4 ms·

I see an important difference. Planes, boats and cars are technology. Before we had planes, there were scientific evidences that objects heavier than air could

I see an important difference. Planes, boats and cars are technology. Before we had planes, there were scientific evidences that objects heavier than air could fly (= birds). This in fact was a strong motivation for people to develop the technology. We can go on Mars, that's for sure, it's close enough. But intergalactic space travel is harder. Not because of the limits of our technology, but because of physics. Not only there is not evidence that it's possible but there are strong theoretical results that suggest that we can't simply "travel in hyperspace" as they do in Star Wars. You seem to believe that science can solve these problems, but today science is what's stopping us from doing it.

goodcanadian 12y ago
I didn't say anything about interstellar travel let alone intergalactic travel. We are very clearly talking about exploring the solar system.
- bnegreve 12y ago
  Ok, but you get my point: there may be actual limits to the development of space travel technology. Your logic seemed to imply there was none. Sorry for speculating though.
lmm 12y ago
Intergalactic travel may be implausible, but I've seen results that a civilization using Orion-drive-level technology - that is, using the kind of thing we could build today if we had the will to do so - could colonize the galaxy in a mere hundred million years. There's no scientific or technological barrier to that, only a political one.
- bnegreve 12y ago
  Keeping an entire population of humans alive (possibly around 20,000 - 40,000 individuals [1]) on a space ship for at least 100 years (time required to reach Alpha Centauri with nuclear based propulsion [2]) is quite a technological challenge. So I wouldn't say it's just political, but I agree it's plausible. [1] http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0094576513004669 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0094576513... [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_pulse_propulsion http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_pulse_propulsion

goodcanadian 12y ago

I didn't say anything about interstellar travel let alone intergalactic travel. We are very clearly talking about exploring the solar system.

bnegreve 12y ago
Ok, but you get my point: there may be actual limits to the development of space travel technology. Your logic seemed to imply there was none. Sorry for speculating though.

lmm 12y ago

Intergalactic travel may be implausible, but I've seen results that a civilization using Orion-drive-level technology - that is, using the kind of thing we could build today if we had the will to do so - could colonize the galaxy in a mere hundred million years. There's no scientific or technological barrier to that, only a political one.

bnegreve 12y ago
Keeping an entire population of humans alive (possibly around 20,000 - 40,000 individuals [1]) on a space ship for at least 100 years (time required to reach Alpha Centauri with nuclear based propulsion [2]) is quite a technological challenge. So I wouldn't say it's just political, but I agree it's plausible. [1] http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0094576513004669 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0094576513... [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_pulse_propulsion http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_pulse_propulsion