Re: An interesting question for IP?

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Jonathan Smith <jms () cis upenn edu>
Date: January 9, 2008 10:38:18 AM EST
To: dave () farber net
Cc: Jonathan Smith <jms () central cis upenn edu>
Subject: Re: [IP] Re:     An interesting question for IP?

Dave:
        This has been a great discussion. Coincidentally, I was just rereading
Olaf Stapledon's "Last and First Men" (written in the 1930s!) - IP  
readers
may find it inspiring ("Star Maker" is fun, too!):
        http://www.amazon.com/Last-First-Men-Star-Maker/dp/0486219623/ref=pd_sim_b_njs_title_3/002-0903434-1778409

                                                                                                                Best,
                                                                                                                -JMS


On Jan 9, 2008, at 9:59 AM, David Farber wrote:

> ________________________________________
> From: George Dyson [gdyson () gmail com]
> Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2008 9:35 AM
> To: David Farber
> Subject: Re: [IP] Re:    An interesting question for IP?
>
> It would certainly be a good idea to keep some kind of backup copy
> nearby to reboot our own planet in the event of a serious but
> recoverable crash. But even doing this isn't easy, and does not solve
> any of the near-term problems facing us. Leaving our own solar system
> with enough people to resettle elsewhere (assuming you can find an
> elsewhere) is really tough. In September 1959, Freeman Dyson looked
> at this question, given currently available technology and resources,
> taking as a minimal example a hydrogen-bomb driven interstellar ship
> that “could get a colony of several thousand people to Alpha
> Centauri, about 4 light years away, in about 150 years.”  The good
> news: it would only require 25 million hydrogen bombs to get there.
> The bad news: it would require 25 million more bombs if you wanted to
> stop.
>
>
>
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Jonathan M. Smith,  Olga and Alberico
Pompa Professor, University of Pennsylvania,
T: 215.898.9509, E: jms () cis upenn edu





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