The Impossibility of Colonizing the Galaxy

OriginalArlen writes "The science fiction writer Charlie Stross has written an excellent and comprehensive explanation of why, thousands of SF books, movies, and games notwithstanding, human colonization of other star systems is impossible. Although interstellar colonization seems common-sensical to many, Charlie makes a clear-headed and unarguable case, so far as I can see, that it ain't gonna happen without a 'magic wand' or two. Nevertheless it would be interesting to see reasoned responses from the community who believe that colonization is not merely possible, but inevitable — and even, as Hawking has said, vital for the survival of the species. So, who's right — Hawking or Stross?"

I call BS

[Timesprout]

And as soon as I settle the rebellion on the outlying planets in the Sprouticus system I will be bringing my Imperial Battle Fleet to explain the situation to Mr Stross. Perhaps I will banish him to one of my penal planets, he can amuse the inmates with his so called logic.

Mac'D's

[Anonymous Coward]

$10 says we see a McDonalds on Mars before NASA arrives.

I guess that's what America has to learn

[saibot834]

I guess that's what America has to learn. "Go West" doesn't work anymore.

C'mon - the guy had a cold and high temperature..

[gummyb34r]

at the time of writing that. That explains everything to me.

I am currently suffering from a bad cold, and it's screwing with my ability to think straight. So rather than risk damaging my real work in progress, I decided to tidy up some thoughts I've been kicking around for a while, and bolt together this essay. Which will, I hope, begin to highlight the problems I face in trying to write believable science fiction about space colonization.

A couple of days, sweat and hot drinks and it will still be pretty possible again! I am damn sure.

PS: Btw that is the funniest NB I have read for a long time...

Re:Both right?

[wkitchen]

Well it may be physically impossible but also essential for our survival. Thus int he end we're really screwed.

Getting screwed in the end? What a bummer.

Re:common sense is not reality

[Columcille]

A day is 24 hours... What'd we do for the other 12? That's probably the gap in the last 4 minutes, the time when everyone started spending all their time reading about Britney and Paris while watching Idol and Survivor?

Re:Clarke's first law

[Afecks]

Congratulations, you just proved that interstellar travel isn't currently possible.

Re:Impossible...?

[CODiNE]

I'll take that bet... marking this day on my calendar. I'll be seeing you at 12:00pm (PST) on June 17th 2107, don't be late.

Re:No shit

[Randomly]

Googlebot speaks!

Oh mighty Googlebot can you mass produce us a 4x4 to carry us Gliese 581c on one tank of olive oil before they set us up the bomb?

Already happened

[AuMatar]

As Xenu proved by colonizing this planet, space travel already exists.

Re:Both right?

[trolltalk.com]

It depends on what you consider "you"?

Do you want to ship a "bag of meat" to the next star, or just the information that makes you, "you"?

Uploading yourself is now an everyday task ... not like a few generation ago, when only sci-fi junkies and computer nerds speculated about it.

Re:Both right?

[trolltalk.com]

Oops - disregard parent post, I thought the calendar said 2107, not 2007.

Come back in 50 years.

Well, gotta go feed the pygmy T-Rex. I really wish they hadn't brought out those "designer dinos" last year. Pink feathers and a voice box! Thing's worse than a frigging parrot! "Dino want a cracker! Dino want a cracker!" And now PETA wants to give them the vote under the "Sentient Recombinants Act" of '17! They can vote when they can pick up their own poop, I say!

Re:Both right?

[rjmx]

> OTOH, so say that .......

> OTOH, there's nothing wrong ........

Ummmm, how many hands do you have?

Re:Both right?

[Eternauta3k]

If things like Project Daedalus are actually doable

That movie where they sent an old crew to space?

Re:Impossible...?

[Wanderer2]

On which planet?

PST = Pluto Standard Time?

You have two choices: Jesus or Technology.

[cyanyde]

One or the other will save you, but paradoxically, the other will destroy you.

Re:1800's logic though that travelling100MPH=death

[Glonoinha]

The possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3720 to 1.

Re:Clarke's first law

[Anonymous Coward]

Good news! It's a suppository.

Re:1800's logic though that travelling100MPH=death

[MrManny]

MWDs for instance.

Do typos count as impending doom? Either way, that one should read 'WMDs'.

Re:No shit

[Pollardito]

I considered this when I chose the example. Alchemy included a lot of wasted effort. It 'became' chemistry as a kind of by-product. A lot of wasteful research generates useful by-products of knowledge, and I suspect that if we devoted a massive percentage of our resources and effort to a failed attempt to colonize another system, we would probably still get some useful inventions and discoveries on the side. It probably wouldn't be the best use of our resources.

i gather that you haven't sampled the fruity goodness that is Tang