4 ms·

If there is intelligent life somewhere out there, when they travel to space, I wonder if they also insist on operating technology that is at least one generatio

If there is intelligent life somewhere out there, when they travel to space, I wonder if they also insist on operating technology that is at least one generation back, for the reason of "proven reliability"? I'd say probably yes. If we ever get a visit from them, that "shmux semiconductor" will be the old model...

aeortiz 6y ago
its so they can have some planned obsolescence
- FlyMoreRockets 6y ago
  Lots of profit in those service contracts.
tpmx 6y ago
5G base station/terminal power usage isn't very optimized yet.
spelunker 6y ago
"Greetings humans! Our vessel has arrived to destroy your planet! Please wait a few months though because this is the old model that takes a while to charge up, sorry about that..."
- ralmidani 6y ago
  https://youtu.be/2XUnMiERBj4 https://youtu.be/2XUnMiERBj4
ehnto 6y ago
Given the nature of space travel, it will likely be a very old model indeed. Unless they have FTL!
- bluGill 6y ago
  If they don't have FTL (including no time effects) they will never come. Space is too large to go anywhere useful. The nearest start is ~4 light years away, at 1/10th the speed of light (vastly faster than we know how to go) it is 40 years to get here! We have done a lot of searching for life and haven't found it, the closer the planet is, the more likely we are to find it, thus I think it is safe to concluded there is no life within 20 light years or so. At 20 light years communication via radio is hard to establish just because turn around time for questions won't be answered in a lifetime. (It will be interesting learning about their Roman Empire history, but if they explain science and there is even one thing we don't get the person who sends the what do you mean question is retired/dead before the answer arrives - unless a few years latter we figure it out anyway. Take the civilization 20 light years away, either they left before they even know we existed (we didn't have any emissions that indicated intelligence, though they might be able to detect life), and so they are not equipped to deal with us. If they want to take over - they didn't break enough weapons because they didn't expect to need them. Even if life is common in the universe, it isn't common in any area where an intelligent civilization can expect to actually reach without FTL.
  - bouncycastle 6y ago
    Interesting! I did the calculation and it's actually worse than that... Alpha Centauri is just 4.37ly away. With an acceleration of 0.00227g, mass of 1t, and max velocity of 0.1C (10% of C), it will take 86.33 years to reach Alpha Centauri for those on the spaceship, assuming you also want to stop at the destination. (Calculator: https://www.omnicalculator.com/physics/space-travel#space-travel-calculator-relativistic-rocket-equation https://www.omnicalculator.com/physics/space-travel#space-tr...)
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
mdifrgechd 6y ago
It's interesting to see you speculate that it would be a culture that prioritizes reliability. I could also imagine that it is more like the Vikings or Polynesians where some fishermen pushed technology further than before and ended up somewhere new. That kind of "bravery" or experimentation has sometimes played of in past circumstances much better than some kind of architected reliability / safety focused approach.
- vagrantJin 6y ago
  It has to safety oriented. Space is death. Advanced civilizations can probably harness that danger like we do fire and electricity but we still f#@$ it up burning buildings and cars. Thus we spend time and energy with fire safety. Space is a different ballgame
  - nitrogen 6y ago
    I still think the parent has a insightful comment. It's interesting to compare the hybrid between deep care and deep recklessness of Belters in various scifi (e.g. The Expanse) vs. historical oceanic explorers on Earth. Setting off across the ocean in little more than a canoe doesn't seem particularly safety oriented, and maybe there is a civilization that evolves a similar approach to space. That could be as simple as "spray and pray," or more deceptively sophisticated like Polynesian navigation.

aeortiz 6y ago

its so they can have some planned obsolescence

FlyMoreRockets 6y ago
Lots of profit in those service contracts.

tpmx 6y ago

5G base station/terminal power usage isn't very optimized yet.

spelunker 6y ago

"Greetings humans! Our vessel has arrived to destroy your planet! Please wait a few months though because this is the old model that takes a while to charge up, sorry about that..."

ralmidani 6y ago
https://youtu.be/2XUnMiERBj4 https://youtu.be/2XUnMiERBj4

ehnto 6y ago

Given the nature of space travel, it will likely be a very old model indeed. Unless they have FTL!

bluGill 6y ago
If they don't have FTL (including no time effects) they will never come. Space is too large to go anywhere useful. The nearest start is ~4 light years away, at 1/10th the speed of light (vastly faster than we know how to go) it is 40 years to get here! We have done a lot of searching for life and haven't found it, the closer the planet is, the more likely we are to find it, thus I think it is safe to concluded there is no life within 20 light years or so. At 20 light years communication via radio is hard to establish just because turn around time for questions won't be answered in a lifetime. (It will be interesting learning about their Roman Empire history, but if they explain science and there is even one thing we don't get the person who sends the what do you mean question is retired/dead before the answer arrives - unless a few years latter we figure it out anyway. Take the civilization 20 light years away, either they left before they even know we existed (we didn't have any emissions that indicated intelligence, though they might be able to detect life), and so they are not equipped to deal with us. If they want to take over - they didn't break enough weapons because they didn't expect to need them. Even if life is common in the universe, it isn't common in any area where an intelligent civilization can expect to actually reach without FTL.
- bouncycastle 6y ago
  Interesting! I did the calculation and it's actually worse than that... Alpha Centauri is just 4.37ly away. With an acceleration of 0.00227g, mass of 1t, and max velocity of 0.1C (10% of C), it will take 86.33 years to reach Alpha Centauri for those on the spaceship, assuming you also want to stop at the destination. (Calculator: https://www.omnicalculator.com/physics/space-travel#space-travel-calculator-relativistic-rocket-equation https://www.omnicalculator.com/physics/space-travel#space-tr...)

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

mdifrgechd 6y ago

It's interesting to see you speculate that it would be a culture that prioritizes reliability. I could also imagine that it is more like the Vikings or Polynesians where some fishermen pushed technology further than before and ended up somewhere new. That kind of "bravery" or experimentation has sometimes played of in past circumstances much better than some kind of architected reliability / safety focused approach.

vagrantJin 6y ago
It has to safety oriented. Space is death. Advanced civilizations can probably harness that danger like we do fire and electricity but we still f#@$ it up burning buildings and cars. Thus we spend time and energy with fire safety. Space is a different ballgame
- nitrogen 6y ago
  I still think the parent has a insightful comment. It's interesting to compare the hybrid between deep care and deep recklessness of Belters in various scifi (e.g. The Expanse) vs. historical oceanic explorers on Earth. Setting off across the ocean in little more than a canoe doesn't seem particularly safety oriented, and maybe there is a civilization that evolves a similar approach to space. That could be as simple as "spray and pray," or more deceptively sophisticated like Polynesian navigation.