The Future of Mankind (In Flag Form)
(click to enlarge)
I found this graphic design project quite a while ago, but I tucked it away until I just re-stumbled upon it now. It’s by a redditor who imagines what it might look like if Earth had a flag. A cool concept in itself, and I think his design above is pretty damn beautiful from a sci-fi perspective.
But he doesn’t stop there. He imagines how the flag might evolve in the future once we get our asses in gear and start actually exploring space. As we expand out into the solar system and the galaxy, the design changes.
Check out the full gallery and evolution process below, complete with descriptors of what’s occurring.
2044
Humans have settlements on Earth, the Moon, Mars and its moons, and Ceres.
2087
Two more objects in the Asteroid Belt have been colonized as well as Europa and Venus.
2204
Humans have settled on every large body in the Solar System. Terraforming is well underway on most planets, and interstellar voyages are beginning.
2355
Another star system is incorporated into the Solar Federation.
2412
Another system has been conquered.
2484
The Solar Federation now has too many systems to show them on the flag – Each circle represents one star system, with the Solar System in the center.
2514
Yet more systems are being settled.
2544
Expansion is occurring at a breakneck pace.
2639
Several different alien races now exist within the Solar Federation, co-existing peacefully with humanity.
2812
800 years into the future, the Solar Federation is the leading force in the galaxy, with all denizens of our galaxy being given equal representation. Humanity has taken the responsibility to ensure peace and prosperity everywhere in the Milky Way.
I like.
You had me all the way until “Humanity has taken the responsibility to ensure peace”
did anyone else look at 2639 and see a mass relay?
@truant yup first thing i thought lol
Total galaxy domination in 800 years? Seems a bit optomistic to me.
“ALL THESE WORLDS
ARE YOURS EXCEPT
EUROPA
ATTEMPT NO
LANDING THERE
USE THEM TOGETHER
USE THEM IN PEACE”
@ David Forck – Consider how far we have come in the last 150 years.
Telephone – 1876
Electric Motor – 1888
Radio – 1901
Motored Airflight – 1903
Theory of Relativity – 1905
Assembly line – 1908
Insulin – 1922
Penicillin – 1928
Computers – 1941
Cell phones – 1947
spaceflight – 1957
Modems – 1958
Handheld calculators – 1967
Doppler radar – 1988
Internets – 1990
Humane Genome map – 2003
Mars Exporation Rover – 2004
more recently we have the proliferation of broadband and wireless networks that connect virtually the entire world in an instant.
The sum of human intelligence is expanding at an exponential rate, especially now that the transfer of knowledge is instantaneous and world-wide.
If we can keep from killing each other, it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see this kind of expansion.
I don’t think we’ll ever colonize Ceres though. More likely we will redirect its orbit to crash into Mars to create a liquid ocean and/or atmosphere.
Solar Federation…
Well, once the Elders assume control in 2112 from the priests of the Temples of Syrrinx, we’ll be in business.
What is Pluto doing there?
this gives me slight hope for the future generations, granted I am upset I’ll never see this final result but knowing it might happen DOES give me slight satisfaction that I am not yet losing all faith in humanity.
Spreading mankind across many worlds would be one of the most freeing, horizon-expanding movements imaginable.
This, of course, would make it almost impossible for the people in power to control everyone and reap profits from them – which means it’ll never happen.
Maybe in a few thousand or tens of thousands of years some alien species will visit our planet and look at the ruins of our civilization. I’d bet you almost any amount of money that the rubble they find won’t contain anything much more advanced than we have now. We’re going to consume all of the resources and gut this place before we get anywhere. Sorry.
First, humans would try to turn everybody they deem lesser beings into slaves. Second of all, like was said in a previous post politics isn’t going to allow this if they can’t have control. I like the idea though, but it will never happen 🙁
It’s a bit arrogant to think man kind will rule all over the galaxy, isn’t it ? The autor should put a couple of water in his wine. Still badass pictures. It made me think about Spore.