12:53
I also mentioned the scenario that considers each star system as an
intelligence, a civilization of its own. With a small amount of
communication between them, but not much else. Cannot change the
basic dynamic that Sol is Sol, and Tau Ceti is Tau Ceti. Won't change
forever. Mass is where it is, and other than these meagre bits
communicated, that's the field of play.
6:58pm 7/6/96
SF idea. What if when they had first constructed radio telescopes,
they had observed the universe filled with intelligent life?
Alternatively, what if when we construct bigger, more powerful
telescopes, we see different signs of intelligent life. Obviously we
have yet to be able to go out to meet them, and it is not clear how
well we can communicate with them. Perhaps we would do so by our own
transmissions. And that in receiving their signals we might know of
their language, culture, and intentions. This, while neither
civilization had the capability of exchanging mass! Only information.
Computer programs? Certainly inventions, music, and other
intellectual property.
3:00pm 12/5/97
One area that was not well explored - transporters. He
claims they are just in the conjecture stage. Wrong. I can send
a piece of paper across the continent at near the speed of light.
Well, not the paper, but the words written on it. I really think
that if we had a base on AlphaCentauri, we could just modem software
back and forth. Why ship matter?
And this forms the basis of one of my own, yet-unwritten SF stories. Given two technological star systems, neither of which have interstellar travel, they can have commerce based on the rules of intellectual property. Vast, high-bandwidth comm lasers connect the two systems, sending various news, entertainment, research, and technical innovations at light speed. Trading companies exist, with binding agreements between agents in each star system (Queedmr and Jones, TPkonatr and Hanson) much as existed in the days of sailing ships (re - Taipan).