A National Geographic Documentary entitled "Evacuate Earth" which was first shown in 2012 recently came to my attention. It is the stuff of which apocalyptic movies, books and theories are made up, but one which will without a doubt some day come upon humankind. The documentary starts with the emergence of a neutrino star so massive, so powerful that it would rip galaxies, solar systems and planets that comes its way. The neutrino star is discovered 75 years before its rendezvous with earth and in that duration, mankind is beset with the challenge of building a ship so big yet self-sustaining to carry at least 500,000 select samples of humanity chosen for their physical and genetic robustness in the hope of carrying on human civilization in a distant, far-away planet more or less similar to earth.
The documentary presents the most important challenge that humanity has to solve, how to build a massive ship that is self-sustaining and how to power such ship. Second challenge, who will qualify to board the ship? How will it choose who will go on to continue the human race and who will remain on earth.
During the last ten years before the calculated arrival of the neutrino star, the star ship is almost complete and man has designed a ship that has a rotating barrel shaped body to simulate gravity and a massive lighting system running in the middle of the barrel to simulate the sun. It is powered by some sort of plasma mechanism. The people on board are chosen based on their genetic health and physical fitness to ensure a healthy genetic diversity for the next generation of mankind and of course, to ensure that those who do board the ship has the physical stamina to endure the long trek to the next habitable planet.
Of course many questions will arise such as the fact that inevitably, those who have power and wealth will have an inordinate influence in the selection of people who will board the ship. This cannot be avoided and can only be mitigated. However, a genetic survey of all of earth's human population will be conducted to ensure that a representative sample of humanity can be taken and a variegated genetic stock is maintained, this will guarantee higher chances of producing healthy, disease resistant human beings. A quest to maintain the survival of our species no matter what.
The documentary ends with the ship finally arriving in a new planet somewhat similar to earth and the descent of the descendants of those who initially embarked on the journey. It should be noted that most of those who initially began the journey will have by now died, survived by the children who began the journey or those born on the ship. Actually the documentary ends after 88 years of space travel. Of course, this is a very liberal computation. As of date, we have not established and discovered a space body similar to earth that can conclusively sustain human life as similar as what earth is. I suspect that if such an event were to really happen, the journey will be much, much longer.
It's a beautiful documentary, fitting indeed as the Christian world celebrates on of its most important events, the passion, death and resurrection of Christ. One day, our planet earth will indeed have to be abandoned. Man will have no choice but to seek refuge in another foreign body - that will be humanity's greatest passion, in the ensuing catastrophe that is the destruction of earth, many humans will perish and hopefully, humanity's resurrection will be brought upon by those of us who will undertake the long space journey to continue the drama that is human life - something so unique, so precious in this part of our galaxy. A creature that is intelligent, passionate and fearless in its determination to conquer the limitations of being.
I hope people will watch this documentary, if only because it stirs in us that ultimate question: What is life?
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