root@zehntel.UUCP (01/12/84)
#R:sri-arpa:-1516900:zinfandel:11100006:000:1388 zinfandel!berry Jan 10 10:27:00 1984 <enter Sarcasm Mode> "Someone recently commented that manned, intercontinental trips would be made before the turn of the century. I agree that the technology will be available, and the question of "Why?" doesn't bother me. The problem is that, assuming that faster-than-wind travel is not available, by the time the ocean travellers get anywhere in their 15th century ship, they will have been passed by 16th century travellers using more advanced, 16th century transportation systems. The early travellers would waste several years, only to arrive at an already established colony. "It's one thing to test out hardware in lake missions or Europe-Britain missions, but missions that never return are another story. That's why it was feasible to send longboats crafts to Iceland, rather than simply waiting for the clipper ship. Intercontinental travel is a situation where I think we should wait for reasonable technology. The first river crossing wasn't on a log. The first manned, deep ocean crossing shouldn't be in a primitive craft either." --Gary I've got news for you Gary. By all accounts, the first ocean crossings were done either by the Phoenicians in something very much like a large canoe, or by the Polynesians in a RAFT. If everyone thought like you we'd never get anything done. Berry Kercheval Zehntel Inc. (ihnp4!zehntel!zinfandel!berry) (415)932-6900