New from the World Future Society The Study of the Future By Edward Cornish with Members and Staff of the World Future Society, Washington, D.C. 1977 320 pages. Paperback. A general introduction to futurism and future studies Chapters discuss the history of the futurist movement ways to introduce future-oriented think ing into organizations, the philosophical assumptions underlying studies of the future methods of forecasting, current thinking about what may happen as a result of the current revolutionary changes in human society etc It also includes descriptions of the life and thinking of prominent futurists and an annotated guide to further reading Comment Many people have sought a readable introduction to the futures field None of the books on the market seemed quite suitable. so the World Future Society has devel oped this unique book To speak honestly though perhaps immodestly we believe it is the best introduction to futurism now available for the aver age reader INOMQUALS Price: Members - $8.50 THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS OTH Non-members- $9.50 The Future: A Guide to World Future Society. Washington, D.C. 1977 This is a guide to individuals, organizations, educational programs and courses. current research projects, periodicals, books and reports, films and videotapes, audiotapes, games and simulations, and other information sources This book was prepared by the Society in response to the countless queries it receives each year from people who want to know where to go for information about forecasting and futurism Supported in part by grants from the National Science Foundation and the Congressional Research Service, the Society labored more than a year to complete the survey of the field on which this volume is based. Comment "This is the most complete and accurate guide now available, and is strongly recommended" Space Colonization: by Paul L. Csonka 1996. Model 3 by 2002 and starting to widespread oppression, violence, and global disaster, argues a sci about the year 2014 the work force of a *"parent" colony could build a "daughentist. He believes that only a small, strictly supervised number of ter" colony within 6 years, relying en space settlements should be permitted until humanity becomes less tirely on its own resources plus raw violent and forms a world government capable of policing space. materials found in outer space, with no assistance from the Earth. This doubling The dream of leaving the Earth and be constructed, capable of supporting, time of six years is to be compared with reaching the stars is probably as old as about 10,000 people inside a space cyl- the present doubling time of Earth's the human race. It certainly predates the inder about a mile long and with a population: 35 years. Accordingly invention of writing, as attested by an- radius of several hundred feet this from about the year 2050, the number cient legends and mythologies. Through could then serve as a base to construct a of places available in the space colonies the millennia, the concept of extraterres- larger "Model 2" space colony with would increase so fast that they could trial hfe and travel has proved to be a about 100.000-200,000 people and a absorb the population increase not only rich source of entertainment and inspir. cylindrical volume about 30 times larger on the Earth but also in the colonies. ation. It also has been quite harmless. than for the previous model. That, in Thereafter, population density could be That state of affairs has changed in turn, could be used to construct Model decreased everywhere. The price of im recent years. Largely as a result of the 3," which would be several miles wide plementing this program would be interesting analysis of Princeton physi- and long and house about a million peo- around five billion dollars per year (in cist Gerard K O'Neill and his co- ple. Even larger models might come 1972 dollars). (For more on space workers in the United States, and other later colonies, see "Space Colonies: The High scientists abroad, it has become clear Various industries would be estab- Frontier" by Gerard O'Neill in THE that we could now start large-scale lished in the successive models. The pro- FUTURIST February 1976. pp. 25-33.) colonization of space if we wished to do duction costs in some of these industries so The dream of permanently leaving would be less than in similar industries The Arguments for Colonization the Earth could become a reality. And on the Earth for example, high-strength Why should humanity embark on this therein lies the danger. single crystals might be cheaply manu- proposed gigantic expansion project? Before presenting my arguments. I factured in zero gravity high-vacuum According to O'Neill and his comust emphasize that I am not against environment, and solar energy would workers, there are several arguments in space colonization. I hope that it is suc be more plentiful. In this way, Model 1 favor of such a plan. I will try to give a cessfully undertaken some day. But could partly pay for itself" starting im- fair summary of these arguments as premankind should not plunge into such an mediately after it becomes operational sented by O'Neill in Physics Today adventure betore conditions are ripe for thus reducing the otherwise exorbitant (September, 1974). (The ordering is it, and I believe that at the present time construction costs of Model 2, etc. The mine) they are not technology to accomplish this multi- 1 Cultural diversity will flourish. It is not our technological maturity stage construction project is only partly ONeill says that the technical imper which I doubt. In fact. I have high re- available today the rest would have to atives of this kind of migration of peogard for the work of O'Neill and his col- be developed along the way. ple and industry into space are likely to laborators, who have presented a con- According to ONeill. Model 1 could encourage self-sufficiency small-scale vincing argument that our industrial be operational by 1988. Model 2 by governmental units, cultural diversity capacity could cope with the task of and a high degree of independence colonization. Their