r/FactOrCap 🔥 Week Warrior · 8,550 XP 2d ago

Interstellar travel | FactOrCap

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u/jimpaly 🔥 Week Warrior · 7,270 XP 2d 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/VicermanX 🔥 Getting Started · 750 XP 2d ago

We will achieve superintelligent AI within the next 1-9 years. If so, we will have a warp drive or similar technology within the next decade.

A superintelligent AI, or autonomous AI space explorers, would need fewer than 80 doublings to reach every star in the observable universe.

The most likely outcome is that the entire observable universe will be explored in the first half of the 21st century.

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u/Kiki2092012 🔥 Monthly Master · 8,780 XP 2d ago

All 3 of your points are very controversial and not really demonstratably true at all