71–78 of 78 posts
Hang on, I thought 'Solar system' means the system orbiting the star 'Sol' i.e. our sun? Isn't the general term 'planetary system'?
Hang on, I thought 'Solar system' means the system orbiting the star 'Sol' i.e. our sun? Isn't the general term 'planetary system'?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Besides the fact I think it's clear they will exist (assuming we don't destroy ourselves somehow), I already addressed that. We're already talking about things that don't currently exist. I can talk about a ship to Mars which doesn't currently exist. But both a Mars trip and cryogenics seem pretty reasonable to me.
> it's clear they will exist ???? Based on what exactly? > But both a Mars trip and cryogenics seem pretty reasonable to me. You think those are similar? We could do a Mars trip today with enough money. Every bit of money in the entire world would still not get you cryogenics - it requires a new idea that doesn't exist right now.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yeah, unreachable without FTL travel.
What does that even mean? Of course it is reachable without FTL travel. Besides time dilation which could make it a subjectively short trip, there is also cryogenics and other life extension techniques that could get us there. If you accept any ship could get there, you might as well consider that space travel isn't the only technology that will advance.
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Moons orbiting the outermost gas giant could support earth like life.
Although if the gas giant is anything like Jupiter those moons are probably getting smothered in radiation that is dangerous to Earth-like life.
Without those things happening the radiation environment would be far lower. Saturn, for example, has much milder radiation levels.
Also, life tends to evolve to tolerate whatever level of natural radiation background exists. Most, but not all, life from Earth would have trouble with the radiation levels near Jupiter but life that originated on a moon around a gas giant would probably be fine.
If anyone wants an idea for a scifi story posit a technological species arising on a planet that experiences significant levels of background radiation. Such a species would be able to more easily tolerate working with radioactive materials, as would their ecosystem. For example, something like the Chernobyl accident may not even be a serious problem for them, since every organism would be able to tolerate radiation exposure. They might be able to operate fission reactors without much shielding. And they might be able to tolerate the radiation exposure of interplanetary space without needing any special shielding at all.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Besides the fact I think it's clear they will exist (assuming we don't destroy ourselves somehow), I already addressed that. We're already talking about things that don't currently exist. I can talk about a ship to Mars which doesn't currently exist. But both a Mars trip and cryogenics seem pretty reasonable to me.
> it's clear they will exist ???? Based on what exactly? > But both a Mars trip and cryogenics seem pretty reasonable to me. You think those are similar? We could do a Mars trip today with enough money. Every bit of money in the entire world would still not get you cryogenics - it requires a new idea that doesn't exist right now.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
So after a few subjective years, you will be overtaken by newer and faster ships, and when you arrive, there will be a flourishing civilization already there to greet you.
And the people in the faster ships will be your grandchildren, yup. Plot of Heinlein's "Time for the Stars", pretty much.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
So after a few subjective years, you will be overtaken by newer and faster ships, and when you arrive, there will be a flourishing civilization already there to greet you.
And the people in the faster ships will be your grandchildren, yup. Plot of Heinlein's "Time for the Stars", pretty much.