Subject: Re: (urth) chems on Urth and a FTL Whorl
From: matthew.malthouse@guardian.co.uk
Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2003 10:10:51 +0100

On 16/08/2003 18:50:29 "James Wynn" wrote:

>Crush responds:
>I think the argument is that a generational ship is unnecessary for a FTL
>ship. If it can travel at the SoL, then any trip would be instantaneous 
for
>the passengers.

Nit-pick.  Any part of the voyage at the speed of light would be 
instantaneous for the passengers.

Any requirement for acceleration to or deceleration from that speed would 
occasion subjective duration for those aboard.  Viz the light-huggers of 
Alastair Reynolds trilogy.

More "speed of light" isn't sufficient.  A 30 light year journey would 
still take minimum 30 years in the external time frame.  Practically 
speaking to make interstellar travel no more an obstacle to empire than 
say sailing across the Atlantic would require superluminal travel and I'm 
not sure we even have a theory to suggest what subjective duration would 
be for those concerned.


Matthew



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