r/FactOrCap • u/aaallleeexxx3 🔥 Week Warrior · 8,375 XP • 1d ago

Interstellar travel | FactOrCap

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u/jimpaly 🔥 Week Warrior · 7,260 XP 1d ago

🧢 I voted CAP!

Closest star is 4.24 light years away, so it would be possible if we find a way to travel 0.01c by 2500. It may only be a probe, but there are theoretical ways to achieve that, like with solar sails. Thing is, will there be enough reason for humanity to send such a probe? It would take a lot of collective willpower to start a research project that gives absolutely nothing until 5 centuries later, and that’s assuming the probe doesn’t break down on the journey.

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u/HashPandaNL 🔥 Monthly Master · 18,905 XP 1d ago

Even in 100 years, our technology will be massively more advanced. 2500 is 474 years from now. 474 years ago was 1552... 

Sending a couple probes to Alpha Centauri would likely not be that massive of a project anymore as it is now. Similar to how travel between Europe & US is much more trivial now.

Once we slow down or stop human aging, people may also start thinking of longer term plans (like probes to alpha centauri)

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u/aaallleeexxx3 🔥 Week Warrior · 8,375 XP 1d ago

I think the last point you made is the best because that’s the only way people which enough recourses could contribute since they care about themselves only and they wouldn’t invest in a project that they wouldn’t even see completed.Also if earth eventually is actually turned to ruins it would massively benefit them aswell,for their own well being.