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Since we have only a sample of one, I can never make my mind up on about what is probable or improbable. But I do believe it is technically possible in princip
by actionfromafar 3y ago
Since we have only a sample of one, I can never make my mind up on about what is probable or improbable.
But I do believe it is technically possible in principle to construct and build von Neuman probes. Once they work inside a solar system, then work on making them withstand, say, a few million years in orbit and see if they still work, once they survive a few million years "inactive" (or constantly repairing themselves or whatever it takes), send them off to the stars. But it would take a patience and scale of industry we humans literally can only vaguely dream of.
- ericb 3y ago> withstand, say, a few million years in orbit > ...scale of industry They don't have to do that. The probe just has to make more "child probes" before it dies. You don't need a huge industry if they are self-replicating. You need only one working probe to start, the rest handles itself.
- actionfromafar 3y agoThe "only" there does a lot of work. :-) And it has to survive for millions of years until it reaches a new solar system without something to "feed" on. In many ways it seems easier to make a Neuman probe which can survive within a solar system than something which can travel to another.
- gremlinsinc 3y agoit's only 75k to our nearest neighbor, and that's with current craft speeds, there's theoretical ideas for craft that's faster using solar sails and much smaller lower mass that might do it in a century.
- Teever 3y agohttps://youtu.be/zQTfuI-9jIo?si=vYYxLP_yQfgsYEA9 https://youtu.be/zQTfuI-9jIo?si=vYYxLP_yQfgsYEA9 This is a fascinating talk that goes into the details of such an endeavor.