REM%IMSSS@SU-AI.ARPA (Robert Elton Maas) (03/01/86)
A> Date: Tue, 25 Feb 86 08:24:54 PST A> From: august@jpl-vlsi.arpa A> Subject: RE: Why does "everyone" want to leave the planet? A> SPACE IS, AT LEAST AS FAR AS WE CAN SEE NOW, THE FINAL FRONTIER. I wish people would stop repeating this false quote from Startrek. Space isn't a frontier, it's a whole series of frontiers. A few centuries ago space meant the ocean and the new world, right now it means low Earth orbit, later it'll mean dyson sphere, then it'll mean travel to other stars at sub-light speeds using generation ships, someday it'll mean travel to other galaxies. Saying it's one frontier begs the question as to exactly what frontier we're talking about. It's a nice-sounding cliche from Startrek, like "no nukes" is a nice sounding bumper sticker, but both are misleading and thus bad. I would rather say space as we currently envision it is the next frontier, we don't know if it is the last or if after we conquer space we'll be able to view yet another frontier beyond it. (P.s. to author "august", don't think I am criticizing your message, I liked it a lot, just this one flaw I'm trying to repair. CC to space because many others have made the same (in my opinion) mistake, not to embarrass you in public. The rest of your message is great!)
desj@brahms.BERKELEY.EDU (David desJardins) (03/01/86)
In article <8602282233.AA04464@s1-b.arpa> REM%IMSSS@SU-AI.ARPA (Robert Elton Maas) writes: >.......... >Space isn't a frontier, it's a whole series of frontiers. A few >centuries ago space meant the ocean and the new world, right now it >means low Earth orbit, later it'll mean dyson sphere, then it'll mean >travel to other stars at sub-light speeds using generation ships, >someday it'll mean travel to other galaxies. I find this order of events fascinating and a little ridiculous. Travel to other stars is a long way off but certainly conceivable. Dyson spheres are science fiction (no offense). Not that they aren't theoretically possible (if you're willing to live without gravity), but the technology required is incomparably greater than that needed for interstellar ships. It is like the difference between traveling to the New World (Vikings managed this 1000 years ago) and building new continents on the sea floor! -- David desJardins