12 Gadgets to make you drool for the future

[dcarrigg]

Re: 12 Gadgets to make you drool for the future

Even if we can attain 1/10 of lightspeed that means it's 100 years away.

Hey, thanks to time dilation, thats only 99.5 years in rest frame. Could pull it off in 5.5 years at 90% speed of light. Problem is that we can't get anywhere near there. Would be cool to send something out to Alpha Centuri. Could do it in under 150 years from earth's perspective. Probably for about $300B. Got to be a better use of the money than superyachts, fourth mansions, trophy wives, and political donations.

[Woodsman]

Re: 12 Gadgets to make you drool for the future

congrats woody! looks to me like you just turned off another tuliper with your 'peeyu.gilistic' style...

Oh noes!

[Woodsman]

Re: 12 Gadgets to make you drool for the future

Hey, thanks to time dilation, thats only 99.5 years in rest frame. Could pull it off in 5.5 years at 90% speed of light. Problem is that we can't get anywhere near there. Would be cool to send something out to Alpha Centuri. Could do it in under 150 years from earth's perspective. Probably for about $300B. Got to be a better use of the money than superyachts, fourth mansions, trophy wives, and political donations.

Oh sure, and lead the Vogons right up our tail? As if we have Slartibartfast on retainer, or something. No way, man. I say we keep on the interstellar down-low and brew more beer.

[DSpencer]

Re: 12 Gadgets to make you drool for the future

Hey, thanks to time dilation, thats only 99.5 years in rest frame. Could pull it off in 5.5 years at 90% speed of light. Problem is that we can't get anywhere near there. Would be cool to send something out to Alpha Centuri. Could do it in under 150 years from earth's perspective. Probably for about $300B. Got to be a better use of the money than superyachts, fourth mansions, trophy wives, and political donations.

Unfortunately, the effects of time dilation don't become significant (in terms of making a journey bearable) until around 90% speed of light. As you said, that's not even remotely realistic in the near term. It might not ever be feasible, although that's what people would have said about many things we can do today. Sending probes/rovers is much more realistic, partly because you can afford to wait for decades or more. Voyager 1 doesn't care about being in space for 38 years.

No doubt, I'd rather see $300B spent on space exploration as opposed to political donations. Not necessarily the highest and best use though. Now the trophy wives...