The Moon

[Confused Cat]

I can't imagine us not colonizing the moon. It's the first step into space. Humans will always want to "boldly go where no man has gone before", and I think that's not a bad thing. (It doesn't have to be a good thing either, it's just human nature.)

[Nerendier]

ignoring the fact that we don't have the technology to "terraform" yet (I blame Sci-fi for going overboard with that for the past decade or so)

Would just like to point out that the technology to terraform planets with enough mass to hold an atmosphere is available, albeit expensive. The moon is a different story.

[Tiki G]

I don't see anything morally wrong with colonizing the moon, but I'd prefer not to do it. I'd like to keep being able to look up and see the moon as it is now, not with stupid little city lights. I think it's pretty, and I don't want that to be taken away.

 

And besides, like Sock said, we have enough problems to take care of down here as it is.

I doubt you'll have to worry about that. If we ever do colonize the moon, it won't be for another couple hundred (maybe even thousand) years. The Earth isn't going anywhere anytime soon. But eventually we'll have no choice but to move to other planets.

 

 

And I remember reading something recently saying we wouldn't have to be on the surface, but in tunnels underneath the surface of the moon. Read Here.

 

[dragon_mando]

How is this wrong? It's not economically viable at this point, but there's nothing morally bad about it. Though I would definitely prefer if colonies were on the "dark side" or underground so the visible surface (meaning seen by earth) is unmarred.

[caramba2654]

For all the "If man were meant to ----, he would have been born with ----" comments above, not true. Humans aren't the only animals that can't fly that have found a way to fly. Look at the squirrels. And even a hen. It has wings, but it can't fly, even being a bird. So, if you can do it, most of the time you will do it. It's a not-so-known law of nature.

 

But back to the moon.

 

I think it'd be very nice to live in the moon. We could float and such. But the air and temperature are problems. But they can be solved. So I would live in the moon happily. Again, we can go to the moon. Everywhere we can go, we can stay.

 

EDIT: x x x is censored too?

Edited February 8, 2011 by caramba2654

[7sharps]

The primary concern is will there be internet on the moon and will I still be able to sign on to DC there?

[Mulux]

It seems a bit close. If the sun is going to eventually do something dangerous, wouldn't it destroy the moon as well as Earth?

 

Lots of space stations which lead out of the dangerous suns way until can find somewhere else for water or maybe return to earth sometime later. I wonder when they'll stop making cars and begin to make space ships

 

[roobot]

And you would have to exercise more to prevent bone degradation...

 

People at the Space Station have to exercise a lot... so we would be doing cycles on the moon.

 

Also, I agree Mars is better.

[Draco-Domno]

An action is wrong if it violates the rights of a human being or other intelligent creature. Since the Moon is a piece of rock, doing something to the Moon, in itself, cannot be wrong. However, it could be wrong indirectly - if we misuse the Moon wastefully, when future generations could derive a greater benefit from it.

How do we actually know that an object can't feel pain? For all we know, being very very tiny-minded compared to some things in the universe, rocks are more intelligent than us. Just because it can't talk or move on its own doesn't mean it can't feel.

 

Also, it depends on your definition of "wrong". In my book, "wrong" is to harm, mar, or ruin anything good, no matter what/who it is.

 

Of course, THAT depends on your definition of "good"...I really don't have time to go into this entire discussion.

 

---

Draco-Domno

Edited February 8, 2011 by Draco-Domno

[mickiloo97]

Okay, I see that I'm basically the only one who thinks this is actually wrong...

 

My argument is, that if we end up destroying the Moon (which we probably will) the Earth in return will spiral out of our hands. First off, the tides and everything on the planet that needs the moon will get off balance and it will just keep getting worse. Also, the axis with Earth will go wacky. Africa could freeze and the Antarctic could dry up. Who knows, but the Earth would not be what we see it as.

 

 

 

I have more to say, but I have to go. Will edit...

[Dr. Paine]

Okay, I see that I'm basically the only one who thinks this is actually wrong...

 

My argument is, that if we end up destroying the Moon (which we probably will) the Earth in return will spiral out of our hands. First off, the tides and everything on the planet that needs the moon will get off balance and it will just keep getting worse. Also, the axis with Earth will go wacky. Africa could freeze and the Antarctic could dry up. Who knows, but the Earth would not be what we see it as.

 

 

 

I have more to say, but I have to go. Will edit...

... dude.

