The Philosophy of the Starship – Revisited
£5.00
B. Parkinson (2014), JBIS, 67, pp.249-252
Refcode: 2014.67.249
Keywords: Daedalus, Interstellar exploration, Technology Change, Motives
Abstract:
The concept of a long-term, open ended project like the starship raises questions about why the human race should engage in such an endeavour. Thinking about such a project inevitably means considering the effects of change – not only in our technology, but also in our understanding of the world and even to ourselves. Project Daedalus was carried out in a time before the “Modern Age” with its instant communication, availability of information and massive computing resources, and the change is continuing. Considerations of possible encounters with extraterrestrials and even our evolution into “post-human” societies constrain us not to think about the future of an interstellar humanity but the future of creative consciousness.
