Straight out of Sci-fi

[Sylpher]

Well..

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/sci/tech/3635972.stm

Thought it was pretty interesting. So interesting I stopped working, came here and posted and then went and got some water.

[Darth Mandarb]

Very interesting indeed ...

Raises all sorts of questions in my mind.

If we can't stop ourselves from destroying the planet (nuclear holocaust) do we deserve a Noah's Ark on the moon?

If an asteroid is going to wipe out the planet would we be messing with destiny/fate by having a 'backup' of the planet?

Now those are just my doom-n-gloom questions.

Personally I think it's a fantastic sci-fi idea.Ã,  I mean, if we've advanced to the point where something like that is possible why shouldn't we do it?Ã,  If we can virtually guarentee our continued existance don't we have the right (obligation) to do so?

I think a scientist calling it 'Noah's Ark in Space', is brilliant.Ã,  It ties science and religion together quite nicely that way (at least in my (not overly religious) way of thinking).

[Ghormak]

It's just like a save/restore function in real life!

We need to make the Russians interested in this so NASA will have someone to race against.

[BlackMan890]

yeah, it was really interesting AND fun to whact the race to the moon, man i miss races like that..

[Sam.]

Yes! I knew about this. The benefits of being 16 and watching newsround! Its great! Although i bet they'll take "perfect" samples so humans will end up as blonde jocks so i dont really care because they'll kill themselves anyway.

[Esseb]

You really imagine that if this project ever got off the ground (horrible pun not intended) there wouldn't be a public outcry if they only sampled people from a few races?

[Darth Mandarb]

No, I heard they were only taking pure Aryan samples.

The rocket that carries the samples to the moon is called the 'Hitler 1' and uses a modified v2 rocket called the v3.

I kid ...

The article specifically says, " ... repository for the DNA of every single species of plant and animal."Ã,  and even talks about taking samples of the Earth's biosphere.

Douglas Adams is laughing in his grave ...

[Sam.]

oops. i just understood this. they wouldnt need human dna would they. Even if they did take it and the enitre world died out, who would reanimate it? so we dont really need it. unless aliens can do it for us...

[Evil]

I agree with Darth. If we cant help ourselfs from killing everyone in a nuclear holocaust, do we really deserve a moon backup system? Besides, if the world is gone anyway, why do we even bother?

And if the world were to say, not go through a nuclear holocaust, but get hit by a big asteroid. The world would explode in a firy hell, and blow up along with the moon, and the scrapmail could possibly destroy other planets/moons.

Whos to say that the scientists arnt going to be "Hitlers" and choose what happens to the world/moon. They could start a monarchy and the people would rebel and blow up the world again, and everything would be gone twice over.

Its stupid. Lets spend more money on making this world good enough to not have to make a moon backup.

[Yufst3r]

An asteroid wouldn't necessarily destroy the earth. According to one theory about the extinction of dinosoars, an Asteroid hit the planet, causing massive volcanic eruptions everywhere. If that didn't kill the plants and animals, then the next part did; a cloud of carbon dioxide and smoke and shit like that hung over the earth, blocking out the sunlight and preventing plants from growing and therefore starving many animals.

I think Human DNA would be awesome, because one day aliens could recreate us and keep us as pets or experimental lab humans or whatever. I think we'd have to put dictionaries and clothes and stuff up there too.

[Evil]

Even still, they would have to populate the moon and then fly a rocket with everyone back to Earth. Its too long of a process.

[Darth Mandarb]

I'm no astro-physicist here, but I think if something big enough came barrelling through the cosmos and completely obliterated the Earth the moon would probably be destroyed too. Ã, Or would it drift off into the sun? Ã, I just don't know ...

I think the guy is counting on there being survivors.Ã,  Survivors who would retrieve the DNA, bring it back, and start over.

So if you can learn how to repopulate the earth using a stash of DNA you'll be guarenteed a ticket to the 'Asteroid Bunker' with the other VIPs.

On a similar note ... I have decided that if an asteroid is going to destroy the planet and there's no chance for us peasants, I want to go to ground zero and watch it happen. Ã, At least I'd go out with a bang.

[Yufst3r]

Even still, they would have to populate the moon and then fly a rocket with everyone back to Earth. Its too long of a process.

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What if they did it Titan AE style? And created a ship with the facilities needed to survive in for a few months/years, as well as the facilities needed to reproduce the animals using the DNA stored within the ship? Then, park it on the moon, fly back, and wait for the end of the world! When that happens, we can go on a villain-filled quest for the truth, and the fate of the world!

That would be a lot more exciting than cargo ships taking crates of chickens and pigs from the moon to the blackened crust of the earth, one by one...

[YOke]

If we do that it will only be a matter of time until it is used as a weapon. The safest thing for everybody will be if there is NO backup whatsoever. That way we are dependent on each other to survive. Constantly paranoid perhaps, but alive.

[Evil]

If the world "ends", I hope it turns out like the movie Tank Girl. That would be awesomly hot.

[remixor]

oops. i just understood this. they wouldnt need human dna would they. Even if they did take it and the enitre world died out, who would reanimate it? so we dont really need it. unless aliens can do it for us...

Well, presumably some people would have gotten off the planet (including scientists who know what they're doing).  At least, that's what I figured.

[Damien]

Sending scientists to clone the human civilization after the disaster would be useless because, first of all,Ã,  maybe they couldn't get to Earth right away because it's scorched, radiated, or whatever we did to it, so maybe it would take hundreds of years untill they could return.

If the scientists would start recreating the human race, they would have to find a place to do that, and, if the Earth's atmosphere was destroyed, it could take thousands of years to restore it by planting trees and stuff.

Then, they'd need the rations to feed the clones, and so on.

I guess the DNA museum would only be used like a monument in space proving the Human race existed.

Anyway, a good idea for a computer game.

[Nacho]

Maybe the moon is to close of the earth for being a safe backup... If a really huge asterioid destroys the Earth the colony in the moon could suffer the consequences...

I would put it in a moon of Jupiter or Saturn. 

[Domino]

I want to ensure that my clone will live on long after i'm gone.Ã,  I guess i'll have to leave my DNA in a cup stored in my freezer, and then hopefully someday, some scientists will raid my freezer and find me, i meant my clone.

just a joke of course, and i should be slapped for my sick sense of humor.Ã, 

Shawn

[Darth Mandarb]

Anyway, a good idea for a computer game.

I was totally thinking the same thing ... an alien race steals the 'ark' from the moon and is going to use it to 'build' spies to send to Earth so they can stealthily learn and study our planet before invading!

Back on topic:

I think the system could only work if people survived the 'holocaust' in whatever form it takes.

Oh ... and would these people be clones?Ã,  I was more envisioning test-tube babies than cloning.

I mean, what good would it do us if we put all that DNA on the moon and tomorrow we needed it?Ã,  We can't clone a human yet can we?

Ponderous ...