Sinergy
Posts: 9383
Joined: 4/26/2004 Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Real0ne well my understanding we are screwed due to the radiation belt around our system that wont let us travel beyond the moon roughly. Hello A/all, This is not entirely correct. It is not so much a radiation belt as a magnetic field generated by the spinning molten (mostly iron) core of our planet. This deflects solar radiation as well as background radiation from our planet for the most part. While there is a possibility that Mars could be terra-formed or host labs on that planet, the lack of this magnetic field on that planet means that anybody who stays there any length of time will have gamma rays, etc., blasting through their bodies all the time. This is also a problem for any sort of long distance space voyage. Heavy elements like lead, iron, etc., when struck by gamma rays and other energy forms at the speed of light is that they break off neutrons which are then traveling at similar speeds. These particles then blast through the bodies of anybody nearby and might disrupt DNA, etc. The way to shield anybody inside this ship would be to take something like water which will dampen their speed without shedding off neutrons. I was reading about this last year and one of the main issues was how to get that much water (You need a thickness in the shield of a meter or so all around the ship) into outer space. I found Seeksfemslave's comments about finding another life form in the planet as being a reason for war to be fairly typical of humans approach to things. We dont really understand something, therefore it must be bad and we should try to destroy it. I like what the Sierra Club's motto says about encountering things. "Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints." We are all guests here. I was always taught to be a nice guest and leave a place I was staying better than I found it. But that is just me and I could be wrong. Sinergy
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"There is a fine line between clever and stupid" David St. Hubbins "This Is Spinal Tap" "Every so often you let a word or phrase out and you want to catch it and bring it back. You cant do that, it is gone, gone forever." J. Danforth Quayle
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