Now that we've segued into Superman, here's the question we've all pondered at one point or another:

[conuly]

Is it ever going to be possible to find a way around that whole "speed of light" thing? One that doesn't involve generational ships or the also sci-fi concept of cryogenics, that is? NASA's page isn't that hopeful, and I assume they know what they're talking about.

Does that mean we really ARE all stuck here? (Well, unless we DO go the generational ship route, but that causes its own problems, I should think.)

Comments

[darkpoole.livejournal.com]

The old "Bussard ramjet collecting hydrogen to provide continuous acceleration" concept. Once you're very, very close to lightspeed, time compression can make a decades-long journey pass in months. Give it a year to reach relativistic speed, some number of months traveling nearly at light speed to cross multiple light years, and a year or so to decelerate at the end.

Of course, you can't go home again (generations will have passed on earth while you traveled), but it gets you there in a reasonable time (by your own subjective reference) with no need for hibernation.