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RPG => Colony Ship: A Post-Earth Role Playing Game => Topic started by: Vahha on July 05, 2016, 03:32:14 pm



Title: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Vahha on July 05, 2016, 03:32:14 pm
Let's share all kinds of links related to space exploration and colonization, be it scientific news, sci-fi novels, movies, anything.
Similarly to "All things zombie" Dead State thread.


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Vahha on July 05, 2016, 03:35:40 pm
The Chinese know something, it's such a tremendous investment

The 500 meter diameter radio telescope can be used for researching the universe and its history as well as outside galaxies and stars, as much as for eavesdropping aliens' TV and radio shows
http://time.com/4392549/china-space-astronomy-radio-telescope-biggest-alien/ (http://time.com/4392549/china-space-astronomy-radio-telescope-biggest-alien/)

(http://timedotcom.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/gettyimages-539906036.jpg?quality=75&strip=color&w=800)


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: sporky on July 09, 2016, 11:51:24 pm
Anyone pick up Seveneves?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seveneves

I'm about halfway through, really good so far.


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Nick on July 10, 2016, 02:00:52 pm
Anyone pick up Seveneves?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seveneves

I'm about halfway through, really good so far.

Interesting, thanks.

I watched Europa Report yesterday, a pseudo-documentary about international research mission to Europa, Jupiter's moon. While it doesn't have high ratings on IMDB and such (probably because of lack of action), I found it's pseudo-realistic style more exciting than big budget blockbusters. In the absence of real space exploration, that's what we have to resort to - "believable space exploration fantasy". *sighs*


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Lurker King on July 11, 2016, 09:25:54 am
Nick, maybe you will enjoy "Approaching the Unknown". It's a no nonsense space movie without action.


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Nick on July 11, 2016, 12:32:42 pm
Nick, maybe you will enjoy "Approaching the Unknown". It's a no nonsense space movie without action.

Thanks, bookmarked.


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: suibhne on July 11, 2016, 05:28:54 pm
Anyone pick up Seveneves?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seveneves

I'm about halfway through, really good so far.

I thought Seveneves was awful. An interesting failure, maybe, but still a total failure. And Stephenson's last book, tho more entertaining, was still laughably slight. It's hard to believe those were both written by the same author as Anathem.

All that said, Seveneves is maybe interesting as a semi-hard-scientific exploration of space colonization. But wow, it adds up to far less than the sum of its parts.


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: sporky on July 11, 2016, 09:26:47 pm
Dunno, I've always thought his books were a bit above my head, but this one's awesome, so it's probably drivel! :approve:


Finished it. The second half involving resettlement wasn't as compelling as the first, but overall I give it a thumbs up.


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Vahha on July 12, 2016, 03:28:59 am
I've mentioned this one before, it's a rather good one by Harry Harrison, it illustrates another approach to colonization
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captive_Universe


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: sporky on July 12, 2016, 10:43:36 am
Looks good. Gen ship settings are my new favorite


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: sporky on July 18, 2016, 11:08:08 pm
Approaching the unknown looks good too.

Made me want to see "moon" again, different aas they are.


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Scott on July 20, 2016, 08:01:54 am
Re: Europa Report, I found it enjoyable and I don't mind a film being light on action. But they could have completely dropped the documentary-style interviews. The characters sitting and describing what was happening added zero to the movie. I can see exactly what's happening in the other scenes. Without those sections though it probably would have been less than hour long.


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Sunfire on July 21, 2016, 07:30:08 am
Azarkant (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vb7pazzTTw0#)


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Vahha on August 25, 2016, 02:55:41 am
Proxima b, A terrestrial planet candidate in a temperate orbit
around Proxima Centauri, 'merely' 4 light years away from Earth

the Nature journal publication (http://www.nature.com/articles/nature19106.epdf?referrer_access_token=O9rqjnPmNl6MCJplee768NRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0OdUoq9A3uBXkywxDHxtCZY74Bmvqzg0FrSx2bteDTgUDAfCQhri3dTl0zcyYYufzbvnGz6muhd-a3-7fsjVMNRTIW9CCY3Mf_jvzHXYEE1b9c5P7XYGwn0HgZ_tEoZzp7Y9Wd3dCd2vVAd_7L3tAEoabz2gTiBPsojSI9N57wqPLS2d3NmMi9eerMmqRmADNVGbSaTu9Qkg6_6BElJSpgWZvdUfpt8me5lDuPomYHXe8Hy22M5E-ConJsvre_gEZM%3D&tracking_referrer=edition.cnn.com)