calculations have A community of 20.000 people, eager to proved to be realistic, although occa preserve its own culture nd language sionally on the optimistic side. My can even remain largely isolated. Free objections are of a social and political diverse social experimentations could nature. Under the conditions prevailing thrive in such a protected, self-sufficient today, immediate large-scale space colo environment (For such reasons many nization is likely to have disastrous con young Maoists are now enthusiastically sequences for the human race in favor of space colonization) 2 Good "land" will be plentiful. The The Proposed Program for history of the last 30 years suggests that Space Colonization warfare in the nuclear age is strongly, How could one commence large-scale although not wholly motivated by ter space colonization today? O'Neill sug ntorial conflicts-battles over limited, gests a multi-stage process. In the first stage, a "Model 1" space colony would nonextendable pieces of land," ONeill maintains the construction of new living spaces may eliminate the cause of The first space colony could look like a such contlicts giant wheel floating in space. The burn ished disc that hangs suspended over the Furthermore, one may be hopeful that wheel is a floating mirror panel that reflects colonization will be peaceful. "We al sunlight down onto slanted panels and into Author Paul L Csonka warns that disaster ready have a treaty banning nuclear shields that screen out cosmic rays. could result if humanity plunges into large weapons from space, and the colonies Photo NASA scale space colonization in the near future. can obtain all the energy they could ever THE FUTURIST, October 1977 285 need from clean solar power, so that temptations presented by nuclear reactor by-products need not exist in the space communities 3. Population pressures on Earth can be alleviated. After about the year 2050 the number of new space colonies built per year would be high enough to decrease the population density of Earth and the space colonies to predetermined ecologically sound levels, even if the growth rate of the population persisted undiminished at its present value of 1.98% per year. This expansion could continue while there is space to be colonized in the Solar System: at least a 20.000-fold increase of the population could be so accommodated without increasing the population density At the present rate that would take about 500 years during which time we would hopefully learn to slow down population growth or initiate space travel to distant stars. There are enough materials for us to use: "If we are so prodigal as to run through the entire material of the asteroid belt in the next 500 years we can even gain another 500 years by using up the moons of the outer planets 4 Industrial pollution on Earth could be greatly reduced. "If work is begun soon, nearly all our industrial activity could be moved away from the Earth's fragile biosphere within less than a century from now. declares O'Neill. In addition. "bird and animal species that are endangered on Earth by agricultural development and industrial chemical residues may find havens for growth in the space colonies, where insecticides are unnecessary and industry has unlimited energy for recycling. 5. The quality of life would be high. The space settlements would offer "new A small transportation vehicle waits for lift-off from a mining town on the moon. Lunar materials will be the prime source of metals and oxygen for proposed space colonies. At right are mines and living quarters. The smaller tube bins with glass windows are agriculture sheds where food is grown. At left is magnetic track of accelerator which sends lunar materials hurtling into space. Photo NASA tions from the calculated values. To avoid such a delay we have to start colonization right now. And if this were the whole story, we would be well advised to do so. and habitats far more comfortable. attractive than is most of the Earth" O'Neill suggests. In addition, using the matter and energy available in space to colonize and build, we can achieve great productivity of food and material goods. Examples of this type were cited earlier: favorable environment for large single-crystal growth is difficult to achieve on the Earth, but could be easily accomplished in space colonies, solar collectors, placed in orbit, could gather solar radiation for conversion to electrical energy (which in turn may be radiated to Earth in the form of microwaves) (During the last year or so. publications dealing with space colonization have tended to stress the fifth item on our list of expected benefits. However, the other four have not been repudiated or retracted: in fact, they are still being quoted, and by now they have been repeatedly enumerated by the news media.) These arguments suggest that we should undertake space colonization soon, and on a large scale. Indeed unless we do so, ecological damage to the Earth's biosphere would no longer be reversible, birds and fish which might have found sanctuaries in space habitats would become extinct: the human population density would reach catastrophic levels, and a pathologically overpopulated Earth could not provide the necessary financial resources and supplies to sustain a major colonization effort. Population limitation would then be brought about by other means Because of the exponential growth rates, even a small delay would mean large devia Critique of the Proposed Program But this is not the whole story Another assumption implicit in the above arguments is that human behavior is mostly rational and generous in the sense that it furthers the best interests of the entire human race This assump tion is unjustified, as any student of history well knows. Those on whose decisions the future of our race depends must face the consequences of human irrationality and selfishness. it would be irresponsible to do otherwise. At the very least, we must try to foresee all difficulties which we may encounter-and make sure that we know how to avoid them before committing humanity to such an irreversible course of action as space colonization