The galaxy should have been fully colonized many billions of years ago

@sonhouse
Then a supernova would be a serious threat to space travelers going outside the heliopause and it would be a very long trip. How would we protect ourselves from the intense radiation if we wanted to leave our solar system? Lead? An artificial magnetic field around a space ship coated with lead? An asteroid hollowed out coated with lead with an artificial magnetic field? How much trouble would it be?

I still say the trip is too long a dangerous for a manned spacecraft. Isn't that a job best for robots? But wait.....robots have to be protected from the radiation too. Right? You claim to have worked for NASA. Have they made any progress in that area?

@Metal-Brain
We can do it the same way Earth protects us, magnetic fields.
So a superconducting coil around the middle of the space craft could make a field that has powerful field lines going down the center where you would not put anything that could alter or be affected directly by high magnetic field strength, which would direct such radiation following the field lines then out the bottom, that technique would not directly shield but just deflect to areas where no human would go because there would be a high dose of radiation down that center of the craft so propulsion and living space and computers and live support would be in the area where the radiation isn't. The nice thing about a superconductor loop is once the current in the loop is started no further input of energy is required except to replace lost energy by the interaction with such high radiation inputs, when the radiation is past or ceases, the superconductor maintains its strength without further energy input. Of course present superconductors need to be chilled to really cold temperatures, like 100 degrees Kelvin or so, I think there are some working at near 200 degrees Kelvin but the first ones only worked at a few degrees K till later work uncovered new types of superconductivity not needed to be THAT cold.
That same tech on a much larger scale could reproduce a planetary field such as around Mars, a few loops of superconductors wrapped around Mars equator could make a field at least as strong as Earth's field to keep whatever is left of the atmosphere and protect settlers there, ideally after room temp superconductivity is developed, but it could still work by having superconductors in insulated tubes held at the proper temperature.
I calculated a few turns wrapped around Mars carrying about 50,000 amps would do the job. But of course that kind of think is for the 22nd century not this one.

@sonhouse said
@Metal-Brain
We can do it the same way Earth protects us, magnetic fields.
So a superconducting coil around the middle of the space craft could make a field that has powerful field lines going down the center where you would not put anything that could alter or be affected directly by high magnetic field strength, which would direct such radiation following the field lines ...[text shortened]... 50,000 amps would do the job. But of course that kind of think is for the 22nd century not this one.

@Metal-Brain
Orbital mechanics says it is very difficult for any random body to enter into a stable orbit around most anything.
The moon is in a stable orbit because it was debris flung off when a mars size planet whacked Earth and got the right amount of orbital velocity, other than events like that a random asteroid has very little chance of achieving a stable orbit around Earth because it just moving too fast relative to Earth.

@sonhouse

" it is very difficult for any random body to enter into a stable orbit around most anything"

All the more reason to take advantage of them when they are in a favorable proximity while they are still nearby. Catch them before they slip away.

@Metal-Brain
U mean even if that project costs a trillion dollars? Who is gonna pay for that?
Do you seriously think a few billion would get that job done? What planet is you are from now?

@sonhouse
"What planet is you are from now?"

Yoda speak? LOL!

@sonhouse said
@Metal-Brain
U mean even if that project costs a trillion dollars? Who is gonna pay for that?
Do you seriously think a few billion would get that job done? What planet is you are from now?

@Metal-Brain
How many thousands of miles of freeways have been built in the US alone not to mention the rest of the planet? Running a cable of three or so turns around the equator is not that big a deal if enough political will is applied.

We already have underseas cables going clean across oceans and a lot of them and all that would be required would be a few turns around the equator on a planet about half the size of Earth.

You think too small.
And are corrupted by your hatred of the US and your love of Putin.

@sonhouse said
@Metal-Brain
How many thousands of miles of freeways have been built in the US alone not to mention the rest of the planet? Running a cable of three or so turns around the equator is not that big a deal if enough political will is applied.

We already have underseas cables going clean across oceans and a lot of them and all that would be required would be a few turns arou ...[text shortened]... Earth.

You think too small.
And are corrupted by your hatred of the US and your love of Putin.

@moonbus
No way, they are delicately throwing barbs in our direction to inflame local enemies, seeing a chance to make the human race go extinct and THEN they will take over, we smell too bad for them to put up with us.

@Metal-Brain
Lets see, I wonder how much energy it would take to actually move a multitrillion ton asteroid into an area say between Earth and Luna. Or how many trillions of dollars we would have to spend on such a project?

@sonhouse said
@Metal-Brain
Lets see, I wonder how much energy it would take to actually move a multitrillion ton asteroid into an area say between Earth and Luna. Or how many trillions of dollars we would have to spend on such a project?

@Metal-Brain
Well show us your orbital mechanics since you clearly are expert in this field, show us how much thrust and how long it takes to say get an asteroid into an orbit say 300 miles above the surface of Earth.
Lets say it's an small asteroid only 1 mile across, mostly metal so it is dense.

@sonhouse said
@Metal-Brain
Well show us your orbital mechanics since you clearly are expert in this field, show us how much thrust and how long it takes to say get an asteroid into an orbit say 300 miles above the surface of Earth.
Lets say it's an small asteroid only 1 mile across, mostly metal so it is dense.