[hoarrimilsora]

The fastest space craft (Helios I & II Solar Probes) travel at 252,792 km/h.

20.5 Lightyears / 252,792km = 767,195, 292 (hours it will take to get there)

767,195, 292 / 8,765.81277 (hours in a year) = 87,251.2958 years to that planet.

I don't know where some of you are getting your math from.

[QXCharles]

The fastest space craft (Helios I & II Solar Probes) travel at 252,792 km/h.

20.5 Lightyears / 252,792km = 767,195, 292 (hours it will take to get there)

767,195, 292 / 8,765.81277 (hours in a year) = 87,251.2958 years to that planet.

I don't know where some of you are getting your math from.

My graphing calculator has confirmed this man's calculations.

[Yessaniloas]

87 thousand years? I don't think that's insurmountable....

[Biassasecumma]

The fastest space craft (Helios I & II Solar Probes) travel at 252,792 km/h.

20.5 Lightyears / 252,792km = 767,195, 292 (hours it will take to get there)

767,195, 292 / 8,765.81277 (hours in a year) = 87,251.2958 years to that planet.

I don't know where some of you are getting your math from.

That would seem to be a problem, however for interstellar travel - if it's ever done - will be using dedicated designs which should significantly reduce the time required. There is also the possible options of using "staging" points around intermediate stars and/or planets, generation ships which would function as space travelling cities (don't know how they'd pay for it though) and possible developments in cryogenetics and life extention.

As for ETs, if they exist we don't know what their physiology, psychology or technology may be like - interstellar travel may not be much of a problem for them.

Water - in liquid form, this is usually regarded as an essential for life as it is regarded as a universal solvent as almost any element can be found dissolved in it, like in the oceans. It also allows salts and other compounds to form liquids which can mix and interact with each other. You get the idea.

[loyalgagora]

That would seem to be a problem, however for interstellar travel - if it's ever done - will be using dedicated designs which should significantly reduce the time required. There is also the possible options of using "staging" points around intermediate stars and/or planets, generation ships which would function as space travelling cities (don't know how they'd pay for it though) and possible developments in cryogenetics and life extention.

As for ETs, if they exist we don't know what their physiology, psychology or technology may be like - interstellar travel may not be much of a problem for them.

Water - in liquid form, this is usually regarded as an essential for life as it is regarded as a universal solvent as almost any element can be found dissolved in it, like in the oceans. It also allows salts and other compounds to form liquids which can mix and interact with each other. You get the idea.

IMO wormholes are the only viable option for interstellar travel of any significance (i.e. not just travelling to our nearest star). Even travelling at half light speed it would take generations to get there and then there's also the problem of time dialation so we on Earth would be waiting for centuries and spending billions of $ on a mission that has a extremely high chance of failure (finding nothing or even never coming back). I don't see any country/government willing to take that risk. We need to find a non-conventional way of travelling through space to have any chance of reaching other stars.

[intisgunkas]

Except wormholes aren't viable (if one ignores the fact that they are still hypothetical) - there's no way of countering the tidal forces on approach; there are no known mechanisms for maintaining an open wormhole (exotic matter and cosmic strings don't count because we cannot directly manipulate them).

[loyalgagora]

Except wormholes aren't viable (if one ignores the fact that they are still hypothetical) - there's no way of countering the tidal forces on approach; there are no known mechanisms for maintaining an open wormhole (exotic matter and cosmic strings don't count because we cannot directly manipulate them).

Have you never seen Contact?! Just put the poor bloke in a massive metal sphere and rotate it really fast!

[yes]

[intisgunkas]

Dang! I'd forgotten about those rotating metal sphere! Cracking idea though - solve interstellar travel and multiply sales of travel sickness tablets and vomit bags by 1000% at the same time!

[Alexunda]

Have none of you people ever heard of Ludicrous Speed?!

[orbidewa]

Have none of you people ever heard of Ludicrous Speed?!

That could be very dangerous. One must enter Plaid to be able to travel that fast.