Proxima b is a likely first destination for interstellar probes, when the technology allows.
! No longer available (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lysJduOqads#)


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Vahha on August 25, 2016, 04:01:50 am
Another possible source of practical considerations for "Mayflower" construction,
Project Daedalus, a curious interstellar unmanned research ship design from the 70s
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Daedalus (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Daedalus)


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Spyros on August 26, 2016, 06:01:39 pm
If advances in physics are allowed in the setting, there are hints around that our knowledge of gravity is incomplete (https://www.google.be/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&ved=0ahUKEwiU8fuilODOAhUDPxoKHQ8QDLkQFghBMAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.faidherbe.org%2F~foucault%2Ffichiers%2Fpdf%2Ftheorie_allais_articles_amador.pdf&usg=AFQjCNGnPpHlSfJ-M4qaJ7B2UomyAZ5LBg&sig2=FUaZqa0NgtAOWf1PGNcUfw). Haven't managed to find references to the verification experiments announced in the paper, though. Space agencies are cautiously acknowledging their possibility, and open to checking on them (http://www.esa.int/gsp/ACT/news/archive/03_understandgravity.html). Gravitational waves are a thing and have been detected for a least a few months now.

Also, anything from quantum physics, even accepted, defies common sense and could be the base for some nifty S-F.


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Vahha on August 28, 2016, 10:15:43 am
The surface of Saturn's moon Titan. Something like that might be expecting Mayflower at her destination
(click to show/hide)


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Fed on September 02, 2016, 07:26:26 am
http://www.popularmechanics.com/space/deep-space/a10369/how-many-people-does-it-take-to-colonize-another-star-system-16654747/ (http://www.popularmechanics.com/space/deep-space/a10369/how-many-people-does-it-take-to-colonize-another-star-system-16654747/)

... we're gonna need a bi-i-ig ship.
Or five of them, docking every decade to trade - could be an interesting set up for CSG 2. ;)


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: lonewolf3135 on October 19, 2016, 11:18:20 pm
I remember seeing a program (I wanna say it was cosmos) that states if there was a colony ship sent out and the journey took a extreme time length that by the time that made it half way through the journey a second colony ship would have already caught up to/passed them since by the time the original ship been launched for many years, the second ship would have had better technology thus being able to more efficient means to travel by then.

The way I like to think of it is this. lets say we lived on a huge planet and some of our ancestors figured that it would take them 200 years by boat to reach the other side of this huge planet. Back then they did not have engines or jets, just wind sails and horses. So if that same journey were to be made after the invention of motors, engines, jets, ext. It would not take nearly as long.

So unless the storyline is that earth was left due to it being uninhabitable, a craft could come into contact with the colony ship. Which could make a interesting event/sequel idea.   


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Scott on October 25, 2016, 02:37:50 pm
In a collection of short stories from the 70s (the name of which I can't place now), a colony ship undertakes a 100,000 year journey. The crew have to be awake for a total of 7 years. When the ship arrives, they find that a later, faster ship not only beat them there, but there's a millennia old civilization in place.


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: huckc on November 24, 2016, 04:52:29 pm
I imagine a key part of colony ship design would be being dockable by a faster ship getting towed along.


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Vahha on December 02, 2016, 12:43:29 am
Something like this concept art would be so awesome
(click to show/hide)


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Vahha on December 13, 2016, 02:18:20 am
Nasa researchers have joined forces with Stephen Hawking to build a nano-starship that can travel one-fifth the speed of light.

If successful, the ship, called “StarChip” could reach Earth’s closest star system, Alpha Centauri, in 20 years.

Stephen Hawking announced the Breakthrough Starshot project in April, for which he is joined by a team at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology. But whether the craft could survive a two decade-long trip remained in question.

That’s where Nasa can help. According to their researchers, high-energy radiation in space could cause the ship to cease functionality well before the 20-year trip was over, according to Science Alert.

Nasa proposed a number of options to pursue in the development stages of the project. They presented their findings at the International Electron Devices Meeting in San Francisco this week.

First, adjust the route of the flight to avoid those high-radiation areas. But that could add years to the voyage and would not necessarily protect the ship from degradation.

Second, they proposed the ship could be built with protective shielding on the electronics. But adding shielding to the ship would add to the size and weight and thus slow down the remarkable speed of the craft.

