Artificial Gravity, Real Concerns

How to live with the weight of space

Once again I have come to you, my few random readers, to address concerns with future space life. We can't have dozens, hundreds, or the unlimited potential of humanity walking around using magnetic boots for their entire space life. So, for the real question:

How do we mimic gravity?

We have in the past heard of things terms as "artificial gravity". What do we know about gravity that makes us believe we can fake it. The answer is surprisingly simple: It is a force. We can spin a massive object and it will draw to the outer edges all of the force because of momentum.

Our biggest problem to date is that we do not have a massive enough object in rotation with people actually inhabiting it. This brings up our second major issue: Cosmic radiation. If you are being spun to the outside of the object, you are closest to the source of harmful radiation. The earth uses a multi-layer radiation defense system that we would have to mimic as well. This includes: a magnetic field, an atmosphere, a water barrier (clouds for example), and an ionosphere. Out in space, we also have to include thermal insulation (which is provided by the heat retaining quality of the oceans here on terra firma).

So, how will you prepare for this? What feats of science will be required to make new worlds go around our own?

Next time: Living on a moon...