2006-12-22 03:20:13 · 11 answers · asked by polymath 1 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Are you asking whether we agree with that statement? If so, I would say it is always possible. Perhaps moreso than some people think. I believe the technology and know how exists now to build a ship that could travel to the nearest star within a human lifespan. Getting back though is a different story. They could build a ship that slowly accellerates to a point at which it can reach a tenth of the speed of light (18,600 miles per second). At this speed it would take 40 years to reach the nearest star. Such a ship is a long way of being built though as theres so many problems to overcome i suspect.
However, theoretically, humans could reach the nearest star in around 2.5 years whilst being subject to constant acceleration forces of no more, or less than 1G. That is 9.8m/s/s or equivilent to an increase in speed of 20mph per second. If you lie on ur back and imagine you are upright and accelerating in a car that does 0-60 in 3 seconds, that is the same G force that you would feel. It is referred to as 1G as the figure comes from the force exerted by the gravity of the earth.
Anyway, at that exact rate of acceleration, you would reach the speed of light in just 1 year. If you then continued accelerating you would have travelled 4 light years (the distance to the nearest star) in just 2.38 years. The problem would be slowing down once you got there and also how you would generate the power for that continued rate off acceleration for that period of time.
Also, if you build a ship in which the astronaughts floor was the back end of the ship, so they were at right angles to what you'd normally expect to be the right way up, then you would be able to have earth equivilent gravity for the duration of the journey as long as that rate of acceleration continued.
2006-12-22 03:37:12 · answer #1 · answered by Alex 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
actually hawking said we will NEED to do this for posterity -- the human race of course is ultimately doomed on earth, since at some point the sun will flare up and consume the inner four planets. but then again, matter, time and distance are theorized by some quantum physicists to be illusory and transient in nature....
2006-12-22 03:31:44 · answer #2 · answered by Super G 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
OK, so what's the question?
A statement followed by a question mark is not a question. It is simply an improperly punctuated remark.
If you are asking for opinions I will offer mine.
Yes, I think Stephen is correct. I don't expect to see it in my lifetime nor would I expect my children to see it in theirs. However, I do believe it will eventually happen. It may take hundreds of years but while men are impatient, mankind will achieve.
2006-12-22 03:32:19 · answer #3 · answered by gimpalomg 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
He didn't actually say this. He said we need to find a way to get off planet Earth in order to ensure our survival. Two entirely different things.
2006-12-22 03:44:09 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It may be possible but, most likely will be improbable. I do not really think the human race will survive long enough to develop the technology.
2006-12-22 03:24:03 · answer #5 · answered by David B 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Lets put him in a Space Ship and send him into Deep Space with only his brilliant mind & crazy theories for company...
...and maybe and X-BOX 360!
2006-12-22 22:33:28 · answer #6 · answered by John Trent 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I hope he is right. I would love to try sace travel. I think that the spaceships will have to be built in dry dock in outer space...
2006-12-22 03:22:58 · answer #7 · answered by nettyone2003 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He said we needed to do that to ensure the survival of the human race
2006-12-22 03:25:34 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
This is a statement, not a question. I do not know if mr. Hawking made this statement or not but you need to rephrase this so that it is a question.
2006-12-22 03:23:33 · answer #9 · answered by furiousstyles22003 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yes but still they will order grosseries on-line instead of visiting the local store
2006-12-22 03:23:44 · answer #10 · answered by Takis 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