On Tue, Jun 21, 2011 at 1:23 PM, meekerdb <meeke...@verizon.net> wrote:
> On 6/21/2011 9:56 AM, Rex Allen wrote: > >> And that we start spreading throughout the galaxy, leaping from solar >> system to solar system. >> >> > > If any intelligent species spreads through the galaxy, it isn't going to be > human. Human life spans are much to short. I recommend my friend Lawrence > Crowell's book "Can Star Systems be Explored?" > > Brent Humans as we know them now will likely not explore the galaxy, but nothing prevents human intelligence from exploring the galaxy. In the next 30 years the equivalent of the average USB stick will have enough memory to store a digital representation of your brain. A processor made of carbon nanotubes that is 1 inch cube could have enough processing power to emulate an entire city worth of humans (100 thousand to 100 million): http://books.google.com/books?id=88U6hdUi6D0C&pg=PA527&lpg=PA527&dq=cube+inch+nanotube&source=bl&ots=v-c1mMoqGH&sig=cRiG8xvb7W8i6_oc2T-UjyOvVEc&hl=en&ei=tgYBTpT_DOq00AGbs52VDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDwQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=cube%20inch%20nanotube&f=false This is how humanity will explore space, should we survive to that stage, no in our frail bodies with all their demands for food, recreation, living spaces, air, waste processing, sickness, radiation protection, high pressured atmosphere, and so on. Instead of having to construct a gigantic vessel to house the hydroponics and living spaces for millions of people, and all the thick radiation blocking walls surrounding such a massive structure, we could fit a million people in the size of a space shuttle, and the only requirements of that would be energy production which could be met by a nuclear reactor. Living in simulated realities of their choosing, people would not be bored or run out of things to do, many might forget altogether the fact that they are on a space ship. It would also enable them to live for long enough periods to travel interstellar distances. Jason -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To post to this group, send email to everything-list@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to everything-list+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list?hl=en.
