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Comment by dvduval | Hacker News Reader

Some civilizations may be able to populate multiple planets in their solar system and increase the chances that they will survive for perhaps thousands of years at a technologically higher level. During this time they may even be able to reach other solar systems. If they do that and can repeat it then they may be able to keep going millions of years. This may already be happening somewhere.

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What are the odds of having enough overlap of suitable planets each suitable enough with overlapping periods?

Depending on the technological level of these societies, they may be able to terraform plants rather quickly

They may not need planets. They could build habitats in space.

If you look at our solar system, humans can survive on Earth, Mars, Venus and likely some larger moons without too much fictional technology. The universe seems to be full of rocky planets. The only insurmountable problem to living on a rocky planet with hydrogen, oxygen and carbon in some form really is gravity, if the planet is too big. But species that can travel interstellar distances must have the technology to live in space and only send robots to nearby planets or asteroids to mine raw materials. That increases the range of suitable systems considerably.

"Humans can survive on Mars"?

Check your priors.

What?

There is no evidence of humans surviving on Mars. Venus is more likely, but even Antarctica, thousands of times easier, only sustains visitors.

We have a pretty good idea of the environment on Mars and safe for potential long-term effects of the different gravity there there is no reason to believe that humans can't survive there using technology we already have, or could likely build.

They qualified that as “without too much fictional technology”. I think that is an important caveat.

Depends what qualifies as suitable. With enough engineering you could establish a colony practically anywhere with access to energy and matter. More near term, you could build self contained environments on or below the surface of planets and moons or in orbit. Longer term (slightly?), you could modify your biology to thrive in harsher conditions. Even further out, just bring your "planet" with you it would be a true wanderer then.

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