Slashdot Mirror
An Interstellar Lifeboat for Humanity
cravey writes "From the people who brought you the Oceania project so many years ago comes the Lifeboat project. An attempt to create a spaceship for the purposes of saving the human race from the singularity predicted by Vernor Vinge. Lots of talk about nanotech accidents and biological accidents wiping out civilization, but it has a neat picture of the ship. :)"
If you liked Vernor Vinge's essay on
the Singularity as he conceives it
you should read (hell in my opinion you
should read all of his shit)
marooned in realtime.
Marooned in Realtime discusses extensively
the singularity from the other historical
side. Where people that didn't experience
try to figure out what actually happened
to the human race. When I finished it,
I immeadiately reread it, and I don't usually
do that.
I found the following interview on SpaceNStuff.com and decided to mirror it here ('cause Slashdot can take a Slashdotting). August 31, 2002 posted on 08-31-2002 at 09:35PM by Nancy
... as a "matter of life and death."
... presents many obstacles. Even if no weapons would be allowed, terrorism could flourish in the Colonies, in other ways. Currently, rules and regulations prevail in civilizations here on Earth. Governments here have impossible tasks and in the United States, laws vary by state. How would this be handled within the colonies?
Summary: Interview Part 1
"The Lifeboat Foundation "
A matter of life and death.....
Full Story: Space N Stuff has recently learned of the existence of the above Foundation, as a result of a Guest who visited Space N Stuff and contacted me.
An email request was made and Mr. Eric Klien, Founder and President of Lifeboat Foundation , generously agreed to an interview. As a matter of fact, once Mr. Klien responded to the questions in this interview, I discovered this is like eating potato chips, you can't be satisfied with just "one". At a later date, Space N Stuff will again contact Mr. Klien for a follow-up to this initial query.
Please understand that this is a very complex subject and due to space constraints, not all of the details can be presented, however, we are providing LINKS at the bottom of this Interview so that you can check their site for yourselves.
In a nutshell, the purpose of Lifeboat Foundation is to research technology in a serious effort to build vehicles, or "Arks" that will house permanent residents, away from Earth. In essence, self-sustaining colonies would be established, one at a time, in an effort to save Humanity. Lifeboat Foundation 's basic concept of leaving Earth
This premise is a result of facts that cannot be denied. Human Beings are finding more and more ways to destroy the Earth, and......... each other.
Their goals are straight forward:
By 2004, they hope to educate the public as to 'coming dangers', promote efforts to preserve life, encourage advancement in Space Technology and fund SETI research.
By 2010, the efforts to develop self-sustaining technologies will be in full swing.
By 2018, complete the development above, launch a for-profit Corporation that would have as its primary goal , to put the first self-sustaining Space Colony in orbit, 248 miles above the Earth, and have subsequent colonies, further from Earth.
By 2020, to promote free enterprise in the conquest of Space.
Space N Stuff : Mr. Klien , your site provides a great deal of background information regarding your goals. However, I do have a series of questions to pose:
Space N Stuff : If I understand correctly, based on your current projections, people will not be off this planet until approximately 2020. In view of the seemingly endless strikes of Terrorism globally, will your "Arks" be too late?
Mr. Klien : It will be a close call.
In a technology timeline produced by British Telecommunications (a multibillion dollar conglomerate based in the United Kingdom) which we have a copy of at http://research.lifeboat.com/btexact.pdf, it was predicted that in as little as three more years terrorists will unleash dangerous bioweapons on the public. It stands to reason that creating self-sustaining space stations during the time between this prediction and total extinction will be a non trivial task.
Space N Stuff : It is my interpretation that each 'Ark' will be self-sufficient to accommodate 1,000 permanent residents and 500 visitors. In addition, those who are chosen will be the winner(s) of a lottery or benefit from "Lifeboat scholarships". While security is one of the top priorities for The United States, will that be a priority onboard an Ark? Will Lifeboat screen those who enter/win said lottery or scholarships? In other words, will criminals either present or future be included? If not? Would that be discrimination?
