3 ms·

Somebody calculate a light month.

by aj7 4y ago

shagie 4y ago
30x distance to Voyager 1/50th the distance to the nearest star (Proxima Centauri).
awb 4y ago
1 light year = ~0.3 parsecs 1 light month = ~0.025 parsecs
xwdv 4y ago
It’s about 5000 AU. That means an Earth based space empire could encompass the entire solar system, but the limit of its reach would only extend part way into the Oort Cloud. Beyond this would be a lawless frontier. Since this is based on the speed of light, it could be the maximum size for any empire in the universe without the use of some kind of FTL technology.
- krisoft 4y ago
  > Since this is based on the speed of light, it could be the maximum size for any empire in the universe without the use of some kind of FTL technology. That assumes that the "1 month from capital" is universal. Maybe humans are just quarrelsome, and if uplifted capybaras would rule an empire they could keep it together even if their empire has a 2 year radius. Who knows.
  - Someone 4y ago
    Also, aliens could live a lot slower (say if they evolved in a relatively cold corner of the universe where there’s less energy to burn per second) and/or longer. Looking at some ‘aliens’, I don’t think ant colonies can cover an area equal to a month’s travel. ⇒ I would guess “1 month” isn’t the limiting factor. “1/p of the life expectancy of a grownup” makes more sense to me. p then would be around 500 (500 months is about 42 years)
  - xwdv 4y ago
    I think you’re right. There must be some more variables to a formula that determines max empire size. Beings that live twice as long as humans would feel that the trip to Alpha Centauri is only half as long as what a standard human of equivalent age would perceive it. This could potentially mean their empires could also be double in size at max even if they have the same disposition as humans. Therefore, as an advisor to an emperor of an interstellar empire, I would strongly encourage lengthening lifespans as the key to increasing the reach of government. The longer the people can live, the more tolerant they will be of long voyages and high latencies.
- randomdata 4y ago
  > it could be the maximum size for any empire in the universe without the use of some kind of FTL technology. But perhaps communication with the capital isn't even necessary if you could clone the function of the capital? Imagine, for example, a cluster of AI agents, that are programmed to think just like the capital compromised of humans would, spread out throughout the universe. Each clone site may be limited to a solar month of reach, but the system as a whole would theoretically remain a single empire.
carapace 4y ago
Kind of a tangent, but uh, this is my personal favorite argument for why Bitcoin et. al. aren't needed (yet): the diameter of the Earth is small compared to the speed of light. Maybe when we colonize interstellar space we will need blockchain.
PeterisP 4y ago
In essence, one star system. Planet orbits are generally much less than a light month, and distance between closest stars is generally much larger than a light month.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]

Somebody calculate a light month.

by aj7 4y ago

Somebody calculate a light month.

shagie 4y ago

30x distance to Voyager 1/50th the distance to the nearest star (Proxima Centauri).

awb 4y ago

1 light year = ~0.3 parsecs 1 light month = ~0.025 parsecs

xwdv 4y ago

It’s about 5000 AU. That means an Earth based space empire could encompass the entire solar system, but the limit of its reach would only extend part way into the Oort Cloud. Beyond this would be a lawless frontier. Since this is based on the speed of light, it could be the maximum size for any empire in the universe without the use of some kind of FTL technology.

krisoft 4y ago
> Since this is based on the speed of light, it could be the maximum size for any empire in the universe without the use of some kind of FTL technology. That assumes that the "1 month from capital" is universal. Maybe humans are just quarrelsome, and if uplifted capybaras would rule an empire they could keep it together even if their empire has a 2 year radius. Who knows.
- Someone 4y ago
  Also, aliens could live a lot slower (say if they evolved in a relatively cold corner of the universe where there’s less energy to burn per second) and/or longer. Looking at some ‘aliens’, I don’t think ant colonies can cover an area equal to a month’s travel. ⇒ I would guess “1 month” isn’t the limiting factor. “1/p of the life expectancy of a grownup” makes more sense to me. p then would be around 500 (500 months is about 42 years)
- xwdv 4y ago
  I think you’re right. There must be some more variables to a formula that determines max empire size. Beings that live twice as long as humans would feel that the trip to Alpha Centauri is only half as long as what a standard human of equivalent age would perceive it. This could potentially mean their empires could also be double in size at max even if they have the same disposition as humans. Therefore, as an advisor to an emperor of an interstellar empire, I would strongly encourage lengthening lifespans as the key to increasing the reach of government. The longer the people can live, the more tolerant they will be of long voyages and high latencies.
randomdata 4y ago
> it could be the maximum size for any empire in the universe without the use of some kind of FTL technology. But perhaps communication with the capital isn't even necessary if you could clone the function of the capital? Imagine, for example, a cluster of AI agents, that are programmed to think just like the capital compromised of humans would, spread out throughout the universe. Each clone site may be limited to a solar month of reach, but the system as a whole would theoretically remain a single empire.

carapace 4y ago

Kind of a tangent, but uh, this is my personal favorite argument for why Bitcoin et. al. aren't needed (yet): the diameter of the Earth is small compared to the speed of light. Maybe when we colonize interstellar space we will need blockchain.

PeterisP 4y ago

In essence, one star system. Planet orbits are generally much less than a light month, and distance between closest stars is generally much larger than a light month.

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]