M
makare
"These people worshiped a... Bieber, apparently."
Holy Fuck! A habitable planet only 20 LY away?
- Thread starter Dave
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What I'm hoping is that biotech and physics advances enough that we can simply upload our very consciousness into a collective thought "cloud", and manipulate it somehow as an EM signal. Then (according to relativity), if your conscious mind is zipping around as a light particle you'll pretty much be able to experience anywhere you want to go in an instant; possibly upload your conscious mind in a body 1 billion light years away. Of course, in the mean time, on Earth, your "lifeless" body will sit around relative to observers for a billion years or so. Really, I think that's going to be the secret to the immortality of humanity (if we even make it to that point). The whole concept raises tons of questions fundamentally to the point of what it even means to be human.Hey, if the singularity is right around the corner, it won't matter how long it takes.
And, no, you assholes can't steal this as a novel plot device. I'm already well on my way using it in my own sci fi novel.
figmentPez
Staff member
I'm not saying that the difference is enough to make the trip feasible, just that Gas's assumptions that we can't travel faster than we did to the moon are wrong.
A similar idea was briefly explored in part of Asimov's short story The Last Question, which everyone should read.What I'm hoping is that biotech and physics advances enough that we can simply upload our very consciousness into a collective thought "cloud", and manipulate it somehow as an EM signal. Then (according to relativity), if your conscious mind is zipping around as a light particle you'll pretty much be able to experience anywhere you want to go in an instant; possibly upload your conscious mind in a body 1 billion light years away. Of course, in the mean time, on Earth, your "lifeless" body will sit around relative to observers for a billion years or so. Really, I think that's going to be the secret to the immortality of humanity (if we even make it to that point). The whole concept raises tons of questions fundamentally to the point of what it even means to be human.
And, no, you assholes can't steal this as a novel plot device. I'm already well on my way using it in my own sci fi novel.
Well, I think he was referencing current manned space flight. But that's why I included a further example for my model. Even if you could Jimmy a way to go 1000x faster than Apollo 10, you'd still require 550 years to get there. You'd essentially need a self-sustained ark for that kind of trip. Remember 550 years is a long time too. 550 years ago, the Ottoman empire was in full swing taking over most of the civilized world.
Added at: 21:18
Yeah, is there anything Asimov hasn't done? He's like the fucking HP Lovecraft of science fiction. SIMPSONS' DID IT! And incidentally, that short story is one of the things that helped me to draw inspiration for my own.
Added at: 21:30
Bottom line children:
M
makare
Pastiche is a pain in the ass.
figmentPez
Staff member
I won't take any time at Warp 10!
But you'll turn into an amphibian afterwards.
But you'll turn into an amphibian afterwards.
I miss the old 1960's science books I had as a child. The plan to make the trip to Jupiter at a higher velocity was to take a couple of atom bombs into space. The eject an atom bomb into a rocket cone at the far, far end of the craft and detonate... ZOOM! off you go...
Greenpeace had kittens over that plan.
Greenpeace had kittens over that plan.
figmentPez
Staff member
I remember reading about nuclear pulse propulsion in Footfall, published in 1985. Granted, it wasn't used to travel to Jupiter, but it did power the craft that fought off an invasion of evil elephants.
North_Ranger
Staff member
Heh, well if that's the only way to get to the stars then I'm gonna have to refuse. Call me old-fashioned, but I prefer this glorified sausage we call the human body over some weird-ass collective mind or being slapped into a metal/plastic body that's probably operating on a system made by the lowest bidderWhat I'm hoping is that biotech and physics advances enough that we can simply upload our very consciousness into a collective thought "cloud", and manipulate it somehow as an EM signal. Then (according to relativity), if your conscious mind is zipping around as a light particle you'll pretty much be able to experience anywhere you want to go in an instant; possibly upload your conscious mind in a body 1 billion light years away. Of course, in the mean time, on Earth, your "lifeless" body will sit around relative to observers for a billion years or so. Really, I think that's going to be the secret to the immortality of humanity (if we even make it to that point). The whole concept raises tons of questions fundamentally to the point of what it even means to be human.
And, no, you assholes can't steal this as a novel plot device. I'm already well on my way using it in my own sci fi novel.
I have infinite faith in the human capacity to muck things up, including but not limited to someone introducing the newly-formed group mind to Goatse.
O
Overflight
This. In fact, here's a link. Anyone who hasn't read it, drop what you're doing and read it NOW.
Don't worry... I'm sure they'll be able to upload your consciousness into a newly cloned organic body if that's your thing... just so you can continue to enjoy the pantless pleasures of the sauna...Heh, well if that's the only way to get to the stars then I'm gonna have to refuse. Call me old-fashioned, but I prefer this glorified sausage we call the human body over some weird-ass collective mind or being slapped into a metal/plastic body that's probably operating on a system made by the lowest bidder
That was really a great little short story... makes you think...
This sounds like a planet designed by Larry Niven.
fade
Staff member
Saying anything like "current rate of tech development" or "caveman building a computer" is flawed, though. The underlying assumptions are that technology is one thread, and that it's monotonically increasing, neither of which is true. If you drew a graph of tech development in, say, sensor development, the chart would be all over the place. Radar would leap the curve ahead in the 40s by some monstrous amount, only to have the curve backtrack right after that.
Which, Mathias, brings me to a sci-fi story idea I've had: stop assuming all tech develops at the same rate. Have an alien race show up on earth with crudely engineered but highly advanced FTL engines, but horrible computer systems (if even present at all--maybe they navigate by eye). If you think that's impossible, look up some of the mechanical wonders from the time before computers took over all those tasks right here on earth.
Which, Mathias, brings me to a sci-fi story idea I've had: stop assuming all tech develops at the same rate. Have an alien race show up on earth with crudely engineered but highly advanced FTL engines, but horrible computer systems (if even present at all--maybe they navigate by eye). If you think that's impossible, look up some of the mechanical wonders from the time before computers took over all those tasks right here on earth.
O
Overflight
Well, Prince of Space had that race of chicken men that had mastered space travel yet had the need of invading Earth for our rocket fuel.
(Don't get me wrong, fade: it's a pretty neat idea. It's just that I couldn't help but think of PoS when I heard it)
I saw Space Cowboys too!
Fade's post had me thinking about the SR-71 spy-plane. The fastest airplane ever built (officially,) but with low-tech by comparison. Three times the speed of sound using vacuum-tube technology on-board.
fade
Staff member
I don't get it.I saw Space Cowboys too!
Added at: 23:19
(Never saw that movie--that's probably why.)
O
Overflight
In that movie, Clint Eastwood, Tommy Lee Jones and the other geezers were sent into space because there's a Russian satellite in need of repair that used stolen propulsion technology designed by Eastwood. The other engineers can't do anything because the tech is so old and the satellite is apparently essential to all Russian communications (though there's a rather stupid "twist" reason) so there's no choice but to send a bunch of old guys into space.
No the satellite is told to be a communications satellite with a decaying orbit, but in reality it's an orbiting nuclear arsenal.
O
Overflight
...yes, that's the stupid "twist" reason. I was trying to avoid spoilers in case anyone wanted to watch this (which granted is kinda stupid for a movie released in 2000)
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