Mr. Klien : Needless to say, each passenger will undergo an intense screening process before being allowed to board. Someone like Martha Stewart, who may have done a little insider trading, would still be considered a potential candidate. But a convicted murderer would have little chance of being accepted as a candidate.
Space N Stuff : Human Nature, being just that, "human"
Mr. Klien : Each colony will be free to create its own laws and standards of conduct. Security officials will have the benefit of a confined station and its finite number of passengers when monitoring suspicious or malicious behavior. And, of course, the use of practical safeguards such as psychological testing will have to be in place for those onboard who have access to dangerous technologies.
Space N Stuff : On this planet, we have various means to cope with and handle death. Since these colonies have no capability of returning to Earth, how would deceased individuals be cared for?
Mr. Klien : Long term, we intend for the colonies to repopulate other planets-- including the Earth. As for those permanently living on spacestations, burial traditions would be unlikely. The departed could, in the fashion of a sailor's burial at sea, be ceremoniously launched into the sun. Simple cremation and cryonic suspension are additional possibilities. In all cases, memorials could also be created to both honor those who have passed and provide comfort to those who have lost loved ones.
Space N Stuff : Although the world has made significant progress with various Space Programs, we still find 'glitches' that delay progress, at great expense. How will Lifeboat be different in this regard? Since the colonies are forever 'out there' how will replacement parts be stored? It would seem to be quite difficult to predict in advance, how many of each, would be needed to keep the Arks functioning at tip top performance.
Mr. Klien : The development of self-sustaining technologies is essential to this project. We certainly don't want to replicate the Skylab and Mir experiences where they had to toss their junked space stations into the ocean.
To create effective self-sustaining technologies will require, at the very least, the primitive beginnings of nanotechnology. This technology, which enables the manipulation of matter, atom by atom, could be used to stop a ship's entropy. Also, whatever plagues, fallout or weaponry was used by terrorists to wipe out life on Earth could be removed by this technology, thereby making the planet habitable again.
For the record, while it will take hundreds of billions of dollars, if not more, to create nanotechnology, we will let others handle the cost. (Over a billion dollars was spent on nanotechnology development just this year.) We will just slightly adjust such technologies so they are useful to self-sustain a space station. And that is what we will spend ten years doing.
Space N Stuff : For the first time since Man has walked on Earth, scientists and engineers are capable of mind boggling research and results. Yet, our Universe is constantly changing. Solar storms are perhaps altering many of our 'normal' weather patterns. Discoveries are being made faster than the press can report. Wouldn't it be difficult to plan now, with so many unknowns?
Mr. Klien : It is always difficult to make plans based on educated guesses, but no plan to preserve mankind seems premature when you consider the consequences. Stephen Hawking warns that "You can't regulate every lab in the world. The danger is that either by accident or design, we create a virus that destroys us." With this in mind, can we afford to wait? Can we afford not to make plans?
Space N Stuff : Finally Mr. Klien , mankind survives in 'groups.' Families, friendships, coworkers. Would Colonies provide employment? How would normal everyday expenses be handled? Would entire families qualify to climb onboard at the same time? Those who find living in space, is NOT their 'cup of tea' will face great stress, since it appears they will not be able to return, assuming there is a planet here still in existence. Can you elaborate?
Mr. Klien : The more arks we are able to build, the more room will be available to house entire families. And considering that only a few thousand people will be in such close proximity onboard the station, meaningful bonds will be forged, new families will spring up and, with time, a sense of community will grow strong.
As to employment, consumerism will not die alongside our planet. There will still be financial reward for services rendered. A new frontier offers new opportunity. Everyone will be encouraged to stimulate creativity and to provide the goods, services and entertainment needed for the station to flourish.
Comments: Mr. Klien ? Feel free to add whatever you wish.
Mr. Klien : The idea that advanced technologies are not an appropriate match for our primitive culture is an obvious one, but it wasn't until recently that I figured out why few people are worrying about it. The answer is that non-scientists are oblivious to potential dangers, while on the other hand, those who worship at the altar of science live by the precept that future advancements will cure all the world's problems.
