Oh, so *that's* how we do it!

Mikey (3:42:58 PM): solar sails

Mikey (3:43:01 PM): that's how we do it

Mike (3:43:07 PM): ?

Mike (3:43:25 PM): solar sails eh?

Mikey (3:43:45 PM): yeah, I read about them, and forgot

Mikey (3:44:08 PM): you use the solar wind - all those particles that stream out from the sun

Mikey (3:44:11 PM): and it's not much pressure, but it's constant

Mike (3:44:12 PM): right

Mike (3:44:36 PM): at the very least seems like it could be good for inter solar system shipping of goods

Mike (3:44:37 PM): if not people

Mike (3:44:52 PM): cause it seems like it would be hard to accelerate quickly

Mikey (3:47:03 PM): but you don't need fuel

Mike (3:48:27 PM): yeah

Mikey (3:49:06 PM): I mean, I think we have to figure out what we're doing with these ships, anyway

Mikey (3:50:27 PM): because I don't think leaving the solar system is feasible

Mike (3:51:24 PM): is this conversation spurred from the space race victory?

Mike (3:51:30 PM): I was trying to connect it

Mikey (3:51:51 PM): well, from our earlier conversation about feeding a planet-sized city

Mike (3:53:04 PM): o, yeah

Mike (3:53:12 PM): well, solar sails would be ideal for that you'd think

Mike (3:53:19 PM): shipping supplies from the farm planets

Mike (3:53:22 PM): and minig asteroids

Mike (3:53:23 PM): or whatever

Mike (3:53:30 PM): slow automated transportation

Mikey (3:53:30 PM): hey

Mikey (3:53:32 PM): why have farm planets?

Mikey (3:53:35 PM): could you have farms in space?

Mike (3:53:37 PM): yeah

Mikey (3:53:44 PM): you can in Civilization: Call to Power

Mike (3:53:46 PM): actually, that was a big part of the space colonies book I read

Mike (3:53:53 PM): space farms

Mike (3:53:55 PM): with no seasons

Mike (3:53:57 PM): no pesticides

Mike (3:53:59 PM): and lower gravity

Mike (3:54:14 PM): you can set all environmental conditions to ideal for specific crops (including gravity)

Mike (3:54:21 PM): and grow super crops year round

Mikey (3:55:51 PM): honestly, I don't believe that you wouldn't need pesticides

Mikey (3:55:56 PM): I think they'd make it

Mike (3:56:41 PM): yeah, some maybe

Mike (3:56:45 PM): but... I don't know

Mike (3:56:54 PM): you might be able to develop a quarantine system

Mike (3:57:04 PM): like, can seeds survive a quick vaccuum?

Mike (3:57:06 PM): probably not

Mike (3:57:07 PM): too cold

Mikey (3:57:17 PM): I mean, pesticides, maybe

Mikey (3:57:25 PM): you might be able to get rid of most rats and stuff

Mikey (3:57:48 PM): but probably not anything smaller than that

Mikey (3:57:51 PM): bacteria, etc.

Mike (3:58:36 PM): yeah

Mike (4:01:08 PM): still would be a significant improvement

Mike (4:01:15 PM): it just doesn't seem like you could justify the costs

Mike (4:01:22 PM): of growing food in space to support life on a planet

Mike (4:01:45 PM): space in space will continue to be super expensive

Mike (4:01:59 PM): if the food supports life in space, then the cost benefit is being outside the gravity well

Mike (4:02:05 PM): but if you're just going back down onto the planet...

Mike (4:02:07 PM): that seems tougher

Mike (4:04:41 PM): of course... soil nutrients?

Mike (4:04:52 PM): I don't know how that works, but that must be a challenge in space