…’cause now we have a shot of getting the hell off this rock. Scientists have confirmed discovery a rocky planet it the habitable zone of its star. (Wired link | Link to paper on Arxiv.org)
The planet, Gliese 581g, is a tantalizingly close 20 light years. Not close enough for a one-lifetime trek with today’s technologies, but certainly doable with some advances in propulsion and life support, volunteers willing to never see the other side, and a hell of a lot of luck.
Long story short, it’s now conceivable that Homo sapiens sapiens could become a multi-star-system species. How fucking awesome is that?
Rhetorical question. Very fucking awesome.
only SMALL advances in…