We are currently working on phase 4, the technical credibility, of our ARK I design and, in two weeks, I will be flying off to England to meet with a multibillionaire. Within a year or two, we expect our project to really gain some momentum!
Space N Stuff wishes to extend its sincere gratitude to Mr. Klien for his timely response and the use of his valuable time. In the near future, we will pursue additional information in the form of a follow-up interview.
In the meantime Mr. Klien , have a safe journey to England and back.
Nancy, Director of Operations, Editor
www.spacenstuff.com
RESOURCES:
Below you will find various LINKS within Lifeboat Foundation 's web site. It is very easy to navigate. We hope you will visit and see the details for yourself. Thank you.
http://lifeboat.com/ex/ : Home Page
http://lifeboat.com/ex/ArkI : Details on Ark I
http://lifeboat.com/ex/timeline : Current and Future Goals.
http://lifeboat.com/ex/faq : Frequently Asked Questions
http://research.lifeboat.com/btexact.pdf : Research
If you celebrate Xmas, befriend me (538
For those who don't follow, Zyclon-B was a hydrocyanic acid initially used as disinfectant and insecticide that ended up being used by the Nazis in the concentration camps,
It's also the name of a Metal group from Norway that ought to disinfect their own style.
It's frustrating that /. posts this sort of thing, but never touches on serious stuff dealing with the Singularity. Bah to the moderators.
For example, the Singularity Institute has a vast array of comp-sci-related interesting stuff about General Artifical Intelligence and its role in the Singularity. The institute and volunteers are working on Flare, a programming language for GAI development.
Then we have the Foresight Institute who have a bunch of scholarly, serious things to say about nanotechnology and its implications.
Just for starters, of course. Then we have a million other resources out there, such as:
KurzweilAI.net
Extropy Institute
at which one can learn about the Singularity and associated topics in context.
But no, we get trash like the spaceship guy. Bah, bah, bah. Reason
First, a brief recap. "The Singularity" is a paper by Vernor Vinge which makes an observation. The author noted that the rate of change is in fact accelerating exponentially. He predicted that rather dramatic consequences will result when change reaches the vertical part of the exponential curve, rounding the bend per say. Humans simply will not be able to keep up with things or have any influence whatsoever as new life with greatly improved intelligence goes on to dominate the planet and then the reachable universe. This observation is quite well supported by other evidence. Current obstacles : human stubborness and delusions of their own grandeur, relative technological difficulty, human delusion of some mystical secret "soul" to prevent such a thing will be cleared away by one means or another. I say 'will' because trying to stop something like this would be like a group of humans deciding to end their expansion by refusing to reproduce. Someone else would, and dominate the future. Remember, the improved intelligent life, whatever form they take, will be in reality humanity's children. Random evolution won't bring it about : creating better intelligence will require a vast organized effort, whether it be designing circuitry or modifying the genetics of existing people. The new life, whether it be a baby with special genes or a learning machine that must be taught from the basics onward will require the same parenting process the current people alive must give to their children to carry on the legacy. Unlike the popular view, I see this as a positive step. Yes, biological humans will probably die away eventually...but this need not be a violent process, or any more cruel than the deaths of current humans by their own bodies. The solar system and the galaxy belong to these descendents, as it should be.
Already done. They're called 'Soyuz.' Russia swaps them out every 6 months or so. Part of the reason that they only have three people on the space station is that the evacuation capacity is severely limited.
Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms should be the name of a store, not a government agency.
You obviously are uninformed about nanotechnolgy.
Everybody is uninformed about nanotechnology. It's a term like "theology" or "philosophy," too broad to have any real meaning.
That said, let me summarize what I know about nanotechnology so you can decide if I'm insufficiently informed. It all started with Feynman's APS talk back in '59. If I remember correctly, it was entitled, "There's Room at the Bottom," or something like that. In it, he talked about the theoretical basis for molecule-scale structures: manufacturing through evaporation, the challenge of lubrication, and so on. Interestingly, I seem to recall, Feynman essentially ignored the implications of the Uncertainty Principle in his talk. That may be my imagination, though; it's been a long time.
