Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

Lyb0n t1_j224sbw wrote

The weird thing to consider is once we send one ship out, before that ship reaches its destination we very well could invent a faster way to travel and surpass it. Imagine being 'the first generational ship' and arriving after preparing and training for years to a civilization that barely remembers you were coming.

262

D2G23 t1_j226ba0 wrote

Dammit, I love this so much.

76

CryoAurora t1_j227tiu wrote

There are some cool scifi series from years ago about generation ships arriving on time but being badly outdated by the time they got there and their people archaic compared to their now faster than light travel counterparts. Divergent genetics and more. Creepy stuff to contemplate.

90

slipperyShoesss t1_j22i76x wrote

Recommend reading "Forever War", damn it takes the time-lapsing from near light speed travel to crazy limits.

38

Definitely_Redacted t1_j22r094 wrote

Loved that book. Also liked Starship Troopers and Armor. Not sure if you have any other suggestions for books along those lines. But if you do please share!

8

artofthenunchaku t1_j22wtao wrote

All You Need is Kill. It's the source material for the movie Edge of Tomorrow. Very similar vibe as Starship Troopers and Armor.

3

Definitely_Redacted t1_j28ei6a wrote

Also I'm seeing two different authors. Hiroshima Sakurazaka and ryosuke Takeuchi

2

artofthenunchaku t1_j29x759 wrote

There's the short novel and a manga adaptation; Hiroshima Sakurazaka is the author of the story, Ryosuke is the author of the manga. The novel is slightly better, but both are good.

1

Definitely_Redacted t1_j2a2v0w wrote

Appreciate it, wasn't sure about the difference so thought to ask you before ordering

2

Definitely_Redacted t1_j28e8uu wrote

I liked that movie, I can only hope the literary material is even better. I still think Forever War was my favorite, but it is just as close to Armor.

I thought Armor was fantastic when it came to Felix

1

isthisonetaken13 t1_j22a65n wrote

That sounds interesting. Do you remember what it was called?

5

CryoAurora t1_j22ax2b wrote

I've been looking for it recently. I read it in the 80s when I was on a huge timescale kick with sci-fi. I can't dig up the name yet, but.

One that was good this conversation brought to mind with generation ships was the Helliconia Trilogy. The generation ship ran to an absurd conclusion.

10

Coldlog1k t1_j236b06 wrote

Far Centaurus is one that deals with this.

2

2old4acoolname t1_j227sjj wrote

Technically, the generational ship would leave with you in it. Then your great, great, great, great grand children would land where we had already colonized due to better tech. That said, the only practical use for a generational ship is to send it out with no intention of landing anywhere for long. Which would require the tech to make what you need along the way from whatever you find.

19

bigmikemcbeth756 OP t1_j2297rn wrote

I have nothing going on and nothing to lose I'm willing to go

6

MantaurStampede t1_j22nt2y wrote

Do you think that makes you a good candidate? LOL.

8

bigmikemcbeth756 OP t1_j22yfiw wrote

Only people like me would volunteer you're literally not gonna ever be see your family again

3

sevenwheel t1_j2303jw wrote

People have been doing this forever - not so different from getting on a sailing ship 200+ years ago and leaving to start a colony on a new continent. Your shipmates become your new family, and everyone else is left behind forever. Lots of people did that.

5

2old4acoolname t1_j23vjn6 wrote

That’s not a good comparison, sailing, to space travel. The distances are orders of magnitude different. A sailor could leave harbor and arrive somewhere within their lifetime, and have enough of it left to set up shop and build some kind of life. With current propulsion technology you could leave earth today and not arrive at our closest neighboring solar system (Alpha Centauri) in 372 generations (assuming EVERYONE lived to 100 in every generation). That’s 37,200 years one way. Think about it this way, the humans that left on a generation ship for Alpha Centauri, would leave humans, and very possibly arrive as a different branch in our developmental tree. That’s how much time it would take without some super luminal propulsion.

2

SuperRette t1_j23956i wrote

Typically, the only people who got onboard with American colonization wanted to get rich, had nothing left to lose, were convicts so didn't have a choice, or were actively facing persecution back home.

Not really people one would want to pick for a generational ship.

And comparing colonization of the Americas to a generational ship is disingenuous. It was still possible for them to come back home. They even maintained allegiances and contact with the homeland. The reason colonization even kicked off after the initial successful colonies, was for economic exploitation; something that won't be possible with generational ships.

0

Snowdeo720 t1_j22t6h4 wrote

There is definitely a minimum of one if not more Star Trek episodes with this exact kind of situation. “Up the Long Ladder” immediately comes to mind, but I swear there are a few others.

4

saltyhasp t1_j22nhq2 wrote

About the biggest delta v thst anyone has any idea how to build is 10% light speed which is still generational. Something like fusion drive.

3

jzranger t1_j22imbr wrote

I think this is fine. The 2nd ship may colonize first but they would still be aware of the arrival of the 1st ship.

There's probably a limit on the number of people and resources that can be carried. The 1st ship would probably still be useful as long as it arrived decades, instead of centuries later.

2

Full_Temperature_920 t1_j22nkjr wrote

I Imagine it would be like if the pilgrims set out for America in the 16th century, except the boat ride took so long that the British were able to invent airlines and fly colonists over and by the time the pilgrims got there they'd be seeing sky scrapers, and a society with way different technology and values

5

Felaguin t1_j22rbx5 wrote

As captured in Heinlein’s ‘Rocket Ship Galileo”.

2

Fezzverbal t1_j22ypfn wrote

I'm sure if that was to happen the second ship would radio the first and offer to pick them up!

2

Techutante t1_j235olm wrote

This is a theory in that we are unlikely to actually invent a faster way to travel than a solar sail, which is probably how a generational ship would travel. I'm not saying never, but the ability to catch up to light is pretty rare.

1

Wakandanbutter t1_j238qxq wrote

I’m pretty sure like some 56th Gen AI will have figured it out a few centuries in maybe less

1

Techutante t1_j23ellw wrote

I hope I live long enough to get sent off to a space retirement community. AI overlords bless.

1