RE: PLUTO, Our Future Home

From: Robert J. Bradbury (bradbury@aeiveos.com)
Date: Sun May 25 2003 - 23:50:31 MDT

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    On Sun, 25 May 2003, Spike wrote:

    > >OK, scrap Pluto.
    >
    > No, dont scrap it. We will need that thing later.

    Actually Spike, most of the outer planets seem likely to be
    materials that condense at very low temperatures -- the
    water, ammonia, argon, neon, etc. aren't worth much.
    The methane, carbon monoxide & carbon dioxide may be
    much more useful but they are only a fraction of the
    composition of the outer planets.

    > [snip] Reduce the existing ones [ie asteroids or
    > planets I believe Spike is referencing] into usably small
    > pieces, perhaps a few milligrams each.

    Nope a few mg is probably too small unless you are using
    an architecture (and thinking about problems) best suited
    for "distributed network computing". In terms of optimal
    computational throughput Eric has set the height of the bar.
    Its a 1 cm^3 computer that radiates 100,000 W and has to
    harvests probably somewhat more than that depending on
    power sources and power conversion efficiencies.
    That is more than a few mg.

    You can change that but you have to specify *why* you
    are reducing the computational density.

    > >we save this planet from accidental collision...
    >
    > That will not be an issue if we use our little bit of
    > matter in interplanetary space correctly.

    Its an issue up until the time we use the matter in this
    space correctly -- as Daniel has recently pointed out.

    One doesn't typically care about earthquakes (however
    improbable) until they ruin your whole day.

    > Remember we have very little material to work with,
    > perhaps ~1E28 kg of metals (at best) in the solar
    > system. We can't waste anything.

    1E28 kg is probably high if one assumes one only has the
    planets. Its a bit low if one assumes star-lifting and
    turning the sun off (and/or being able to breed metals
    from the H/He). But the point still will always stand --
    as Extropians we shouldn't waste anything.

    Robert



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