For those who do not know what these are, they are relatively new, a history telescope is one that looks back in time. Now, for all you astronomers out there, yes, all telescopes do this. But what if you pointed one at the earth? Depending on how far away you are from the planet, you will see something back in time.

The lecture today was about a recent experiment into this concept. The light from the Earth takes time to get to Jupiter, about three hours. A team of researchers operating in the jupiter system pointed a telescope back to earth. They then broad casted the signal on a few vNet’s. Since the vNet signals are faster than light, the transmitted signal was actually three hours old compared to the time it was being viewed on earth. They broad casted the visual signal as well as the vNet feed and the researchers. It was a little bit disturbing.

The power of space based telescopes has increased quite a lot in the past few centuries. You can see vivid detail from Jupiter with the new Orion space telescope model. Not to mention what you can see from other systems.

Ok, so, what good is three hours? Not much. Sure it’s a novelty thing. Yes, you can be on vSpace and watch something on earth from three hours ago. Neat. But three hours isn’t enough for historical observations. It is good, however, for the future uses.

There are two primary projects currently going on, big science projects as they used to be called, the kind that can only be funded by governments, that can make use of this new concept. The first, there are plans at work to build a super Orion telescope. Something so big it’s nearly the size of a military carrier. Once built, the plan is to point it towards some distant location and let it speed away. They are going to build it in the Minerva Asteroid shipyards and shoot it off. Now, it won’t get anywhere anytime soon. But, it will get there. Eventually it will reach a point that is many light years from earth, allowing historians to turn it around and view the history of our planet. Neat isn’t it? Personally though, I don’t think this will ever happen. Some big science projects promise a lot but are just too big or would take too long to see any benefits. I think this is one.

The other method is far more interesting. It involves the new gravity drives that are going to be tested in the coming years. These things promise everything. Imagine going to another star system in minutes. Incredible. If they ever get this to work, something to do with shrinking space in front and growing it behind, they’ll slap one on an Orion telescope ship, send it 300 years out and turn it around. That’s when things will get interesting.

How it all works? Beats the hell out of me. I don’t understand gravity drives or how they can see anything from 300 light years away. But, I guess I have to start learning. This new discipline, Historical Astronomy, is gaining some steam. The physicists swear this new gravity engine will work and unlock the galaxy to exploration. And we have plenty of earth like planets to play with out there. Of course, there isn’t a telescope built yet to view that far away. The super Orion, they still are debating a name for this class of ship, is only on the drawing board. But when it’s built we may be able to see clouds on a distant planet. That alone is fascinating. The future will be very interesting for certain!

In the last 150 years of the Moon Array’s existence, a massive structure mind you, we’ve found some amazing things in the universe. Turns out, space is littered with planets. That’s not anything new of course, they knew that when the first planets were being found 300 years ago. What have we not found though? Everyone knows it. In all the planets, moons, asteroids, solar systems, galaxies, everything we’ve looked at, not one shred of evidence of intelligent life out there.

So what I guess. It gives the religious right some strong ammunition of course. Every year that passes with no sentient life found outside the system is another year the Right grows stronger. I have to admit, it is a bit odd that there’s nothing out there. I’m no scientist but doesn’t some rule state if you take 1% of all stars and 1% of all those that have planets and 1% of all those that have atmosphere’s and 1% of those that have life and 1% of those that have intelligent life, that there would be millions of sentients out there. Who knows. Maybe they are out there but just can’t get here. Maybe there’s solar systems chocked full just like ours is.

I stopped by the science department recently and asked some of the astrophysicists there what they thought. Most thought there was intelligent life out there but we just haven’t found them. Also, it’s only 3,000 earth-like planets. If there are 1 million out there, what we’ve found is very small. And, perhaps we are looking in the wrong place as well. We still are only focusing on the visible spectrum, radio waves and a few other bands in the electromagnetic spectrum. Maybe they talk to each other in something else. If so, they’d be invisible to us.

Whatever the reason, we haven’t found em. And can you imagine what it would be like if we did? There are, right now, nine fully recognized sentients and two more that have petitioned for recognition. I think we have our fill of intelligent life right here in our own back yard. Sure they are all born from the original humans, Primes, but they are still right now wholly and completely separate species.

So, I say, big deal. Stop interrupting my morning news with announcements of newly discovered planets. At least lets hear about the seeder ships that we sent out to those planets or the up coming FTL tests. That’s interesting to us all. If those work we can just go there and find out if life is there or not! You know I’ll be on the first transport to alpha centauri!