In a previous post, I wondered how mankind will survive the inevitable merging of the Milkyway and the Andromeda Galaxy. Kris, my fellow sci-fi guru, said this:

"I would like to think in 5 billion years whatever the human race has become will have the ability to jump over to stable systems. Probably in a rag tag armada of ships running from an invincible alien armada while searching for a place to call home, but the human race will live on!"

I hope we would not be fleeing from a hostile alien race and in 5 billion years I imagine we would come up with the means of escape, but there are other things to worry about. Before our sun goes supernova, it will become 40% brigher, too hot for life on Earth. Our only chance to survive is to either abandon the planet (perhaps Mars will be nice and tropical by then) or move it!

Some people think it's possible. All we need is a couple space ships to help us hitch a ride with the next really large comet heading our way. "It's not any pie-in-the-sky kind of thing," Says one expert. "All you have to do is just drive out to the edge of the solar system."

See? Not too complicated at all, but I really like this bit:

"It does require some precise planning and execution, and there are some possible side effects.

For one, we might inadvertently lose our Moon. And Mars might eventually have to move over, too, in order to make room for our escape."

Maybe in 3 billion years we'll have the technology that will let the moon tag along too.