The greatest colonizers of all were the Polynesian voyagers, who settled most of the Pacific Basin with incredibly seaworthy vessels put together with Neolithic technology from the very limited material resources of their home islands.
But I believe Western Civilization inherited its penchantfor colony founding from the Ancient Greeks. The Greek city-states launched many colonial expeditions which established other city-states throughout the Mediterranean, from France to Turkey. These colonies maintained close cultural and trade ties with their mother countries, but they were truly independent, sometimes even going to war with their founding cities.
Still, every civilization that has engaged in colony building has used different models, based on their own cultures and their maritime technology. If there is to be space coloniztion, just how it is done will probably depend on the space-faring technology available to implement it.
Space/Science » in reply to colonization's always been a one-way trip
Only for the guys in steerage
The whole thread (49 posts)
- Many, Perhaps Most, Nearby Sun-Like Stars May Form Rocky Planets
- There's no PROOF for their claim. (n/t)
- Translation: Very good news for SETI weenies.
- I was never too worried about it
- How about admitting: "We don't know"...and search from there
- re: I was never too worried about it
- colonization's always been a one-way trip
- It's obvious you don't believe space aliens will be Democrats. (n/t)
- "Intelligence"
- Fermi Shmermi
- It is just nice...
- I was never too worried about it