Third, Nasa researchers proposed a silicon chip that would automatically repair itself.

“On-chip healing has been around for many, many years,” Nasa team member Jin-Woo Han said in the presentation.
Read more


Still the research is only theoretical and researchers have significant work to do to address other major problems in interstellar travel.

“The limit that confronts us now is the great void between us and the stars,” Mr Hawking said in April. “But now we can transcend it. With light beams, light sails, and the lightest spacecraft ever built, we can launch a mission to Alpha Centauri within a generation.

“Today, we commit to this next great leap into the cosmos because we are human, and our nature is to fly."


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Ansa on December 16, 2016, 03:54:18 am
Hey girls, long time no see

Do I even need to mention
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstellar_(film)


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Vahha on December 16, 2016, 12:06:02 pm
http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/nov/11/interstellar-science-deliberately-speculative-says-christopher-nolan (http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/nov/11/interstellar-science-deliberately-speculative-says-christopher-nolan)


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Essegi on December 19, 2016, 03:20:11 pm
What about those books?

Tau Zero by Poul Anderson
Considered a classic of hard sci fi, really extreme space exploration...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tau_Zero

The Urth of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe
Sequel/last volume of the Book of the New Sun series (that is awesome).
Half of book is inside a really big space ship with people scattered inside...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Urth_of_the_New_Sun


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Scott on January 03, 2017, 11:48:23 am
The Urth of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe
Sequel/last volume of the Book of the New Sun series (that is awesome).
Half of book is inside a really big space ship with people scattered inside...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Urth_of_the_New_Sun
Did you know that the following series, Book of the Long Sun, takes place entirely within a nation-sized colony ship?


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Essegi on January 27, 2017, 07:03:08 am
Did you know that the following series, Book of the Long Sun, takes place entirely within a nation-sized colony ship?
Nope, thanks.
It's not translated in my language, i've yet to jump on english books. The day i'll do i'll start with The Black Company that has been already on my night table for long time.:D


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Scott on January 27, 2017, 11:14:30 am
I imagine Gene Wolfe would be very challenging to a non-native speaker. In addition to being a great writer, he uses a lot of archaic words that even lifelong English readers have to look up.


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Essegi on January 27, 2017, 12:27:28 pm
Yeah, even translated he wasn't the easiest read.


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: cb.spike on February 04, 2017, 12:49:52 pm
I'm getting the near of the first season of tv show The Expanse. Mars is colonised and there is tension between them and Earth. Some space ships get blown up. There are also people that were born and raised on colonies in space, that brings new sort of problems for them. And they are kind of caught up in the middle of this growing tension between two planets. But there is also one subplot about mormons building a space ship for interstellar travel and that is really something that is making me want to see Vince's take on this idea.


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Nick on February 04, 2017, 07:14:02 pm
The Expanse was really good one, with believable world and interesting characters. But...

(click to show/hide)


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: cb.spike on February 05, 2017, 01:43:50 pm
The Expanse was really good one, with believable world and interesting characters. But...

(click to show/hide)

Exactly.
(click to show/hide)


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Vahha on February 06, 2017, 12:03:50 pm
Oh wow, superconductive metallic hydrogen superfuel was produced for the first time ever?
http://www.readme.lk/metallic-hydrogen-sri-lankan-scientist/ (http://www.readme.lk/metallic-hydrogen-sri-lankan-scientist/)



Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Vahha on February 23, 2017, 06:43:30 am
The trinity of Trapper-1 planets could potentially be the Mayflower's Starfarer's destination.

Life may have evolved on at least three planets within a newly discovered solar system that is 39 light years from Earth, it was announced last night.

Astronomers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) have detected no less than seven roughly Earth-sized worlds orbiting a dwarf star in the system, it was announced today.

Scientists had previously only identified a tiny number of so-called “exoplanets”, which are believed to have the qualities needed to support life.

(http://i66.tinypic.com/33uao05.jpg)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2017/02/22/nasa-announcement-live/ (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2017/02/22/nasa-announcement-live/)



Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Vahha on April 06, 2017, 06:28:47 am
Bad luck, TRAPPIST-1 planets are hardly inhabitable
http://www.sciencealert.com/bad-news-humans-trappist-1-is-not-the-alien-paradise-we-were-hoping-for (http://www.sciencealert.com/bad-news-humans-trappist-1-is-not-the-alien-paradise-we-were-hoping-for)


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Vahha on June 29, 2017, 06:44:00 am
1968
(http://pinktentacle.com/images/10/komatsuzaki_35_large.jpg)


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: NewAgeOfPower on June 29, 2017, 09:52:05 am
1968
(http://cs7057.userapi.com/c637819/v637819862/65c02/eItKRLrX46w.jpg)
image is borked here.


