From: Mark Grant (mark@unicorn.com)
Date: Sun Jul 13 1997 - 06:42:09 MDT
On Sat, 12 Jul 1997, Michael Lorrey wrote:
> You are expecting a probe the size of a grain of sand to be stealthed,
> yet pump out enough power to run a communications device that can
> communicate at interstellar distances?
Why does it need to communicate at interstellar distances? Surely it can
just send a low-power directional signal to a relay in orbit which does
the hard work?
> Here's a fantastic scenario to go with that:
But a neat idea...
> WHile this sounds like a fanciful SF story, I think your guys are
> thinking too far ahead. Any civilizations first interstellar missions
> will not be that much different from our existing space program, i.e.
> hiding is not a priority.
However, their first interstellar missions will be unmanned and if they
find life on other planets they're unlikely to be in any hurry to contact
them. You're also assuming that this *is* their first interstellar
mission, when seems unlikely. That would require that they are within a
century or two of our level of development after ten billion years.
> BS. They will put their pants on pretty much
> the same way as we do, and will be just as messed up as individuals as
> we are.
This I kind of agree with; it's something I've been musing about lately.
Mark
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