 

Unless we actually blow up the moon, what we do on it will not have an effect on Earth. And you know what? The tides and such will end up going that way someday, the moon is slowly but steadily drifting off into space, out of the Earth's orbit.

 

Do you really think colonizing the moon will make it explode?

[Shienvien]

Why'd it be wrong? No-one is damaged.

[AngelKitty]

How do we actually know that an object can't feel pain?

 

They don't have nerve endings. Or brains at all, for that matter. Or even cells. They're not alive; rocks don't have living cells that engage in biological processes of any kind. They don't need food or water. Heck, they can't even hijack a living thing's processes like viruses can. They're inanimate, unliving things.

 

You can make the argument that all natural things have spirits residing in them and are alive in that manner, but that's a religious argument and that still doesn't mean it feels any pain.

[Mustangs44]

For all the "If man were meant to ----, he would have been born with ----" comments above, not true. Humans aren't the only animals that can't fly that have found a way to fly. Look at the squirrels. And even a hen. It has wings, but it can't fly, even being a bird. So, if you can do it, most of the time you will do it. It's a not-so-known law of nature.

 

But back to the moon.

 

I think it'd be very nice to live in the moon. We could float and such. But the air and temperature are problems. But they can be solved. So I would live in the moon happily. Again, we can go to the moon. Everywhere we can go, we can stay.

 

EDIT: x x x is censored too?

Squirrels can't fly.

 

I don't really like the idea of living on the moon. It just seems so foreign, and like something could go wrong so easily. Although, with the population increasing as it is, we will eventually have to find other places to live. If it's a livable place, might as well try it. I guess I'm neutral on the idea.

[Nerendier]

Okay, I see that I'm basically the only one who thinks this is actually wrong...

 

My argument is, that if we end up destroying the Moon (which we probably will) the Earth in return will spiral out of our hands. First off, the tides and everything on the planet that needs the moon will get off balance and it will just keep getting worse. Also, the axis with Earth will go wacky. Africa could freeze and the Antarctic could dry up. Who knows, but the Earth would not be what we see it as.

 

 

 

I have more to say, but I have to go. Will edit...

The tides are controlled by the gravity (remember gravity is controlled by mass.) of the moon. I don't see a correlation between colonizing the moon, which will add very little mass, not enough to cause any real changes, and the destruction of the Earth in any way. How are we going to "destroy" the moon? Do you mean the moons environment, because, I gotta tell ya, there's not much we can do to cause it to support even less life than what it's already doing. And we're not going to go up, plant a giant ass bomb and blow it to pieces.

 

Are you saying that we will remove so much resources from the moon that it will reduce the mass enough to cause a disruption in tides on the Earth? Because that is a lot of mass to be removed, and the moon isn't exactly rich in resources we need (From what I understand). And there's the question as to how would we get those resources off-planet? Doesn't it cost like $10k per pound or something?

[evilbunny405]

The moon is the size of the US (roughly). If we had a little colony, I don't think we'd be able to see it, so no tarnishing of natural beauty, as some put it. :3

Me? I would LOVE to live in a moon colony. I hear the view of Earth from up there is fantastic.

[TPishek]

For all the "If man were meant to ----, he would have been born with ----" comments above, not true. Humans aren't the only animals that can't fly that have found a way to fly. Look at the squirrels. And even a hen. It has wings, but it can't fly, even being a bird. So, if you can do it, most of the time you will do it. It's a not-so-known law of nature.

 

But back to the moon.

 

I think it'd be very nice to live in the moon. We could float and such. But the air and temperature are problems. But they can be solved. So I would live in the moon happily. Again, we can go to the moon. Everywhere we can go, we can stay.

 

EDIT: x x x is censored too?

You wouldn't float on the moon.

[Lhoris]

Back in the 1600's Europeans thought it was crazy to colonize the Americas. But look where that got us...yes very far.

The moon...it's a great idea in my opinion. I always say, the only limits to man is what they can't imagine.

If humans have been able to walk on the moon's surface, and we can bond elements to create water and atmosphere. Then why not? By creating atmosphere we can have a warm and habitable world, all the moon is, is just a giant asteroid caught in Earths orbit then turned into a sphere by having equal pressure on all sides. It doesn't do anything else except alter tides.

I don't think any aliens would take it anyways

 

Imagine looking up in the night sky and looking at a blue moon. That would be amazing to do.

