https://techsomogro.com/space-update-number-exoplanets-passes-1000/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=space-update-number-exoplanets-passes-1000 Science, Technology and the Future Fri, 25 Oct 2013 22:42:17 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.1 https://techsomogro.com/space-update-number-exoplanets-passes-1000/#comment-10488 Fri, 25 Oct 2013 22:42:17 +0000 http://www.21stcentech.com/?p=11980#comment-10488 Solid foundation principles of modern science assert that the physics here on Earth in the Sol system are identical to the physics anywhere else in the cosmos. Atoms here are the same as atoms there. What are not identical there are the particular spatial arrangements of identical atoms, which might vary widely. Nothing convincing suggests that information can propagate faster than light, or that any sort of warp-drive or non-reactive thrust scheme is possible. As far as sentience is concerned, cognitive science asserts that, all “reality” is virtual and all “intelligence” is artificial. The Church Turing Thesis suggests that any actuality that can be precisely described can be precisely modeled on digital computers. It is information, not material, that gives physical bodies their qualities and defines sentient life.
So the likely many thousands of races of beings scattered about the cosmos that have interstellar interests do not travel between the stars in material form. They travel at the speed of light in the form of lowest possible mass information. The physical mass associated with such “travel” is in the form of virtually perpetual nanobotic replicators, which eventually arrive at a material destination and begin imposing structured arrangements on the material already present there. The “bodies” they construct will ultimately receive and support the minds that are stored symbolically on some extremely durable substrate.
There are no starships traveling at speeds much greater than 1% light. Even those are unlikely to be more massive than bumble bees. The Fermi Paradox resolves in the proposition that no race of sentient beings can pursue interstellar interests before it first develops very strong electronic AI. Such races will have AI technologies that easily model and create any reality. Humanity will not ever be going to the stars in physical form, but within the next several centuries it will be creating virtual worlds right here in the Sol system.
Here in the Sol system there exist inexhaustible supplies of atoms from which mankind can fabricate an infinite variety of objects. Among such objects will be great metallic space habitat wheels slowly spinning in space with millions of humans living on them. Such habitat wheels could in principle operate for millions of years on fission power and gradually move away from their solar systems of origin by using Asteroid Belt and Ort Cloud material as reaction mass. But there isn’t much point in that because any desired reality can be efficiently created virtually right here in the Sol System. Wheel ship habitats must exist somewhere in space, and for the most part it wouldn’t matter whether they are in stable Solar orbit, or traveling in swarms through interstellar space at 0.1% light speed.

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