From: Anders Sandberg (nv91-asa@nada.kth.se)
Date: Fri Jul 04 1997 - 03:31:09 MDT
On Thu, 3 Jul 1997, The Low Golden Willow wrote:
> On Jul 4, 7:40am, Eugene Leitl wrote:
>
> } Gamma rays at the density of lead (which are opaque to gamma ;), flying
> } towards us at about 0.99 c. So somebody is throwing chunks of solid gamma
> } at only slightly subliminal velocities. As even puny supernovas generate
>
> Gamma rays... these would be photons, yes? "Slightly subliminal"? I'm
> having a problem here.
Subliminal probably refers to velocities slightly below the speed of
light (subliminal = beneath the threshold, usually used in
psychology).
Yes, gamma rays are photons. Although pair production might turn them
into electron-positron pairs if they get close to another particle.
> Urrrn. If supernovae are deadly in 100 ly, shouldn't Sirius be frying
> us in a few million years?
Sirius? I'm not sure, but isn't it too small to become a supernova?
Besides, in a few million years we will be farther away (at least a
few more ly). According to my files there are just 10 bright A stars
within 50ly: Altair (A7), Castor A (A1), Castor B (A1), Castor C
(A5), Castor D (A5), Denebola (A3), Formalhaut (A3), Iota Ursae
Majoris A (A7), Sirius A (A1) and Vega (A0). There is also Arcturus,
a K2 giant. None of these strikes me as particularly dangerous, but I
might be wrong.
> Cross-posted to extropians for maximum criticism.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Anders Sandberg Towards Ascension!
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