 

Edit: Oh and about the exercising, Wouldn't we just lift more than we usually do at earth. Say if you usually lift 20 pounds on earth instead, on the moon you would lift about 120 pounds, and it would feel the same.

Edited February 9, 2011 by linz1995

[Omen]

I don't see anything wrong with colonising the Moon or even Mars for that matter. We would have to be fully prepared and have the means to sustain any life that happens to be chosen for colonisation. Rules and regulations would have to be strict for the first colonists, in case something does end up going wrong. Things like recycling, waste removal, sustainability of food and or vegetation would all have to be regulated, otherwise it'd end up being the start of another vicious cycle. Humans are adaptable, we wouldn't have climbed the food chain if we remained as stubborn as rocks when it came to adjusting to change. Adapting to life on the Moon may be difficult and it may not even work, however I cannot see the harm in trying. It's like denying an animal the ability to sleep in one log but not the other because the first log was originally from a protected tree.

[Flagella114]

I see nothing wrong with it, It would be really expensive and probably not possible in any of our lifetimes but it's something that i think will eventually happen.

[Black--Squirrel]

*hardcore science fiction fan*

 

B-B-B-B-B-B-BLASPHEMY!

 

The moon getting colonized won't cause the tides to go all crazy. As it is (uncolonized) the moon has been escaping from the Earth's range of gravity about an inch a year.

 

And we just have to build little building that will hold atmosphere in it.

 

Oh yeah, and while the people living there will need to exercise, it wouldn't be exactly to the same extent as, say sitting around the International Space Station. The moon is, if I recall right, about 1/4? No, that's Mars, a planet larger than the moon, smaller than the Earth.

 

Speaking of Mar, we can take some of our Global Warming stuff, pollutants, and use THAT to give Mars a bit of atmosphere, as it warms up over a span of a couple hundred years, at least, plants can be planted and absorb the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and give Oxygen.... *starts getting off-track by going on with other things mentioned in varying science fiction novels, movies and television series*

 

Any way, there isn't anything wrong with wanting to colonize the moon. As said before, was there anything really wrong with Europeans and the ancestors of Native Americans going over and colonizing, in their own ways, the area later known as the United States, and the rest of North and South Americas?

 

And the moon's about 1/4th the size of the earth. Give or take. Not the size of the US. ^^ *wanted to be an astronaut as a kid*

[Micropeep]

People originally evolved in Africa. Should humans never have left Africa. As far as I am concerned if we can live somewhere, we can live there. I hope that we would have strict environment policies for protecting the moon's environment. After we terraformed it that is. I don't see anything inherently wrong with colonizing the moon. One thing is that there really isn't much of an environment. Unlike earth, with all it's eco systems and food chains, nothing lives on the moon. It would be impossible to ruin the moon's environment because there really isn't one.

 

The fact there is nothing is why I don't see the need to be on the moon. Until I see a reason why the moon would be a good place to live, it seems like a waste of money to colonize it.

[KageSora]

... dude.

 

Unless we actually blow up the moon, what we do on it will not have an effect on Earth.

 

...

 

Do you really think colonizing the moon will make it explode?

This. This is exactly what I thought upon reading the whole "we'll kill the moon!" stuff. Only not quite as politely worded.

 

 

Also, yeah, nothing there to kill, so, uh, yeah. :|

 

And, meh. I don't really care, just so long as it wouldn't mess up the view of the moon from the Earth. That's a real pretty sight and all. Nothing wrong with living there at all, if we could find a way to do it.

[Kestra15]

And the moon's about 1/4th the size of the earth. Give or take. Not the size of the US. ^^ *wanted to be an astronaut as a kid*

A quarter the diameter, something like an eightieth of the mass though. Gravity is 0.17g.

[Kazeko]

Why the moon? We'll just screw it up like we did to Earth. :c

 

Um... it's a lifeless, airless ball of rock. How exactly can we screw it up?

 

Another reason why we should definitely invade the moon is because then we could levitate

 

Not levitate. Levitation defies gravity; the moon just has extremely low gravity (about 1/6 earth, iirc). So we'd be able to jump really high, but not levitate. /pedant

 

What Socky said; I think we could, but it wouldn't be at all cost-effective. (Also, consider that the Earth is beginning to be overloaded with the 7 billion people we have; now consider that the Moon is much smaller--we wouldn't be able to fit the entire human race on the Moon.)

Edited February 9, 2011 by Kazeko