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Would be hilarious if it turns out that Russia or China stumbled upon some new physics principle and started developing experimental aircraft based on it (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 1 month ago by yogthos@lemmygrad.ml to c/technology@lemmygrad.ml

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[–] lorty@lemmygrad.ml 3 points 1 month ago (3 children)

I was presented to this idea of a virtual evolution via Accelerando, and it stuck to me ever since because of how much sense it makes. As far as we can tell, uploading our consciousness to a spaceship the size of a USB drive and slinging ourselves as vlose as we can to the speed of light is the only realistic way we have to travel the stars ourselves.

[–] yogthos@lemmygrad.ml 4 points 1 month ago

I think so as well. Incidentally, Diaspora by Greg Egan is another great book exploring this idea.

[–] cayde6ml@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 1 month ago

I have extreme confidence that it's only a matter of time before cryostasis and and FTL travel are achieved.

[–] multitotal@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

uploading our consciousness to a spaceship the size of a USB drive

Never gonna happen.

[–] lorty@lemmygrad.ml 2 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Maybe not, but it's far more likely than traveling faster than light to other star systems.

[–] multitotal@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Which is also very unlikely, nigh impossible.

Also, the idea that humans will go out into the galaxy and settle on other planets is pure colonialist thinking. We have exploited and destroyed our planet, but instead of fixing it, we'll just find another planet to exploit snd destroy.

[–] cayde6ml@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

How is exploring other worlds inherently exploitative or destructive?

[–] multitotal@lemmygrad.ml 0 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Columbus was an "explorer". Turns out, Humans aren't very good at exploring, the temptation to touch and take is too great. Also, by our very nature of being somewhere we change that somewhere qualitatively.

We haven't even reached the limits of what we can learn from down here using telescopes, satellites and probes. Speaking of which, sending robots to explore makes much more sense than sending humans, don't need oxygen, water, food, that space can be used for other things.

Yet humans have a need to set foot somewhere, to plant a flag, because we're not explorers, we are conquerors. Try to see us from the eyes of the other animals on this planet -- we are monsters.

[–] cayde6ml@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I think this is bullshit. Just because a few people are assholes doesn't mean humanity is inherently bad or that exploration is always a bad thinng.

[–] multitotal@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

Well, you have a romantic view of the Human race, you'll grow out of it.

The Age of Discovery (c. 1418 – c. 1620),[1] also known as the Age of Exploration, was part of the early modern period and largely overlapped with the Age of Sail. It was a period from approximately the late 15th century to the 17th century, during which seafarers from a number of European countries explored, colonized, and conquered regions across the globe. The Age of Discovery was a transformative period in world history when previously isolated parts of the world became connected to form the world-system and laid the groundwork for globalization. The extensive overseas exploration, particularly the opening of maritime routes to the Indies and the European colonization of the Americas by the Spanish and Portuguese, later joined by the English, French and Dutch, spurred in the International global trade. The interconnected global economy of the 21st century has its origins in the expansion of trade networks during this era.

We literally call the period of global conquest, exploitation and genocide the "Age of Exploration". lmao

[–] cayde6ml@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 1 month ago

It's a name. A misnomer/"Orwellian" name. Names perspectives hold power, but they aren't the end all be all of anything.

[–] cayde6ml@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 1 month ago

I can't grow out of the truth

[–] cayde6ml@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 1 month ago

There are numerous potential methods to possibly achieve FTL travel, namely the Alcubierre Drive has lots of eventual potential.