Thread: Radiation
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Old 07-07-2006, 03:39 AM   #17 (permalink)
Aspirin
Junior Techie
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 96
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The laws of physics tell us that sending a small spaceship at only one tenth the speed of light requires the equivalent energy produced in the U.S. for a 200 year period of time. This fact makes even nuclear power unrealistic for powering missions to find advanced extraterrestrial life. In fact, this amount of energy is equivalent to 1.6 x 1022 joules. 1 kg mass produces 9 x 1016 joules if all the mass is converted to energy (E=mc2), assuming nuclear fusion could be controlled. This means that the minimum amount of fuel required for such a trip is 180,000 kg (200 tons), which would be more than the weight of the spacecraft itself. This assumes 100% efficiency in converting mass to energy (which, of course is impossible). The amount of energy required to go even faster than 1/10 the speed of light goes up so that infinite energy would be required to travel at the speed of light. Obviously, infinite energy would require infinite mass to produce.

The other major problem from what we know is that all electromagnetic radiation turns into high energy waves, the faster we go. As we approach the speed of light, all the light waves that hit us become compressed (i.e., shorter wavelength), which "turns" them into gamma rays. Such rays disrupt virtually all organic matter, which would kill all life. Therefore, traveling faster than 1/10 the speed of light would be extremely optimistic for even the most advanced life, simply because of the laws of the universe. No being (other than God) can violate the laws of the universe. Traveling at this most optimistic speed would require 20 million years to reach our nearest galaxy neighbor, which makes intergalactic space travel impossible. Even interstellar travel would require 40 years to go to our closest neighbor. However, going to our closest possibly inhabited neighbor might take 1,000 years. I can't think of many people who would volunteer for such a mission - being willing to give up generations of lives aboard a spacecraft for the possibility of finding life, especially when the probability of that life being advanced would be even less likely.

Now what does this have to do with the possible ill effects on humans regarding computer and electronic device emissions you ask? Well... not a whole lot. But it was both informative and interesting to read I hope.

No go immediately to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mork_and_Mindy and read if you are younger than 30 years of age.

"Na-Nu Na-Nu"
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