Instigator / Pro

patrik42221

1500

rating

debates

41.67%

won

Topic

#4907

Should we colonize other planets?

Status

Finished

The debate is finished. The distribution of the voting points and the winner are presented below.

Winner & statistics

Winner

After 1 vote and with 1 point ahead, the winner is...

Best.Korea

Parameters

Publication date: 08.28.2023 10:50PM
Last updated date: 09.06.2023 09:43PM
Type: Standard
Number of rounds: 4
Time for argument: One day
Max argument characters: 10,000
Voting period: One week
Point system: Winner selection
Voting system: Open

Contender / Con

Best.Korea

1233

rating

408

debates

39.09%

won

Description

No information

Round 1

patrik42221

08.29.2023 06:32PM

Pro

Introduction:

The question of whether we should colonize other planets or not is a topic of profound importance. While Earth has been our cradle, its finite resources and vulnerabilities make it essential for humanity to look beyond its confines and explore the possibility of colonizing other planets.

Arguments:

Ensuring Survival in the Face of Catastrophic Events: Earth is susceptible to a range of natural and man-made disasters, such as supervolcanic eruptions, asteroid impacts, nuclear war, and environmental degradation. By establishing colonies on other planets, we can reduce the risk of extinction events wiping out humanity. The lessons from history underscore the necessity of diversifying our habitats to guarantee the continuity of our species.

Scientific Advancement and Exploration: Colonizing other planets would open up unprecedented opportunities for scientific discovery. Each planet has its unique geological, atmospheric, and environmental conditions, offering invaluable insights into the evolution of celestial bodies and life itself. This knowledge could lead to breakthroughs in various fields, including astrobiology, geology, and climatology.

Resource Extraction and Energy Generation: Many celestial bodies contain abundant resources, such as minerals, metals, and even water ice. Utilizing these resources could alleviate resource scarcity on Earth and reduce the environmental impact of mining and extraction. Moreover, other planets' solar energy potential, particularly those closer to the Sun, could provide a renewable energy source on an entirely different scale.

Technological Innovation and Economic Growth: The challenges posed by interplanetary colonization would stimulate innovation across a wide range of industries. From advanced life support systems to efficient propulsion technologies, these innovations would have applications beyond space exploration, driving economic growth and improving our quality of life on Earth.

Best.Korea

08.29.2023 06:45PM

Con

It would cost a lot. To colonize just one planet costs over 1 trillion dollars. Also, it would make planet wars possible, as well as planet separatists who will say Earth is exploiting them. Also, you are incorrectly assuming that human life deserves to exist for some reason. Reality is, it doesnt. More humans, more problems. We cant afford planet colonization right now when we are in debt and at war with Russia and cant afford to spend 4000000000 trillions on colonization. Not to mention that we dont even have so much money to begin with. To spend all money on colonization is a very bad idea, when other countries are investing into military. Also, it would bankrupt US military as military wouldnt get paid since all money goes to colonies. We would need to have 100% tax rate and we still wouldnt be able to afford such colonization.

Round 2

patrik42221

08.29.2023 07:12PM

Pro

It would cost a lot. To colonize just one planet costs over 1 trillion dollars

Yes it would cost a significant amount of money, but the long term benefits would very much be worth it.

Also, you are incorrectly assuming that human life deserves to exist for some reason. More humans, more problems.

Are you saying that Humans do not deserve to exist cause they have problems? Everything has Problems even just simple things. People deserve to exist and I don't think I need to argue on that much

We cant afford planet colonization right now when we are in debt and at war with Russia and cant afford to spend 4000000000 trillions on colonization. Not to mention that we dont even have so much money to begin with.

Planet colonization does not work like "transfer money, done" It's a long term goal. It's the entire humanities goal to stay alive and avoid instinction and Russia is mostly just trying to get bigger and if we have more planets that means more things to control which would further please them

To spend all money on colonization is a very bad idea, when other countries are investing into military.

