Re: Practical Cosmology Symposium--Five Papers Now Online

From: Mike Lorrey (mlorrey@datamann.com)
Date: Tue Jun 11 2002 - 08:04:06 MDT


spike66 wrote:
>
> Hal Finney wrote:
>
> >The local super-group constains 3 large galaxies: our own Milky Way,
> >the Andromeda galaxy, and M33, plus about 20 dwarf galaxies, all within 3
> >million light years. These are all close together, only a few diameters
> >apart, so if life had spread through any of them, it would have come
> >here, too... Hal
> >
> Great post Hal. I disagree with this part. It is easy for me to
> imagine that a very advanced civilization might manage to cross
> interstellar distances of a few light years but not be able to
> manage the 10K or so light years of emptiness between
> the Milky Way and even the closer dwarf galaxies.

I'd have to disagree with you here, Spike. If the propulsion of said
civilization travels at near relativistic velocities (.9c+) and can
accelerate to such velocities within a few years of voyage launch, then
they can also reach velocities which will dilate the duration of
intergalactic journeys with just a few more years of acceleration.

When it comes to relativistic interstellar travel, if you can get
anywhere, then you can get everywhere.



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