Yesterday Jack Barrow posted a link on Facebook to an article from universetoday.com with the hyperthetical proposal that given the current state of evolving technologies it would be possible to build some form of inter-planetary ion propelled craft (basing concept ideas on the Enterprise craft as depicted in the 60s StarTrek series).
Tending to be in agreement with the author of the article, had me considering how this could be done and whether (1) there would ever be enough global co-operation in order to achieve such a goal and (2) something I had read previously which had stated that such future plans would require command of the kind of resources of a level that would be in excess of the tipping point already passed of our planet. Aha, but they are already considering mining asteroids are they not(?) Hmmmm?
Which took me back to the considering co-operation.
As an events organiser I have come to realise that co-operation between fellow beings is not something that can be easily achieved, unless there is imminent need (danger or threat) that can overcome the natural inertness of the species. Then I was directed towards a couple of educational films on PennyArcade.com on the use of gaming and ARG with potential to achieve a common goal, thus making an arduous task “fun” and as we all know fun tasks – like building a stone circle to bring back into perhaps luddite context – get done more quickly.
Anyhow these two animated presentations together with Jack Barrow’s original post made me go wow and sparked enough early morning energy to compile this meandering thought study.
Can what many currently regard as a trivial pastime – with personal memories of my parents constantly nagging “personal computers, just a toy that will never do anything” – be used as a means of co-ordinating co-operation (which it already has on other scientific projects) to get reaching the stars off the ground?
Universe Today article…
Engineer Thinks We Could Build a Real Starship Enterprise in 20 Years
Extra Credits episodes on ARG hosted on PennyArcarde…
http://penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/args-part-1
http://penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/args-part-2
Eclectic Badger's Settcetera 