Big Bang Theory (no, not the TV series)

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MikeAqua

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#3020887 13-Jan-2023 15:31

Rikkitic:

This generation already has trouble paying for things that will only benefit the next one. How the hell are they going to finance an intergenerational space ship?

It's unlikely that something like this would be publicly funded. I also didn't say it was likely, but it's technically conceivable solution to long interstellar flights.

Once we have people living and surviving in the solar system outside of earth, the construction possibilities change. There is abundant material for construction of space craft, abundant fuel and reasonably abundant ice. The possibilities are substantial at that point.

Impressive progress has been made on systems for food production and waste management.

Mike

MikeB4

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#3020896 13-Jan-2023 16:13

If interstellar missions beyond our solar system were possible there would need to be a quantum change in our society.

Rikkitic

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#3020904 13-Jan-2023 17:04

MikeAqua:

It's unlikely that something like this would be publicly funded. I also didn't say it was likely, but it's technically conceivable solution to long interstellar flights.

Heinlein wrote about that a long time ago. Also about the breakdown of social order on the ship over the generations.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

tdgeek

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#3021071 13-Jan-2023 18:53

sleemanj:

It is likely unknowable. Not everything has an answer which can be understood let alone known by humans.

We can't even know what is or was beyond the observable universe boundary, dictated by the speed of light and expansion of the universe.

Stop worrying about it. We do not expect a cat, smart as they are, to comprehend calculus. Humans have limits also.

Who is worrying about it??? Its an interesting topic, and yes we will probably never know the source of the BB

tdgeek

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#3021072 13-Jan-2023 18:56

Rikkitic:

This generation already has trouble paying for things that will only benefit the next one. How the hell are they going to finance an intergenerational space ship?

Agree on that. What we can have have achieved could be mirrored by what we sort out here. (Earth) We wont do that. Well not in the distant foreseeable future, and not even then as one day our entire resources will be spent staying alive

tdgeek

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#3021073 13-Jan-2023 18:57

MikeAqua:

It's unlikely that something like this would be publicly funded. I also didn't say it was likely, but it's technically conceivable solution to long interstellar flights.

Once we have people living and surviving in the solar system outside of earth, the construction possibilities change. There is abundant material for construction of space craft, abundant fuel and reasonably abundant ice. The possibilities are substantial at that point.

Impressive progress has been made on systems for food production and waste management.

I totally get that. For a fraction of cost and a fraction of time, we could do that here and retain our home

tdgeek

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#3021074 13-Jan-2023 19:00

MikeB4: If interstellar missions beyond our solar system were possible there would need to be a quantum change in our society.

Yes, a society that is united on surviving, and moving forward as one. Star Trek comes to mind when they gave up money. Real life humans, not sure. When we become that desperate the desire to pillage to survive will just grow. So a few will survive but ultimately all will not survive. Unless there is a mindset change as you alluded to. If scientists took over Governments, yes that can work.

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ezbee

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#3021151 13-Jan-2023 21:27

If only Scientists ruled the World.

Suppose you want to be picky about which scientists, as science is full of those who focused on one thing to detriment of others.

Edward Teller had many good qualities as a scientist but...

Teller was also known for his strong personality and his controversial political views. He was a vocal advocate of Cold War-era policies and was often at odds with other scientists over issues related to nuclear weapons and missile defense. He was a strong proponent of the Strategic Defense Initiative, which many scientists criticized as being technologically infeasible and a waste of resources.

Teller was also a strong advocate of a strong military and was critical of arms control agreements and other efforts to reduce the number of nuclear weapons. He was also a vocal critic of the anti-nuclear movement and the environmental movement.

Teller was also known for his intense work ethic and his dedication to science.

SJB

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#3021178 14-Jan-2023 08:49

MikeAqua:

SJB:

I see no reason why, given the current rate that our knowledge is increasing, why we won't develop things like FTL travel within the next say 500 years.

One reason might be that it's simply physically impossible to travel through space time faster than light speed. That's what our current understanding suggests and none of the work arounds posited look all that promising ... yet.

I suspect the solution will be to manipulate our biology to make long interstellar journeys possible. Or build intergenerational ships. Those approaches seem more feasible than a warp drive.

We can't possibly know at this point in time if FTL is possible but how about other methods of travel. Worm holes for example or a method that transfers atoms and molecules to a different 'address' in space instantly. Things that were considered science fiction 60 or 70 years ago have come about so who knows what will be possible in say 1,000 years time.

If we rely on very long space journeys to populate even the nearest star systems it won't happen.

roobarb

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#3021180 14-Jan-2023 10:39

Batman:

the definition of speed of light is to the meter c = m / s

they then defined the meter to the speed of light m = c x s

how can you have 2 fundamental constants defining each other?

The speed of light is how fast it travels in a vacuum.

A second is the time taken for 9192631770 oscillations of caesium 133.

A meter is 1/299792458 of the distance that light travels in a vacuum in a second.

A meter is derived from the speed of light, not the other way round.

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