RE: starship-design: Re: Why go to the stars? - Lee

["L. Parker" <lparker@cacaphony.net>]

Timothy,

They (the baptists) were just an example. But, I can imagine any number of 
groups coming up with reasons to leave in mass. Once you have made provision 
for a few dozen people it is only a small step to a few hundred, a little larger
step to a few thousand. The first step is the biggest. There may even be an 
"economy of scale" that comes into play here. It may actually get easier to 
put together a mission of a few thousand people than a few dozen.

Lee


OK, they might succeed to transport a few dozen of people, but then what?

If you need to spent so much effort to get away from authority, there must
be other easier solutions as well.

I reason for development is not just being free of authority, it is more
likely that "being not easy, but being hard" will spark development.
Hard situations do mean that you have to be more inventive to survive (or to
live in luxury). This inventiveness combined with new views of the universe
is what may result in spectacular development.

I doubt if the Baptists really will discover new ways. They may discover
that hard labour is essential to survive there. Ha, I guess that would be a
real discovery for them ;)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOW TO COOK AN EGG -- Physics Edition

"If you tie one of these eggs to the end of a string and whirl it round 
rapidly, and suddenly stop, the movement may perhaps be converted into heat, 
and then . . ." 

"And then the egg will be cooked?" 

"Yes, if the rotation has been swift enough. But how do you get the stoppage 
without breaking the egg?" 

-- Jules Verne, The School for Crusoes