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Vahha on June 29, 2017, 01:15:51 pm
Ty, reup.


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Ergil on July 24, 2017, 01:39:09 am
Just read Orphans of the Sky for the first time. Felt amazingly like AoD in a generation ship setting :P


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: bersercker on August 08, 2017, 06:29:44 pm
Probably not very relevant to space exploration, colonization etc, but the The Three-Body Problem trilogy by Liu Cixin that they like so much on rpgcodex is really awesome. A small part of the story is about a crew of a ship that can't go back to Earth ever and what it means for crew psychology(2nd or 3rd book i think), but mostly its about Earth and Solar System.

Downloading the Orphans of the Sky too. :)


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Nick on August 09, 2017, 08:42:28 am
Haven't heard of "The Three-Body Problem" before, but it looks intriguing. Noted, thanks.


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Vahha on August 12, 2017, 01:26:48 pm
Considering that Trappist-1's planets were proven to be uninhabitable, Tau Ceti is the new destination
http://earthsky.org/space/4-exoplanets-tau-ceti-nearest-sunlike-star (http://earthsky.org/space/4-exoplanets-tau-ceti-nearest-sunlike-star)
(http://en.es-static.us/upl/2017/08/exoplanets-tau-ceti-comparison-artist-e1502366913489.jpg)


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Lexx on October 14, 2017, 04:00:21 pm
Episode 4 of The Orville is featuring a generation ship scenario. It's not that in-depth due to the length of the episode, but I thought it was interesting nonetheless.


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: WickedMan on October 22, 2017, 07:00:28 am
The thing  I could never understand, both in books  about colony ships and in TNW game setting: every author describes many violent guys carrying guns, being trapped inside a tin can, flying in hostile environment, and these guys kill each other with the greatest pleasure one can imagine  :P.  Such a ship as in TNW setting should fall to dead state in one year after the Mutiny :)

Seems it will require to alter the human nature itself (which is impossible) to make small self-contained communities able to survive for a long time - no matter, in colony ships or here on the Earth.

This leads to one more question - which population size shall be enough for just stable survival of such community, even without any exploration/external trade activities?


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Vahha on October 22, 2017, 02:31:07 pm
In the terms of gene pool sufficiency, they would just carry frozen semen of many men, at that in any kind of mutiny women would be totally sacred and untouchable by either side.


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Scott on October 24, 2017, 09:31:26 am
...unless they carried a stock of frozen eggs as well.


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Vahha on October 24, 2017, 10:50:41 am
Umm, no. Human incubation devices would be way too sophisticated (= requiring skilled operators, expensive maintenance, and complex expendable materials supply), slow and costly, thus totally impractical for a colony, they could never possibly replace women.


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Scott on October 30, 2017, 12:28:25 pm
Umm, no. Human incubation devices would be way too sophisticated (= requiring skilled operators, expensive maintenance, and complex expendable materials supply), slow and costly, thus totally impractical for a colony, they could never possibly replace women.

Haha, what? Interstellar travel is perfectly reasonable but creating a baby from an egg and sperm ex-vitro (something that is possible right now) is "too sophisticated"?


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Scott on October 30, 2017, 12:32:53 pm
Seems it will require to alter the human nature itself (which is impossible) to make small self-contained communities able to survive for a long time
Impossible why? A highly tailored drug that negates aggression is one of many different possible solutions.

In the Book of the Long Sun the issue was resolved by providing a race of reproducing mechanical lifeforms which the humans used to fight their wars right on board the ship.


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Wrath of Dagon on October 30, 2017, 01:24:56 pm
Seems simpler just to send the reproducing mechanical lifeforms.


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Spyros on November 08, 2017, 06:53:15 am
Umm, no. Human incubation devices would be way too sophisticated (= requiring skilled operators, expensive maintenance, and complex expendable materials supply), slow and costly, thus totally impractical for a colony, they could never possibly replace women.

Haha, what? Interstellar travel is perfectly reasonable but creating a baby from an egg and sperm ex-vitro (something that is possible right now) is "too sophisticated"?

