Dividing the human race
Without considering personal beliefs, religious or otherwise, around what drives evolution, as a process it can be seen all around us. As things in our world change, those living things who have adaptations favourable to that change survive - while those who don't, well, don't.
For humans, it has been suggested that the advent of technology and improved healthcare will will mean that we become super versions of what we are now - taller, stronger, healthier. However, ever increasing pressure to choose the best mate, widening social gaps and poor access to technology and healthcare for some may mean that in the future, the human race will split into two distinct populations: Graciles and Robusts.
Graciles, descending from the most affluent, could be giants between 6ft and 7ft tall with life-spans extended to 120 years. Physical appearance, driven by indicators of health, youth and fertility, would likely improve. Racial differences will be ironed out by interbreeding, producing a uniform race of coffee-colored people. Indeed, our current society seems hell bent on everyone looking the same.
Gracile men will exhibit symmetrical facial features, look athletic, and have squarer jaws, deeper voices and bigger penises. Gracile women, on the other hand, will develop lighter, smooth, hairless skin, large clear eyes, pert breasts, glossy hair, and even features.
Robusts, descending from the poor, would suffer from limited access to healthcare and technology and therefore by comparison with Graciles would appear inferior and exist in a place where disease and famine run rampant.
Under normal circumstances, these changed would take thousands of years. But what if something happened to cause a quantum leap forward? Humans are able to create new breeds of dogs or plants in just a few generations. What if we did it to ourselves... genetic manipulation at conception is already a reality.
For humans, it has been suggested that the advent of technology and improved healthcare will will mean that we become super versions of what we are now - taller, stronger, healthier. However, ever increasing pressure to choose the best mate, widening social gaps and poor access to technology and healthcare for some may mean that in the future, the human race will split into two distinct populations: Graciles and Robusts.
Graciles, descending from the most affluent, could be giants between 6ft and 7ft tall with life-spans extended to 120 years. Physical appearance, driven by indicators of health, youth and fertility, would likely improve. Racial differences will be ironed out by interbreeding, producing a uniform race of coffee-colored people. Indeed, our current society seems hell bent on everyone looking the same.
Gracile men will exhibit symmetrical facial features, look athletic, and have squarer jaws, deeper voices and bigger penises. Gracile women, on the other hand, will develop lighter, smooth, hairless skin, large clear eyes, pert breasts, glossy hair, and even features.
Robusts, descending from the poor, would suffer from limited access to healthcare and technology and therefore by comparison with Graciles would appear inferior and exist in a place where disease and famine run rampant.
Under normal circumstances, these changed would take thousands of years. But what if something happened to cause a quantum leap forward? Humans are able to create new breeds of dogs or plants in just a few generations. What if we did it to ourselves... genetic manipulation at conception is already a reality.
Asgardia
In an attempt to avoid such division in the future and create a true utopia, in 2016 a project was announced to build a new nation free from the communes of modern politics and economics: a nation to exist in space. It will be called Asgardia.
Below is the information from their website: asgardia.space
Below is the information from their website: asgardia.space
The project's concept comprises three parts – philosophical, legal and scientific/technological. And it's hard to say which of these is more important.
1. The project's philosophy starts at selecting the name for this new country – Asgardia. In ancient Norse mythology, Asgard was a city in the skies, the country of the Gods. It is the realisation of man's eternal dream to leave his cradle on Earth and expand into the Universe.
Asgardia is a fully-fledged and independent nation, and a future member of the United Nations - with all the attributes this status entails: a government and embassies, a flag, a national anthem and insignia, and so on.
The essence of Asgardia is Peace in Space, and the prevention of Earth’s conflicts being transferred into space.
Asgardia is also unique from a philosophical aspect – to serve entire humanity and each and everyone, regardless of his or her personal welfare and the prosperity of the country where they happened to be born.
