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solar sailing technologies and in-space aggregation of modularized functional units to form mission capable spacecraft Am I alone in thinking this is somewhat

solar sailing technologies and in-space aggregation of modularized functional units to form mission capable spacecraft Am I alone in thinking this is somewhat pointless to discuss before the prerequisite technology is developed? It's a bit like "how to keep your sentient sexbot from deciding to murder you". Like if we could do those things in the first place there would be a thousand applications with a better return on investment than this.

TremendousJudge 4y ago
I'd say it's pretty useful to discuss hypotheticals of all kinds. In this case, generating ideas for uses of a technology that is under development might increase interest and therefore funding, or recruit new people to the cause, and generate new ideas that may be useful for the active development of the technology.
croo 4y ago
Well, Diffe Whitfield envisioned an internet highway around 1974 then went on to find out how can we keep secrets when everyone has a computer in his home.
rendall 4y ago
> somewhat pointless to discuss before the prerequisite technology is developed From the article "The study reveals elements of such a challenging mission, but it is nevertheless found to be feasible with technologies that are either extant or in active development." (emph. mine) It's pointless to discuss the application of technologies in active development? > there would be a thousand applications with a better return on investment than this You veered into a baffling non-sequitur, there. ROI in a unique science mission to image an exoplanet 100 l.y. distant to a resolution of 10s km for potential human habitation? The successful ROI is incalculable.
krisoft 4y ago
> Am I alone in thinking Probably not. Most people have trouble thinking long term. > this is somewhat pointless to discuss before the prerequisite technology is developed? People wouldn't develop said prerequisite technologies if there are no applications for it. This paper shows that if we would have those technologies we could get this neat thing. > there would be a thousand applications with a better return on investment than this. Name them.
nautilius 4y ago
Yeah, have you heard of that Patent clerk in Switzerland who wrote about what changes when we ride on a train close to the speed of light - even though we’re still not capable of building a train that fast, more than a century after. What a waste.

TremendousJudge 4y ago

I'd say it's pretty useful to discuss hypotheticals of all kinds. In this case, generating ideas for uses of a technology that is under development might increase interest and therefore funding, or recruit new people to the cause, and generate new ideas that may be useful for the active development of the technology.

croo 4y ago

Well, Diffe Whitfield envisioned an internet highway around 1974 then went on to find out how can we keep secrets when everyone has a computer in his home.

rendall 4y ago

> somewhat pointless to discuss before the prerequisite technology is developed From the article "The study reveals elements of such a challenging mission, but it is nevertheless found to be feasible with technologies that are either extant or in active development." (emph. mine) It's pointless to discuss the application of technologies in active development? > there would be a thousand applications with a better return on investment than this You veered into a baffling non-sequitur, there. ROI in a unique science mission to image an exoplanet 100 l.y. distant to a resolution of 10s km for potential human habitation? The successful ROI is incalculable.

krisoft 4y ago

> Am I alone in thinking Probably not. Most people have trouble thinking long term. > this is somewhat pointless to discuss before the prerequisite technology is developed? People wouldn't develop said prerequisite technologies if there are no applications for it. This paper shows that if we would have those technologies we could get this neat thing. > there would be a thousand applications with a better return on investment than this. Name them.

nautilius 4y ago

Yeah, have you heard of that Patent clerk in Switzerland who wrote about what changes when we ride on a train close to the speed of light - even though we’re still not capable of building a train that fast, more than a century after. What a waste.