andrewlb notes

The High Frontier

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The High Frontier

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Highlights

  • It is essential to maintain a positive vision of the future, from which to draw our goals, the motivation to pursue them, and the compulsion to meet the complex human challenges we will face along the way. (Location 81)
  • automated exploration of our solar system (Location 90)
  • The L5 orbit for colonies was shown to have no strong advantage over other high circular orbits.  "L5," as used here, should therefore be taken as shorthand for any high circular orbit about the Earth or the Sun. (Location 111)
  • The most soaring achievements of mankind in the arts, music and literature could never have occurred without a certain amount of leisure and wealth; we should not be ashamed to search for ways in which all of humankind can enjoy that wealth. (Location 173)
  • Those who can adapt to rapid change qualify for higher paying jobs.  The trial period also gives people the chance to decide that "this is not for me." (Location 194)
  • ENSAT keeps us on a fairly loose rein as long as productivity and profits remain high – I don’t think they want another Boston Tea Party. (Location 228)
  • Our housing, food, clothing, and the rest are purchased in SHARES (Standard High-orbital Acquisition-units Recorded Electronically) so our Earth salaries just accumulate in the bank. (Location 257)
  • We're thinking of homesteading one of the smaller asteroids, and the numbers look reasonable.  Especially if our daughter and son-in-law decide to come along, with the grandchildren, I think we're more likely to move further out than go back. (Location 268)
  • "It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow." (Location 285)
  • We now have the technological ability to set up large human communities in space: communities in which manufacturing, farming, and all other human activities could be carried out. (Location 288)
  • solving the energy crisis which we face here on Earth; to the slightly longer-term problem of population size and Earth's capacity to support it; finally to a nonmaterial problem, compelling but not to be reckoned in dollars: the opportunity for increased human options and diversity of development. (Location 293)
  • They are having a hard time doing so: in energy usage, we were there first, and have skimmed the cream of the Earth's easily available energy sources. From a political and moral viewpoint, we in the developed nations bear a responsibility for the plunder of the past centuries. (Location 336)
  • Any technological solutions we employ to solve our problems must, though, retain their logic over a very long time-span. (Location 341)
  • "Nothing makes sense unless its continuance for a long time can be projected without running into absurdities... there cannot be unlimited, generalized growth... Ever bigger machines, entailing ever bigger concentrations of economic power and exerting ever greater violence against the environment do not represent progress: they are a denial of wisdom." (Location 342)
  • A technical "improvement" is more likely to be beneficial if it reduces rather than increases the concentration of power and control. (Location 350)
  • Mankind does not change, and retains always the capacity for evil as well as for good.  At the most we can suggest opportunities whose technical imperatives will make it easier for mankind to choose peace rather than war; diversity rather than repression; human simplicity rather than inhuman mechanization.  Technology must be our slave, and not the reverse. (Location 362)
  • Within the past decade four problems have been recognized, all of which relate to the limited size of Earth: they are energy, food, living space, and population. (Location 365)
  • By the end of the century, though, an even smaller fraction of all people will live in developed nations, according to the United Nations.  The world of 2000, then, will be poorer and hungrier than the world of today. (Location 396)
  • For a healthy world economy it may therefore be necessary to assume that the growth rates which have existed up to now (about 7 percent per year in energy) will have to continue.  It has been pointed out by Von Hoerner that if such growth continues, within about eighty-five years the power we will be putting into the biosphere will be enough to raise the average temperature of Earth's surface by one degree centigrade.[43]  That is enough to cause profound changes in climate, rainfall, and in the water level of the oceans.  Some (Location 473)
  • I believe that the concept of the humanization of space can stand on its own merits, survive detailed numerical checks, and survive logical debate; to support it requires no act of faith, only the willingness to study unfamiliar ideas with an open mind. (Location 573)
  • On a planetary surface we are the "gravitationally disadvantaged," at the bottom of a deep hole in potential energy. (Location 645)

public: true

title: The High Frontier longtitle: The High Frontier author: Gerard O'Neill, Donald Davis, Pat Rawlings, and Kathy Sullivan url: , source: kindle last_highlight: 2022-06-04 type: books tags:

