[ExI] Breakthrough Starshot - To The Stars!

[Adrian Tymes]

On Apr 14, 2016 9:51 AM, "Giulio Prisco" <giulio at gmail.com> wrote:
> My thoughts on Breakthrough Starshot: The first steps to the stars,
> with transhumanist value added.

My thoughts: no such value will be added.  They won't actually send
anything beyond the solar system - not "can't" but "won't".  They will
rediscover that beaming energy over such long distances really is less
practical than having the thrust source right there, and that they won't
recover any data from such a small craft at interstellar distances (barring
transmission advances that will take enough decades that this beamed energy
work will have been forgotten by then).

If they're honest, they may even find that anything that requires activity
- even just keeping active a beamed energy source - for 20 years requires
more infrastructure and commitment than they are willing to provide (or
profitability - since pride and other incentives won't last nearly long
enough - which it won't provide).

This will be a lot of hype and money that will just wind up wasted.
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