Meanwhile, von Neumann was doing theoretical work of his own on self-replicating systems. (His work actually predated Feynman's talk by several years, but that's close enough to merit a "meanwhile" from me.)
Drexler first put the ideas together in a serious way in 1981, and in greater detail in his seminal '86 book, Engines of Creation. (I sold my copy years ago to a used book store, so don't expect any chapter-and-verse quotes from me.) He postulated self-replicating devices for manipulating atoms individually; he called them "assemblers." If I remember correctly, he also coined the term "gray goo" to refer to the nightmare of a runaway assembler that devours all available raw materials to manufacture more copies of itself, burying the surface of the Earth in a homogenous sludge.
Since the 80's, Drexler and others have done a mountain of work on nanotechnological ideas, most of them centering around the idea of the atomic-scale self-reproducing assembler. But that's not the whole story.
Back to the 1970's. We have these two basic ideas: atomic-scale manufacturing (Feynman) and self-replicating machines (von Neumann). Drexler jumped to the conclusion that these two ideas can be made to work together and ran with it. But the blanket term "nanotechnology" has since been applied to any non-biological physical process that occurs on the nanometer scale, not just Drexler's blue-sky ideas. That's why I say the term "nanotechnology" is essentially useless in any sort of technical discussion. Electron microscopy is nanotechnology. The synthesis of drugs is nanotechnology. PCR amplification of DNA is nanotechnology. Electroplating is nanotechnology. Drexler's self-replicating assemblers are nanotechnology. Everything is nanotechnology, in one way or another. And some ideas that can fairly be called nanotechnology are... well, let's just say they're a hell of a lot less plausible than others.
To take a specific example, Drexler's ideas of atomic-scale assemblers that replicate themselves and also assemble other atomic-scale structures are here already. They're called enzymes, and they're everywhere. The problem is that they only work inside a narrow range of temperature and environment. If the pH is too high or too low, the enzymes-- or "assemblers," if you prefer-- simply don't work. So they have to be contained inside little self-regulating environment bubbles: cells. And cells-- well, most kinds, anyway-- are too fragile to exist for long without external support. Thus, organisms. And even when an enzyme is in the perfect environment, contained inside a cell that's in turn protected by an entire organism, it still only works about half the time. Even something as seemingly harmless as sunlight can attack enzymes like artillery shells, blasting those fragile molecules into pieces before they can do their jobs. But the biological processes are so ridiculously redundant that 50% or more is an acceptable rate of failure.
Drexler envisions a very clean, precise atomic-scale manufacturing process. He assumes that this is possible because we're talking about putting atoms in place one at a time; there's no reason any nanotechnologically manufactured object should ever have a flaw in it. But, while that's theoretically possible, it's a lot harder to achieve than you might think. Remember what I said about temperature and environment? Nanotechnological-- or, if you prefer, biological, for at this point they're the same thing-- processes are fragile and delicate.
So jumping to the conclusion that we will have nanotechnology is meaningless, because nanotechnology means any number of things that cover the spectrum from the mundane to the fanciful.
I write in my journal
Transhumanism/Transhumanists are what you are reffering to, I believe.
RTFF
"Source... The Final Frontier" -- keepersoflists.org
I don't know if this was already pointed out, but the author seems to be slightly unifomed about the properties of a vacuum. Since NASA has stated it would take 10-20 years at THEIR current level of funding to put a man on the moon again (let alone colonise), I wonder how the lifeboat will be ready in less than 18 years.
Ah well, the quote from the lifeboat FAQ (main, not supplimentary) shows what I am talking about (emphasis mine).
Why not hide in a deep sea colony?
This would have all the disadvantages of a bunker/cave.
Also, the one single atmosphere of pressure in outer space seems inconsequential compared to the hundreds of atmospheres of pressure under the sea.
The predictions of Eric sound similar to another organisation... your favourite door-to-door salespeople. (And the History of the end of the world). Found on Google.
A Sig should be like my friend Maran, short.
Is this the same group that put out that book The millinal Project or how of colonze the galaxy in 1000 years?
I read at +2. If your post doesn't reach that level I will not see or respond to it.