I enjoy discussions about the future as much as anyone, but there's a growing disconnect between the theoretical, mental impetus of development and what's actually achievable in the real world. i am all for enthusiasm about science and scientific endeavors, but people don't seem to understand how immensely far things are from each other in space, how hostile space is. we're fine on earth but even here you need special conditions - anyone that has gone camping for 3 days in the wilderness understands how hostile nature is even here, where we evolved to survive. get away from a city and 10 miles away you could die of exposure, even with supplies.
space elevator? moon base? mars colony? colonizing the moons of Jupiter?
there are outlandishly difficult things that cannot really be achieved without enormous tech breakthroughs. as we are now, it's impossible. and it saddens me to say it but we're just nowhere near. maybe in 100 years we'll be ready to start thinking about a moon base, maybe, but i'm not even sure about that. i'd say 500 years from now is a safer bet. of course, maybe somebody makes some enormous tech breakthrough (materials, propulsion) because as we are now, in a linear evolution, it's only a dream.