Almost every single country is invests into the military to a point. Assuming it would be only the USA's/Nato's goal to colonize planets is not very considerate

it would bankrupt US military as military wouldnt get paid since all money goes to colonies.

It's not only the US's duty to do so, Colonies budget should be an amount where we can keep our stuff on earth good to go.

Best.Korea

08.29.2023 07:46PM

Con

As explained, to colonize just one planet costs 1 trillion.

However, the topic doesnt say one planet.

It says "other planets".

How many other planets are there?

There are 70 quintillion planets. That's 7 followed by 20 zeroes.

So even if we tried to colonize that many planets, we couldnt succeed. It costs 70 quintillion trillion dollars. We dont even have 1% of that money. The entire Earth doesnt have 1% of that money.

My opponent says that we should only colonize to the point where it is sustainable for Earth.

However, thats not what the topic says. I am assuming my opponent is trying to change the topic to something its not.

If you want to debate something specific, then make such topic and definitions. You cannot change topic in the middle of the debate to something the topic doesnt say.

My opponent goes to say that colonizing planets pays off. It actually doesnt at all. The cost of transporting resources from some planet to Earth alone outweights the cost of those resources on Earth. Not to mention that it can take over 200 days for those resources to reach Earth, compared to few days of collecting them on Earth. Also, collecting them on Earth is much much easier.

Also, we already have enough important resources on Earth. Farming diamonds wont help you win wars, since tanks usually arent made of diamonds. Also, selling diamonds doesnt work either, since it doesnt increase the amount of resources needed to make a tank. We would have to use lots of labor force for colonization, which would dimimish our helicopter production abilities.

The Earth is at war and to say that we should be colonizing all other planets right now is not only a silly and unrealistic proposal, but would give advantage to our enemies who would not waste thousands of trillions on colonization.

It would put us at risk and disadvantage. There is no amount of colonization possible in war, and it most certainly isnt currently possible to colonize all other planets.

Even if we had enough money, we wouldnt have enough people since there are much more planets than people.

Also, countries that spend less on colonization would have more money for war. Its impossible to ensure that all countries are spending proportionally.

The entire topic is impossible.

Round 3

patrik42221

08.29.2023 08:56PM

Pro

However, the topic doesnt say one planet.

It says "other planets".

How many other planets are there?

There are 70 quintillion planets. That's 7 followed by 20 zeroes.

The meaning of "colonizing other planets "means that 2 or more planets not all of them then it would be "Should we colonize all planets?"

The cost of transporting resources from some planet to Earth alone outweights the cost of those resources on Earth. Compared to few days of collecting them on Earth. Also, collecting them on Earth is much much easier.
Also, we already have enough important resources on Earth. Farming diamonds wont help you win wars, since tanks usually arent made of diamonds. Also, selling diamonds doesnt work either, since it doesnt increase the amount of resources needed to make a tank.

The problem with this is that you assume that the resources on earth aren't finite or in any other planet, you will run out of resources eventually and if you do not have any backup you will simply die slowly from the lack of resources. Water, Metals, Food, Will once cease to exist on a planet soon enough

and we could use other planets to fuel us here so we won't have to waste our precious resources on our main planet

"We already have enough resources on earth" that should be "at the moment we have enough resources" because we will run out of them eventually our batch of resources will only grow by obtaining it from somewhere else f. e. Mars, Mercury, Venus

"The Earth is at war and to say that we should be colonizing all other planets right now is not only a silly and unrealistic proposal, but would give advantage to our enemies who would not waste thousands of trillions on colonization."

We do not have enemies the goal of colonizing planets is a collective human goal.

I am saying that we all humans together should colonize planets, not just a part of us which you are assuming.

Best.Korea

08.29.2023 09:40PM

Con

The meaning of "colonizing other planets "means that 2 or more planets not all of them then it would be "Should we colonize all planets

Lets see.

"Other planets"

When asked how many other planets are there, do you say 2?

No?

Meaning that "other planets" includes all planets that are not Earth.

