this post was submitted on 15 Dec 2023
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Jeff Bezos plays down AI dangers and says a trillion humans could live in huge cylindrical space stations::The billionaire said people living in space could visit Earth on vacation.

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[–] Lophostemon@aussie.zone 4 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Yeah but happily and healthily? And for how long? And what about all the studies showing the rapid degeneration of bone density and immune functions when in space?

That spaceship stuff is science FICTION for a reason.

[–] Skyhighatrist@lemmy.ca 5 points 11 months ago (1 children)

So an O'Neil cylinder exploits rotation to simulate gravity. When set up properly it feels just like gravity we're used to here on earth. That should at least help curb the effects of microgravity. Radiation shouldn't be much of a problem as people would be living on the inside of the cylinder with meters of material between them and outer space.

[–] Lophostemon@aussie.zone 1 points 11 months ago (2 children)

And who’s paying to put all those gazillion bazillions of cubic tonnes of radiation shielding into space?

[–] planetaryprotection@midwest.social 2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Not trying to defend Jeff here, but generally these kind of space megaprojects rely on manufacturing materials in space. I.e. capture an asteroid and use its material as the radiation shielding. Not that that's currently anywhere near feasible ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[–] Lophostemon@aussie.zone 0 points 11 months ago

Yeah I read lots of sci-fi as a kid too. We’d be there by now except physics is a cruel and unyielding mistress.