The High Frontier

rw-book-cover

Metadata

Highlights

  • It is essential to maintain a positive vision of the future, from which to draw our goals, the motivation to pursue them, and the compulsion to meet the complex human challenges we will face along the way. (Location 81)
  • automated exploration of our solar system (Location 90)
  • The L5 orbit for colonies was shown to have no strong advantage over other high circular orbits.  "L5," as used here, should therefore be taken as shorthand for any high circular orbit about the Earth or the Sun. (Location 111)
  • The most soaring achievements of mankind in the arts, music and literature could never have occurred without a certain amount of leisure and wealth; we should not be ashamed to search for ways in which all of humankind can enjoy that wealth. (Location 173)
  • Those who can adapt to rapid change qualify for higher paying jobs.  The trial period also gives people the chance to decide that "this is not for me." (Location 194)
  • ENSAT keeps us on a fairly loose rein as long as productivity and profits remain high – I don’t think they want another Boston Tea Party. (Location 228)
  • Our housing, food, clothing, and the rest are purchased in SHARES (Standard High-orbital Acquisition-units Recorded Electronically) so our Earth salaries just accumulate in the bank. (Location 257)
  • We're thinking of homesteading one of the smaller asteroids, and the numbers look reasonable.  Especially if our daughter and son-in-law decide to come along, with the grandchildren, I think we're more likely to move further out than go back. (Location 268)
  • "It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow." (Location 285)
  • We now have the technological ability to set up large human communities in space: communities in which manufacturing, farming, and all other human activities could be carried out. (Location 288)
  • solving the energy crisis which we face here on Earth; to the slightly longer-term problem of population size and Earth's capacity to support it; finally to a nonmaterial problem, compelling but not to be reckoned in dollars: the opportunity for increased human options and diversity of development. (Location 293)
  • They are having a hard time doing so: in energy usage, we were there first, and have skimmed the cream of the Earth's easily available energy sources. From a political and moral viewpoint, we in the developed nations bear a responsibility for the plunder of the past centuries. (Location 336)
  • Any technological solutions we employ to solve our problems must, though, retain their logic over a very long time-span. (Location 341)
  • "Nothing makes sense unless its continuance for a long time can be projected without running into absurdities... there cannot be unlimited, generalized growth... Ever bigger machines, entailing ever bigger concentrations of economic power and exerting ever greater violence against the environment do not represent progress: they are a denial of wisdom." (Location 342)
  • A technical "improvement" is more likely to be beneficial if it reduces rather than increases the concentration of power and control. (Location 350)
  • Mankind does not change, and retains always the capacity for evil as well as for good.  At the most we can suggest opportunities whose technical imperatives will make it easier for mankind to choose peace rather than war; diversity rather than repression; human simplicity rather than inhuman mechanization.  Technology must be our slave, and not the reverse. (Location 362)
  • Within the past decade four problems have been recognized, all of which relate to the limited size of Earth: they are energy, food, living space, and population. (Location 365)
  • By the end of the century, though, an even smaller fraction of all people will live in developed nations, according to the United Nations.  The world of 2000, then, will be poorer and hungrier than the world of today. (Location 396)
  • For a healthy world economy it may therefore be necessary to assume that the growth rates which have existed up to now (about 7 percent per year in energy) will have to continue.  It has been pointed out by Von Hoerner that if such growth continues, within about eighty-five years the power we will be putting into the biosphere will be enough to raise the average temperature of Earth's surface by one degree centigrade.[43]  That is enough to cause profound changes in climate, rainfall, and in the water level of the oceans.  Some (Location 473)
  • I believe that the concept of the humanization of space can stand on its own merits, survive detailed numerical checks, and survive logical debate; to support it requires no act of faith, only the willingness to study unfamiliar ideas with an open mind. (Location 573)
  • On a planetary surface we are the "gravitationally disadvantaged," at the bottom of a deep hole in potential energy. (Location 645)