SamSuka
Nyrath
Nyrath

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Beta and Higher Patron Notice

REALISTIC DESIGNS A-M

added a new section Project Troy

http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/realdesigns.php#projecttroy 


INTERSTELLAR EMPIRE

added a quote Galactic Empires And Interstellar Federations: Part I

http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/stellarempire.php#artsf1 


MINING

added to asteroid mining a conversation about The Battle for Psyche

http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/mining.php#psyche 


TIME TRAVEL

added new section Time Radio

http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/timetravel.php#timetalk 

added new section Time Viewer

http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/timetravel.php#timelook 


ALIENS

expanded Electronic Life with quotes from TV Tropes, Gregory Benford and Mike Wall

http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/aliens.php#elife 


FUTURE MONEY

added to Introduction a quote about Quantum Money

http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/money.php#quantummoney 


FUTURE MUSIC

added to Ballads a quote from The Silk And The Song

http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/futuremusic.php#silk 

added to Bards a quote from Searchlight and The Green Hills Of Earth

http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/futuremusic.php#pitch 


WEIRD ASTRONOMY

added new section Ganymede's Enki Catena

http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/weirdastronomy.php#catena 


WORKED EXAMPLE

added a diagram comparing the Polaris to a SpaceX Falcon 9

http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/appworkedexample.php#dimvol 

ROCKETCAT'S UNIVERSE

added some more Locations

http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/approcketcatu.php#locations 


Beta and Higher Patron Notice

Comments

Jet Kitten, you have point, but I sort of assumed that the zone refining laser could swap out its optics from refining lenses to the drill-white-hot-holes-in-accursed-corporate-raiders lenses

Nyrath

The concept of using a series of quantum states imposed on some particles is a bit ridiculous. How do you prevent them from decoherencing when in the pocket of your average Joe? There's a nice Wikipedia article on quantum decoherence that points out all the problems involved. Also, the act of measuring the state of the "quantum serial number" would collapse it and for all intents and purposes, destroy the bill. And it's a fool's errand. Eventually someone will find a way to "counterfeit" one of these bills, either by running the "printing press" at the mint to make load of registered cash, or some lovely hacking on the verification machines that make them acknowledge a very specific quantum pattern as valid. Nothing is unforgeable.

John

Jet Kitten: OK, a mining laser is not a weapon. Much like a plasma torch, most cutting lasers are focused tightly and diverge quickly so that they don't burn a hole in the bottom of the laser cutter. A zone melter would probably be focused in a line to melt the ore/ingot and would be really hard to repurpose as a weapon. Mass drivers however... Yeah, broadsides baby! Meow!

John

Galactic Empires will always be more fantasy than reality. If they are limited to STL ships, you're creating new worlds for the colonists and get nothing back in return other than the comfort of knowing we're putting our eggs in multiple baskets. If you have the FAL drive (Fast As Light) from Ken MacLeod's Engines of Light series, it still takes years to get anywhere. (A bit of a hand wave turns the ship into an entangled photon that detangles at the destination.) FTL will only be a panacea for information. It may take days or weeks for information to travel. And as long as you don't have any Ansibles, Information still moves at the speed of your fastest ship. Barring ansibles, a Wormhole network has the best bet of information transference, as you can beam your message through the wormhole, crossing light years in the process. With the exception of true FTL ships, wormholes are the best means to send information across the light years, and gives you the best chance for either a Galactic Empire or a Republic.

John


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