[muir_redwoods]

Actually as we approach light speed, which could be done if we could accelerate at 1G for a few months or perhaps a year, the relativistic time on board would subjectively shorten the flight time. It would still be vey lengthy but perhaps, with time, technology would find a way to suspend the life systems of those on board.

Don't discount human ingenuity; consider what we are both doing right now; posting comments instantaneously on a website from anywhere on earth would have been unimaginable to my grandfathers.

[cripplecreek]

Don't discount human ingenuity; consider what we are both doing right now; posting comments instantaneously on a website from anywhere on earth would have been unimaginable to my grandfathers.

I suspect the ideas for much faster travel are out there but haven't been taken seriously or discovered. The first kid to visit Alpha Centauri could be living today. The technological leap just hasn't come yet.

[jeffc]

Actually as we approach light speed, which could be done if we could accelerate at 1G for a few months or perhaps a year, the relativistic time on board would subjectively shorten the flight time. It would still be vey lengthy but perhaps, with time, technology would find a way to suspend the life systems of those on board.

It'll take time, but we can do it. There's just a few obstacles to test and overcome. Like:

We need to be able to build an extremely large self-supporting unit for the people, where they could grow their own food and have enough water to survive a LONG flight. This would have to built in space.

We need new materials to withstand traveling at such immense speeds (can you imagine hitting a small pebble in space at 100,000 miles per second? That's some explosive power there!)