Asgardia's philosophical envelope is to ‘digitalise’ the Noosphere, creating a mirror of humanity in space but without Earthly division into states, religions and nations. In Asgardia we are all just Earthlings!
2. Asgardia's legal aspects.
Today, many of the problems relating to space law are unresolved and may never be solved in the complex and contradictory dark woods of modern international law. Geopolitical squabbles have a great influence, and are often rooted in the old military history and unresolvable conflicts of countries on Earth. It is time to create a new judicial reality in space.
It is of crucial importance that space law does not become the law of the jungle. Today, only 20 countries on Earth out of about 200 have a space presence, and have, for example, plans to mine in space and lay claim to exclusivity and monopoly. We feel that this is not permissible. New space law has to equally protect the interests of every human being on Earth.
It means protecting individuals and countries (particularly developing nations) from space threats as well as delivering the benefits of using space for creating new goods and services, and financial resources.
The question of Asgardia citizenship is also essential. After Asgardia is recognised as a member of the UN, the question of reasons for granting citizenship will inevitably arise. One opinion is that the first Asgardians will be those who work in the fields of space research and exploration, and space technology, as well as investors in these fields, including small investors.
Of course, special preference will be given to the first hundred thousand people who apply prior to the launch of the first satellite - and all the typical citizenship procedures that are used on Earth will be followed. This does not mean Asgardian citizenship will not be available to all people on Earth, regardless of their earthly jurisdiction.
A core legal principle is that Asgardia does not interfere in relations between states on Earth – and vice versa.
Asgardia's legal envelope includes the creation of a new legal platform for the exploration of near-Earth and deep space. ‘Universal space law’ and ‘astropolitics’ have to replace international space law and geopolitics.
3. The scientific and technological component of the project can be explained in just three words – peace, access and protection.
These are the three most important scientific and technological goals of Asgardia.
First, is to ensure the peaceful use of space.
The second is to protect planet Earth from space threats. There are seven threats in our classification system: sun storms and flares, known as coronal mass ejections; changes in Earth's magnetosphere that destroy the effective protective layer of our planet; potentially dangerous asteroids and comets; man-made orbital debris; changes in the climate stemming from technogenic factors and sun radiation; cosmic radiation from nuclear reactions in novae, supernovae and pulsars; and the danger of Earth infection by microorganisms from meteors and other small celestial bodies.
The third goal is to create a demilitarized and free scientific base of knowledge in space. This will provide free access to all, especially those from developing countries who do not have space access now. And such access should be free and direct.
We see Asgardia's technical structure in three segments:
- one or several core satellites
- clusters of network-centric small satellites
- protective space platform
The scientific and technological envelope of Asgardia is a space arena for the scientific creativity of its citizens and companies in developing a broad range of future space technologies, products and services for humanity on Earth and humanity in Space.
Therefore, Asgardia is a sort of a matryoshka, made of philosophy, law and technology. Whatever else is hidden inside is something we will discover in the near future.
I would now like to say a few words on economics.
The thing is, we are not selling pieces of land on the Moon or water in Antarctica. We're actually not selling anything at all at the moment. Only after we have proven this idea with a confirmed launch of an equipped satellite may we begin talking about Asgardia's budgets.
Right now, work on the project is funded entirely from our personal private funds. It's a clear-cut decision. We have now declared our concept and philosophy publicly and would like as many people as possible on the planet to find out about it.
And of course we are going to make use of crowd funding and sourcing, and private donations. And we welcome cooperation with new partners and investors.
Asgardia’s technical, legal and philosophical team is in the process of being set up Is it pioneering, futuristic and visionary - or madness? Call it what you will, and time will tell.
To sum up, I would like to announce that in a few minutes Asgardia's website beta version will be launched – Asgardia.space. It will accept preliminary applications for Asgardian citizenship. After the first 1 million applications have been received applications will be closed until the first Asgardia satellite is launched. We await you – the first potential citizens and volunteers of the first space nation!