Science Fiction Bummer
As a lifelong Sci Fi geek, I have always believed that one day there would be some sort of Star Trek type of breakthrough that would take humans to the stars. Why shouldn't there be faster-than-light speeds? Why shouldn't there be alien species out there? How is it possible that the imaginations of people on earth outstrip the reality of a relativistic universe?
But as I get older and somewhat better informed, I am far less sanguine about the chance that the universe operates in any way that will allow Star Fleet to discover strange - or even commonplace - new worlds.
We now know that there are plenty of earth-like planets in the universe. The latest is planet Kepler, "Discovery May Help Prove We're Not Alone." But I think it's more proof of the opposite. I think there are likely to be lots of earth-like planets out there with intelligent life. I just don't think we'll ever meet them.
Look: faster-than-light speed is likely an utter impossibility. Aside from the fact that such a thing would enable time travel (which has lots of problems as a real concept on its own), planet Kepler argues against it.
If the universe is infinite - and at some point it has to be - then therefore there are an infinite amount of earth-like planets. I say 'at some point' because there are different theories about a finite universe, or an infinite number of finite universes, or something like that.
So if there are an infinite number of earths and intelligent creatures, somebody would have figured out space travel by now. That's the problem with 'infinite' things. Infinitely, somebody will have done everything. Everything possible, that is. If it were possible to meet our neighbors, somebody would have done it by now.
Science Fiction used to have a lot more science in it. Today, we have science fiction fantasies with great star ships flitting willy-nilly around the universe (and I can't believe the spell-heck passed 'willy-nilly') never wondering about silly things like astrophysics and the laws of nature. But back in the day, actual science was used in the construction of Sci Fi.
I'm thinking about Arthur C. Clarke's Rendezvous With Rama. In it, an alien ship dubbed "Rama" by humans passes through our solar system. We don't know where it cane from or where it's going, but it's been travelling millions of years and will travel millions more before it gets anywhere that could be a destination. The book is rife with scientific detail. The human ship that meets Rama has to do all sorts of calculations and has a limited amount of fuel and is not some magic flying carpet like most science fiction gives us today.
So if you want to travel the cosmos, that's how you do it. There's no substitute for taking the extraordinary amount of time to cover the distance. Sorry.
So if there's a Kepler out there with smart guys writing their blogs while they should be doing something else,we'll never know it. You don't need to be a scientist to see that the science of interstellar travel is just not workable.
Or could I be wrong?
But as I get older and somewhat better informed, I am far less sanguine about the chance that the universe operates in any way that will allow Star Fleet to discover strange - or even commonplace - new worlds.
We now know that there are plenty of earth-like planets in the universe. The latest is planet Kepler, "Discovery May Help Prove We're Not Alone." But I think it's more proof of the opposite. I think there are likely to be lots of earth-like planets out there with intelligent life. I just don't think we'll ever meet them.
Look: faster-than-light speed is likely an utter impossibility. Aside from the fact that such a thing would enable time travel (which has lots of problems as a real concept on its own), planet Kepler argues against it.
If the universe is infinite - and at some point it has to be - then therefore there are an infinite amount of earth-like planets. I say 'at some point' because there are different theories about a finite universe, or an infinite number of finite universes, or something like that.
So if there are an infinite number of earths and intelligent creatures, somebody would have figured out space travel by now. That's the problem with 'infinite' things. Infinitely, somebody will have done everything. Everything possible, that is. If it were possible to meet our neighbors, somebody would have done it by now.
Science Fiction used to have a lot more science in it. Today, we have science fiction fantasies with great star ships flitting willy-nilly around the universe (and I can't believe the spell-heck passed 'willy-nilly') never wondering about silly things like astrophysics and the laws of nature. But back in the day, actual science was used in the construction of Sci Fi.
I'm thinking about Arthur C. Clarke's Rendezvous With Rama. In it, an alien ship dubbed "Rama" by humans passes through our solar system. We don't know where it cane from or where it's going, but it's been travelling millions of years and will travel millions more before it gets anywhere that could be a destination. The book is rife with scientific detail. The human ship that meets Rama has to do all sorts of calculations and has a limited amount of fuel and is not some magic flying carpet like most science fiction gives us today.
So if you want to travel the cosmos, that's how you do it. There's no substitute for taking the extraordinary amount of time to cover the distance. Sorry.
So if there's a Kepler out there with smart guys writing their blogs while they should be doing something else,we'll never know it. You don't need to be a scientist to see that the science of interstellar travel is just not workable.
Or could I be wrong?
posted by fiduciary at 12:04 PM
2 Comments:
Excellent commentary! There was a great novel called "Spacefarers" by the late Poul Anderson on that took into account relativity and its affect on people travelling at near light speed. It would be great to boldly go. So far, no joy. Again, great writing!
Excellent commentary! There was a great novel called "Spacefarers" by the late Poul Anderson on that took into account relativity and its affect on people travelling at near light speed. It would be great to boldly go. So far, no joy. Again, great writing!
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