SANDER@DEC-MARLBORO.ARPA (08/01/85)
From: Warren Sander <SANDER@DEC-MARLBORO.ARPA> Seeing as we are out on one of the arms near the edge of a 'small' galaxy we probably haven't been visited because we haven't been found. Its like why don't people go to small towns way off the beaten track. Because the roads either are non-existant or in need of repair. If there is a method to FTL travel and it requires a receiver at the other end to arrive at. It could be an airport or a port or some sort of machine, maybe even some amount of mass to lock onto or a beacon of some sort. Maybe when we get out there we will find out that there is a huge interstellar civilization but the 'road to SOL' is a bumpy one (maybe a Bob Hope XX Bing Crosby XX movie in 2300) and they aren't coming here till we get it fixed. When the first slow boat travels get out there and come back with the beacon maybe then we will get more travelers coming here. So it is no wonder that noone comes here after all when was the last time you went to some little town out in the boonies just because it was there? They may have good things there but it isn't worth the hassle to go. Maybe we would get some hearty pioneers coming here to settle but with the population on this planet they would look at us a not even want to stop. Warren (SANDER @ DEC-MARLBORO.ARPA) --------
ethan@utastro.UUCP (Ethan Vishniac) (08/02/85)
[] > Seeing as we are out on one of the arms near the edge of a 'small' galaxy > we probably haven't been visited because we haven't been found. Its like > why don't people go to small towns way off the beaten track. Because the > roads either are non-existant or in need of repair. If there is a method > to FTL travel and it requires a receiver at the other end to arrive at. > It could be an airport or a port or some sort of machine, maybe even > some amount of mass to lock onto or a beacon of some sort. Maybe when > we get out there we will find out that there is a huge interstellar > civilization but the 'road to SOL' is a bumpy one (maybe a Bob Hope XX > Bing Crosby XX movie in 2300) and they aren't coming here till we get > it fixed. When the first slow boat travels get out there and come back > with the beacon maybe then we will get more travelers coming here. On the other hand, if there is no way to go FTL (which seems at present more likely) then this argument doesn't make much sense to me. If all you can do is visit the nearest few stars then that's what you'll do. This will tend to spread a spacefaring race everywhere. If you live in Hoboken and can only walk then some people will walk to Bayonne. -- "Don't argue with a fool. Ethan Vishniac Borrow his money." {charm,ut-sally,ut-ngp,noao}!utastro!ethan Department of Astronomy University of Texas
taw@s1-c.ARPA (08/06/85)
From: Tom Wadlow <taw@mordor> > Seeing as we are out on one of the arms near the edge of a 'small' > galaxy we probably haven't been visited because we haven't been > found. It's like why don't people go to small towns way off the > beaten track. > Warren (SANDER @ DEC-MARLBORO.ARPA) If this is true, it's probably just as well. As anybody that lives near San Francisco can tell you, the tourist industry is murder on a nice town....... Tom Wadlow (S-1 Project, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory) MILNET: <taw at MORDOR> <taw at S1-C> UUCP: ..!ucbvax!dual!mordor!taw ..!decvax!decwrl!mordor!taw
polard@fortune.UUCP (Henry Polard) (08/13/85)
>From: Boebert@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA >Aliens will be looking for something that is attractive to >them, based on their frame of reference; there is no assurance whatever >that their motivations will make any sense to us. We Aldebaranians come to Earth because for us, Coke is the elixir of immortality. Say, this Coke tastes different... Oh, alright- :-) -- Henry Polard (You bring the flames - I'll bring the marshmallows.) {ihnp4,cbosgd,amd}!fortune!polard N.B: The words in this posting do not necessarily express the opinions of me, my employer, or any AI project. -- Henry Polard (You bring the flames - I'll bring the marshmallows.) {ihnp4,cbosgd,amd}!fortune!polard N.B: The words in this posting do not necessarily express the opinions of me, my employer, or any AI project.