Re: Re: starship-design: going the slow way

[KellySt@aol.com]

KellySt@aol.com wrote:
>> 
>> Very true.  Even a ship that takes a century to get 
>>somewhere is very likely
>> to get their after the ships of their decendants from back home.  Also as
soon
>> as you go multigenerational.  You probably need a ship at least ten times
>> larger.  If you need a completly self suficent high tech society, you
probably
>> neeed a ship with a population of millions.  Its REALLY easier to just
build a
>> faster ship in the first place.

> Where do you get the idea that high tech needs millions 
> of people. 

Anthropologists consider that the minimum size for a self suficent
technological/industrial society.  Since you need that to continuously rebuild
a star ship.... etc.

Note however no society that small is selfsufficent on earth, or has been, so
that may not be a valid number.  Future automation could alter things.


> While it is true you need lots of people to spread the
> cost of risk of developing high tech, and  a mininum 
> number of people to hold tech level a large number 
> of people would not be needed because technolgy 
> will be at a slower pace than the current level.

I don't think there are millions of folks in high tech R&D in the world.  Its
all those folks doing everything from building phones, to bateries, to pens,
that gets you.


> A self contained society is possable but it requires a 
> major change of viewpoints.

New veiw points won't get you a replacement air handeler or tolet.


>
> Ben.

Kelly