I certainly hope it is possible ex-vitro, otherwise where did we all come from? :-)

Interstellar travel is pushing big things in some direction, almost in a void. Not too hard once you have the big thing in space already, and that part Vince already covered a little.

Ultimately, artifacts such as incubation devices, even if completely feasible, have a production and maintenance cost, and are competing in a market, with women in this case. Doing things with tech is often a geek's rationalisation for his geekery. Nobody important thinks like that (exceptions include the sixties in the US at least, where being an engineer or scientist seems to have been a relatively high status position). Economic concerns drive the world, and we use people where already today we could use existing technology. Except in the little bubble of western societies, humans seem cheap. With the decline of the middle class, you can start seeing it happening to our flabby meat too.

I would accept mass use (more than a last-resort redundancy device for the mission) of incubation devices if you had a convincing narrative that explained how they became a commodity and got cheaper than people.


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Scott on November 08, 2017, 08:22:48 am
Here's a question: do you think it's cheaper or more efficient to maintain a self-replicating population of 50,000 people (including housing, food, entertainment, education, medicine, ad infinitum) over tens of generations of space travel, or to simply maintain a crew and grow the first batch of colonists from eggs when you arrive?


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Spyros on November 09, 2017, 04:11:08 am
Here's a question: do you think it's cheaper or more efficient to maintain a self-replicating population of 50,000 people (including housing, food, entertainment, education, medicine, ad infinitum) over tens of generations of space travel, or to simply maintain a crew and grow the first batch of colonists from eggs when you arrive?

Depends on what you already have. If you already have enough space, such as a decommissioned cargo ship in our case, a whole ecosystem can fit in it and be self-sustaining. Very isolated islands are earth-borne examples of this, even with people on it sometimes. Life is extremely resilient to a lot of long-term stresses and keeps regenerating, something that human engineering will not achieve for some time. The initial cost of religious people is zero, or even negative, since, as sects have shown to be doable, you can graciously accept their finances for the privilege of seeding the new garden of eden. No need for much medicine as long as people keep getting born, and the only education you need is faith in your lord. You would not be relying on your minimal crew to stay sane. A larger population will have correction mechanisms, such as rebellions, to avoid a deranged few from deviating from the basic instinct of survival. The game here seems to start from the premise that those assumptions weren't enough (or was it all part of the plan? can't wait to find out).

Growing eggs wen you arrive could be cheap if you have nothing and need to build the ship from scratch (much less space needed), and you can't find people at a reasonable price. That would be the case in a sane setting, where humans are valued and feel they have a good enough future in the solar system already.

Note also that people nutty enough to join this kind of religious enterprise might simply also be against any machine-assisted procreation.


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Vahha on March 06, 2018, 06:02:03 am
RIP Proxima b's possible inhabitants, 5 years ago was their last day... it took 10 seconds for their sun to fry the planet.

http://www.space.com/39829-nearest-exoplanet-proxima-b-superflare.html (http://www.space.com/39829-nearest-exoplanet-proxima-b-superflare.html)


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Scott on March 07, 2018, 09:22:36 am
Here's a book I read: An Unkindness of Ghosts (https://www.amazon.com/Unkindness-Ghosts-Rivers-Solomon/dp/1617755885/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1520432531&sr=8-1&keywords=unkindness+of+ghosts)


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: sporky on April 09, 2018, 10:36:48 am
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_trilogy

I haven't read this yet, but it is on the list.


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Nick on April 10, 2018, 09:14:06 am
I've recently finished "Tales of Pirx the Pilot" by Stanislaw Lem, enjoyed it greatly. Loved the retrofuturistic atmosphere and the world, where space navigation is a common, but dangerous job. Lem's technical mind created a lot of scenarios and mysteries that I found both believable and amusing:

(click to show/hide)

It's amazing how 40 years old sci-fi is much better than today's blockbusters and lazy scripts.

P.S.: added the abovementioned ones to to-read list.


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Ga1us on April 30, 2018, 01:10:24 am
Here's a question: do you think it's cheaper or more efficient to maintain a self-replicating population of 50,000 people (including housing, food, entertainment, education, medicine, ad infinitum) over tens of generations of space travel, or to simply maintain a crew and grow the first batch of colonists from eggs when you arrive?

Despite that nobody now effectively knows the actual costs of both ex-vitro birth or sustaining a colony on a spaceship (and in my experience economy, once calculated, is the thing that often surprises) I would support that eggs have many apparent advantages.

