Just 200 years ago the richest king in the land would not have been able to afford 5000 horsepower. Now any man can, at least for a day or two. When people tal

Just 200 years ago the richest king in the land would not have been able to afford 5000 horsepower. Now any man can, at least for a day or two. When people talk about the energy costs of getting a man or group of men to the nearest star I always think to myself, "doesn't this seem petty?" Indeed it does. Time, sure. Let's assume that the group would need to be in a boring spaceship for 50 years, but energy? No. We'll be able to convert 1 cubic meter into energy with little hassle, so let's forget about energy; let alone the possibility of ftl travel.