If you wanted to debate only 2 planets, why not say so in the topic?

Where in the topic does it say 2 planets? Nowhere.

You cannot change topic after the debate starts. That would be cheating.

Since topic doesnt say how many other planets, the topic deals with absolute, meaning all other planets.

The problem with this is that you assume that the resources on earth aren't finite or in any other planet, you will run out of resources eventually and if you do not have any backup you will simply die slowly from the lack of resources. Water, Metals, Food, Will once cease to exist on a planet soon enough
and we could use other planets to fuel us here so we won't have to waste our precious resources on our main planet
"We already have enough resources on earth" that should be "at the moment we have enough resources" because we will run out of them eventually our batch of resources will only grow by obtaining it from somewhere else f. e. Mars, Mercury, Venus

Another problem with your topic is that you didnt say when should we colonize all other planets. Now or in future? Because now it wouldnt do us any good, would put us at great disadvantage in war, would cost more than it would give. Usually, when someone says "You should brush teeth", I assume he means now, today. I dont assume he means in 50 years. Planet Earth has enough resources for over 100 more years. Since topic doesnt have specific time frame, "now" is included in topic. We obviously should not and will not colonize all planets now... or ever.

We do not have enemies

Well, not true, but you make Putin smile.

the goal of colonizing planets is a collective human goal.

Then its strange that no one is doing it. Everyone wants to, no one does? Must be some problem then.

I am saying that we all humans together should colonize planets, not just a part of us which you are assuming.

Oh great. Another impossible task of uniting the world. The world cannot be united. Forget it.

"Mars has, basically, nothing.

There’s no air. Well, there’s air, but it’s 1% of the air pressure of the Earth’s atmosphere, and it’s made of poisonous carbon dioxide.

There’s no water. Well, there is water, but it’s frozen, either buried under the dirt or locked in polar ice caps.

There’s no gravity. Well, there is gravity, but it’s weaker than the Earth’s. Forget living for extended periods of time in a low-gravity environment – can fetuses even develop a straight spine without the strong gravity of the Earth?

There’s nothing alive, at least not anymore.

There’s no farmable land.

There are no trees.

There’s nothing to protect you against deadly cosmic rays – a day on the Martian surface is like getting a non-stop chest X-ray."

Also, humans living on other planets would need constant supply of food and materials. No other planet has conditions to produce lots of food. Not in open space, and growing indoors would be impossible in great amount. So not only would we be paying for transport of resources, but also for food transport. And what an expensive transport that is.

Also, finding materials on other planets isnt easy. I cant just dig in my backyard and find diamonds. Finding materials on other planets would also cost us.

Round 4

patrik42221

08.30.2023 09:40PM

Pro

Forfeited

Best.Korea

08.30.2023 09:43PM

Con

Thank you for the debate.

Barney

09.06.2023 03:54AM

**************************************************
>Reported Vote: Redpilled // Mod action: Not Removed (borderline)
>Voting Policy: info.debateart.com/terms-of-service/voting-policy
>Points Awarded:
>Reason for Decision: See Votes Tab.
>Reason for Mod Action:

The vote was borderline. By default, borderline votes are ruled to be sufficient.

Note: This decision can be appealed to whiteflame or oromagi. Essentially while the vote is barebones, it's from a new member and seems to get the gist across.
**************************************************

greenplanet

08.31.2023 02:36AM

I think this is an interesting topic.

Best.Korea

08.29.2023 12:49PM

I argue from lots of persectives, economical, political, moral... 😁

patrik42221

08.29.2023 12:32PM

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@Yesterdaystomorrow

I think the same 100%

Yesterdaystomorrow

08.29.2023 02:33AM

This could spark a nice debate. I want to see how a con would argue against this one lol.

Redpilled

09.06.2023 01:47AM

Criterion

Pro

Tie

Con

Points

Winner

1 point(s)

Reason:

Con states it would cost lots of money to colonize other planets but pro seems unable to justify this as he doesn't state any specific benefits it would bring.