But this doesn’t make the launching of the expedition we have in plot unlikely.

As modern day Christianity is largely against us interfering in God's monopoly on reproduction (i.e. is against such adjacent subjects as cloning or even abortions) I think even if ex-vitro reproduction is cheaper using it to build a new Eden would be in essence contrary to the beliefs of people starting such expedition.
 


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: dogwaffler on June 06, 2018, 04:19:11 pm
An interesting watch that I stumbled into, going over some of the modern theory on human interstellar colonization. He even goes lightly over generation ships, and some of the modern anthropology and psychology theories on the subject, as well as some of the history on the subject. (it's about 8 minutes long, so don't expect too much detail, here.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NzuJAYPRZw (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NzuJAYPRZw)

It also reminded me of Rendezvous With Rama, which is a trilogy by Arthur C. Clarke (although he didn't finish it before he died), that plays out some of the human interaction that could go on in an environment like that; not exactly a colony ship, but a generation ship.
(click to show/hide)


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Ergil on June 17, 2018, 01:08:29 am
https://www.universetoday.com/139456/whats-the-minimum-number-of-people-you-should-send-in-a-generational-ship-to-proxima-centauri/amp/


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Vahha on June 17, 2018, 11:10:32 am
To prevent serious imbreeding most can travel as frozen eggs and sperm.


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: dogwaffler on June 17, 2018, 11:51:00 am
To prevent serious imbreeding most can travel as frozen eggs and sperm.

There is this, but also having a functioning crew on arrival is important, since the trip will span several lifetimes (or generations... "generation ship").

Hypersleep is out, since that would null the entire premise of the story, and androids seem to be unavailable with the given tech.

A genetic databank (frozen eggs and sperm) seems like something that wouldn't really be relevant during interim space, and possibly a point of destruction during the major mutiny that was outlined as a major plot point. Also-- it could be that a genetic databank was considered by mission planners, and dismissed for reasons of human psychology.


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: menyalin on August 06, 2018, 09:00:38 am
"Pandorum" film have some interesting perspective. Not about generation ship (well, not intended to be generation), but still centuries-long colonization mission.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1188729/ (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1188729/)


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Harry Easter on September 02, 2018, 04:59:54 pm
"Paradises Lost" is also about an Colony Ship and has an interesting premise: what if the generation after the first traveller doesn't want to leave the ship? It has also a very realistic portrait of an onboard religion (as realistic as it gets, I think), which reminded me of the Church of Elect.

It's a good and fast read, but sadly there doesn't seem to be an english release outside of an anthology. But if you can read german, you can still buy copies from the publisher Atlantis Verlag.

Link to goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32797521-paradises-lost



Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: sporky on September 06, 2018, 06:25:07 am
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cargo_(2009_film)

This was decent, they did a lot without a big budget. Has an aesthetic similar to the first alien movie, workaday and blue-collar.


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Nick on September 18, 2018, 05:26:20 pm
"NASA Study Provides New Hope That Life Could Survive on Proxima B, Our Closest Known Exoplanet"

https://www.sciencealert.com/new-nasa-led-study-says-proxima-b-might-still-have-an-ocean-despite-flares


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Spyros on November 05, 2018, 01:45:59 pm
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cargo_(2009_film)

This was decent, they did a lot without a big budget. Has an aesthetic similar to the first alien movie, workaday and blue-collar.

A bit cheesy, and the twist is obvious early, but okay.

I liked the second-in-command's dialogue:
(click to show/hide)


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: sporky on November 06, 2018, 08:28:25 am
Prospect! Space thriller with mostly(?) practical effects:

https://io9.gizmodo.com/heres-how-to-get-rich-in-space-according-to-new-sci-fi-1830130720

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F96wbQ698Z0

I saw the space suits and was sold.


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: Nick on November 06, 2018, 09:58:52 am
Sold as well :approve:


Title: Re: Space exploration & colonization research and inspirations
Post by: bersercker on October 20, 2020, 05:38:10 am
This may be relevant https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25499718-children-of-time
There is ark an ship going to a planet already occupied by unfriendly locals. Religious cult & loss of technical knowledge included.
All the ark ship related stuff is about what one would expect, but the author's ideas about alien psychology seem more interesting. Aliens are not humanoid though.

There is also a sequel featuring ocean planet with different species on it but its more of a traditional sci-fi.