.

There will need to be domed cities on Mars for hundreds of years before we're anywhere near terraforming the planet on a controlled scale. We don't even have a handle on keeping the Earth's climate balanced when its relatively stable.