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A negative to this is a proposed solution to Fermi's Paradox
by gabriel34 12y ago
A negative to this is a proposed solution to Fermi's Paradox
- DennisP 12y agoOur galaxy is only 100K lightyears across. A civilization that attained only 10% lightspeed could populate the entire galaxy in a million years.
- Retra 12y agoThat's still ~500x faster than any man-made object has ever moved.
- spacehome 12y agoWell, as long as we're fantasizing, make the speed 0.00001c and a billion years.
- DennisP 12y agoI don't think there's any reason to think that we've reached any kind of serious limit at the moment, or that a technical civilization, say, 10,000 years older wouldn't be much more capable. There's certainly no fundamental physics in the way of that sort of velocity.
- jljljl 12y agoWhile true, Isn't this more an "engineering problem" barrier (like the sound barrier) instead of a "theoretically impossible" barrier?
- Retra 12y agoThere may be an engineering barrier below c when you account for fuel efficiency. Once you start requiring large volumes of nearly impossibly efficient (thrust-weight) fuels, then you will be stuck, even if you aren't anywhere near the speed of light. It depends how much material you are transporting. If you are sending a few photons, the speed of light it no barrier at all. But if you are sending a crew of humans...
- lmm 12y agoIt's in the same order of magnitude as the Project Orion speed estimates, based on present-day technology - it ought to be possible if the political will was there.