In reply to Jed Rothwell's message of Thu, 25 Oct 2012 10:18:19 -0400: Hi, [snip] >Even if the producer felt that way, the programs arriving on earth would >have left Alpha centauri five years earlier, and there would be no way of >knowing how much is in the pipeline.
That's why it is pointless without FTL communications. [snip] >Really, it is hard to know what humans would do with such advanced >technology. Life may seem pointless, as Orwell pointed out in "The Road to >Wigan Pier." I suspect that one way they keep themselves busy is by shepherding the development of more primitive species on other planets. (Welcome to the flock ;) BTW the special theory of relativity does not preclude FTL communications, just FTL travel in normal space. However if a change in the condition of spacetime can be communicated without the need to transfer energy (think e.g. AharonovBohm effect), where the power to drive the receiver is supplied locally, then FTL communications may be possible. If so, then one may also expect very high bandwidth as a natural consequence. Another possibility is communications through worm holes (i.e. outside of normal space), as extensively explored in various TV SciFi series. Regards, Robin van Spaandonk http://rvanspaa.freehostia.com/project.html