Some enthusiasts take the position that space colonization would be a new venture, so we can never know where it will lead us I reject this argument. It is true that so far humanity has not built large spaceships, colonized outer space, or lived in isolated space communities for any appreciable length of time. But mankind has built sea-going vessels, colonized distant lands, and lived in more or less isolated communities for centuries Our ample experience in these undertakings must be considered as an indication of the kinds of obstacles we are likely to encounter. In this short article my aim is to call attention to some of the social and poli tical problems to be expected on the basis of historical analogy. I plan to convince you that we are in no position now to handle the difficulties which would emerge. I intend to demonstrate that in view of the many unsolvable problems the above listed five benefits expected from space colonization are largely illusory. Furthermore, I will argue that not only is the proposed space colonization program unlikely to alle viate our difficulties, but it will inevitably amplify them and move us closer to general disaster Let us start our argument by exami ning one by one the previously listed five expected benefits. An Invitation to Tyranny 1 Diversity. How realistic is the hope that space colonization would indeed encourage small-scale government units, a high degree of independence. and free diverse social experimentation? If left to themselves what kind of social structure would the spaceships likely develop? The most reasonable assumption is that they will develop along the same lines as small self-contained social units in the past have tended to do. Probably the simplest example of such units is a ship on the high seas What societies evolved on sea-faring vessels of the past? All of us have heard about pirate ships roaming the high seas each under the control of its tyrannical captain. But how many ships were inhabited by a democratic com munity of gentle people who minded their own business, did harm to no one, and made their living happily fishing on the high seas under the bright clear tropical sun? None that I know of More generally, how many peaceful. democratic, pluralistic communities have evolved since sophisticated weaponry became possible with the discovery of ways to forge copper? The history of Europe shows that whenever central authority has weakened, countries have tended to disintegrate, and smaller, geographically determined units have emerged, each ruled by a strong man reigning over the local population-but also defending it against exploitation by outsiders With the notable exception of certain Swiss cantons and some cities, essentially all regional governments were autocratic until quite recently. This phenomenon is not limited to Europe the experience of Asia North Africa and Central America is similar Nor is this tendency limited to the past Hierarchies and rul About the Author Author Paul L. Csonka, a physicist, is direc tor of the Institute of Theoretical Science, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403 ing cliques crystallizing around dominant personalities still appear when the opportunity arises, children on a playground unattended by adults, or adolescent gangs in and out of school, constitute prime examples of this phenome non. These everyday observations are of limited scope, but, in conjunction with our brief historical analysis, they show a general pattern and cause one to wonder if such behavior might be genetically preferred. The formation of hierarchies definitely has survival value for group animals living in the wild because it insures group formation around the strongest leaders It seems unlikely that behavior that is common to almost all higher animal societies would be totally absent in human society. Whether the reason is genetic or otherwise, the fact remains that, in the cultures prevailing from ancient times until today, there is a strong tendency toward authoritarian hierarchies Nowadays the tendency to form hierarchies seems to have lost much of its primeval value: it is unpleasant for those who are relegated to the lower echelons and it also appears to be harmful to the leaders who occupy the higher levels. Perceiving this change people in many societies have strived to make the transition to democracy, but only a small minority of countries have succeeded in achieving an acceptable approximation of it Despite the many setbacks, there are still those who hope that democracy will prove to be viable in the long run and perhaps some day even come to be accepted by many more countries. But even where democratic societies exist, they seem to be in constant danger of sliding toward a more autocratic system. The reverse A Dialogue on Space Colonization In recent issues. THE FUTURIST has published several articles which look favorably upon the idea of large-scale space colonization in the near future Space Colonies: The High Frontier by Gerard K O'Neill appeared in the February 1976 issue and Designing a Space Community" by Magoroh Maruyama appeared in October 1976. This article draws attention to some possible drawbacks of largescale space colonization now Csonka, a physicist, anticipates that some may tend to dismiss his arguments as unscientific because he is neither a historian nor a political scientist However he contends that us his presentation is justified because "the choices which will have to be made will affect the future of all of In addition. at present there is no generally accepted practicable scientific method in the social sci ences which could prove wrong his opinions he says. In such cases expertise must be supplemented by other considerations, he concludes "There is clearly room for opinion. Csonka believes that the subject of space colonization is such an important one that a dialogue must be started in which all of the possible ramifications for society are brought out into the open before a commitment is made |
0 Opiniones Las opiniones no están verificadas, pero Google revisa que no haya contenido falso y lo quita si lo identifica Escribir un comentario |