[ExI] Maybe space exploration will be a task for AI humanoids

[Adrian Tymes]

"But what if-"

No.

The dangers are known, and addressable on the scale of a full colony in
space; they have not nearly been economical to address on the scale of the
very limited space stations that provide the only data about living in
space so far.  The dangers mainly come from:
1) Living in zero-g for extended periods, which we know how to avoid, but
no actual space station has yet been built for long-term spin gravity,
2) Substantially increased exposure to ionizing radiation, which we know
how to avoid, but no actual space station has yet been built with the
requisite level of radiation protection, and
3) Generally being cut off from supply/society and having to make do only
with the very limited infrastructure on hand, which we know how to avoid,
but no actual space station has yet been built with a hospital (or even a
clinic), a full machine shop, and so on.

On Sun, Jun 23, 2024 at 8:52 AM BillK via extropy-chat <
extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:

> What If We’re Stuck Down Here?
> By Barry Petchesky   June 18, 2024
>
> <https://defector.com/what-if-were-stuck-down-here?>
> Quotes:
> But what if certain challenges are not hurdles but roadblocks, and not
> technological but biological? If the problem is not what we can build,
> but what we are?
>
> We've long known of the deleterious effects spaceflight can have on
> the human body: bone loss, anemia, weakened immune systems, higher
> cancer risks, the list goes on.
> Add to those effects a potentially calamitous one.
> The study, ominously titled "Cosmic Kidney Disease" and published last
> week in Nature Communications, examines the kidney function of 66
> astronauts who spent up to 180 days on the International Space
> Station, which is relatively safe compared to say, a return mission to
> Mars, which would last a couple years and expose astronauts to the
> more intense radiation of deep space.
> ----------------------
>
> The conclusion is that if humans are stuck on Earth, then we had
> better make sure we don't ruin it.
>
> BillK
>
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>
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