why not build a scope big enough to view extrasolar planets?

John

Really excellent ideas and reflections, this has indeed been realised quite a number of years ago when a number of scientists explored this possibility within a scientific framework. Indeed there have been papers published on such possibilities. Eamonn may have mentioned them in the very popular IFAS topic “Are UFOs Real”.
From what I know I believe the following scientists have contributed in this regard…

“Von Neumann Interstellar Probes” (Von Neumann, John [1903-1957] mathematician.
A “von Neumann machine” able to move over interstellar or interplanetary distances and to utilize local materials to build new copies of itself, in effect this would be an extremely advanced self-replicating machine which would be very capable of carrying out the prime task and capable of adapting to alien environments.
www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/V/vonNeumannprobe.html

“Bracewell Interstellar Probes” (Bracewell, Ronald Newbold [1921-] Physicist and electrical engineer.
“As originally conceived, Bracewell probes, powered by high-speed propulsion units for interstellar travel, and autonomously controlled by computers with a high degree of artificial intelligence, would be dispatched toward star systems that had been earmarked as biologically interesting. Upon arrival at a target star, a Bracewell probe would enter a near-circular orbit in the middle of the star's habitable zone and in the same plane as its planetary system. This would ideally place it to make contact with any intelligent, technological residents”. www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/B/Bracewellprobes.html

Freitas, Robert
A scientist, with degrees in physics, psychology, and law, who has made significant contributions to the fields of interstellar probes, particularly von Neumann probes and, more recently, nanotechnology. In the 1970s Freitas wrote a semi-technical book on extraterrestrial life, entitled Xenology, which was published only partially as a handful of articles but was privately circulated and to critical acclaim. Freitas co-edited the 1980 NASA feasibility and analysis of self-replicating space factories and, in 1996, authored the first detailed technical design study of medical nanorobots to be published in a mainstream biomedical journal. He is now a research scientist at Zyvex Corp. and does consulting on molecular assembler design.
www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/F/Freitas.html

Valdes, Francisco ("Frank") G
An astronomer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and based in Tucson, Arizona, who, together with Robert Freitas was a pioneer in both theoretical and observational aspects of the search for extraterrestrial probes.
www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/V/Valdes.html

We of course are now in a position to apply full scientific methodologies to these theories which now gives the impetus to look for theoretical interstellar probes; such work is done by scientists from various countries in including Ireland.

Clear skies
Mike

i dont know if we are there just yet. to even create a self replicating autonomous robot here on earth that can mine the minerals it requires is, IMO, not way beyond our capabilities, but the funding and research it would require would never get approval. We will have to be a few steps closer.

What we need is a fleet of AI-piloted deep space rangers

Hmm - I'd vote for AI-piloted deep space rangers...



Dave

In terms of seeing the planets with a scope, they are so faint and near their companion star that they are totally swamped out by the stars light, rather like looking for a lit match next to a light house lamp.

A really nice example of this which we can test using binary stars in Sirius B, its about 7 arc seconds from Sirius A (a very resolvable distance) but you haven't a hope in hell of seeing it using most scopes due to the massive difference in brightness. It's not quite the same problem but it gives you an idea.

Hmm - I'd vote for AI-piloted deep space rangers...
Dave

As opposed to IFAS-piloted??

Artificial Intelligence dear boy. I was a Knowledge Engineer (a programmer who writes AI or Expert System software) before I switched to working as a DBA.