So, could it ever be possible to build food, maybe
artificial life forms for food, using only things like
amino acids, various inorganic minerals & water?
If so, we could colonize space and never bother
with planets in the first place...
We find amino acids in space. Actually, we don't
even have to look: Amino acids FALL ON US from
space. As does water. So, next, we just need a
source for various minerals -- "Nutrients" -- and
we're golden. We can colonize space and be
fully independent.
Oh I'm sure that that recycling and some initial
storage would be necessary, to provide some
breathing room. You don't want to be anywhere
from decades to thousands of years from the
nearest solar system and find yourself wanting.
I just think if you can colonize space itself, not
other worlds but space, then the distances
between worlds is irrelevant. We're not on the
Jupiter II, we don't have to reach Alpha Centauri,
Also...
I've explained it in the past:
When you write a computer program, and you're
looking for input, you write your program to
select FOR the input you're looking for, not AGAINST
input outside the parameters you're looking for.
In other words, if you're looking for the user to input
a number between 1 & 10, your program tests for a
number that is between 1 and 10. That's all it does.
And if the input fails your test, you output your
error message.
We have to do the same when exploiting space for
survival. We have to select ONLY those things we
want, and nothing else, BECAUSE of the threat that
alien compounds or microbes could pose.
We want the absolute smallest component as can
possibly get.
Ideally we should be able to pour in a box of deadly
viruses, poisons, bacteria (etc), tease it all apart &
extract, oh, I dunno, something like amino acids.
AND THEN build our own food or even living animals
from that...
Or, now get this, "3D print food."
Can we ever do it?
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