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128 protections; machines are indifferent to extreme conditions—and they are patient.” Mind-Stretcher. The distinction between manned and unmanned space- craft may vanish if intelligent beings merge with machines. Tipler consid- ered it exceedingly unlikely that flesh and blood beings will ever engage in interstellar travel, because human “uploads” have such an advantage over people in space.*’ We can project this idea farther. Rather than being artifacts sent out by societies of biological beings, interstellar explorers might be independent intelligent machines that propel themselves to des- tinations they choose. Interstellar probes almost certainly would look for evidence of life. They give us one way to gain knowledge of star systems that lack garrulous, radio-equipped inhabitants, argued Clarke; it might be the only way. If you want to find out about who’s alive out there, said physicist and space colony designer Gerard O’Neill, it’s stupid to wait until the other guy develops radio communication. It makes much more sense to send probes to monitor planets in other systems. Such robotic observers could give you millions of years warning before a civilization is even going to develop.” Interstellar exploration seems quite far off now, Grinspoon recognized, probably as distant as voyages to the planets seemed at the beginning of the twentieth century. Yet, by the end of that century, planetary exploration was being taught in history class. Interstellar exploration could begin by the mid-twenty-first century.” A Proposed T-Shirt Enthusiastic students at our best technical universities often adopt slogans that sum up an idea in a formula or a few words. In the early days of Gerard O’Neill’s campaigning for space colonies built from lunar materials, some of his young supporters wore T-shirts declaring “LUNAR MINE IN ‘89.” Here is a new T-shirt slogan for the best and the brightest at M.LT. and Cal Tech, one that leaves out an overly optimistic date: 0.1¢e. The average member of the public won’t understand what that means. The initiated will know that, for our initial interstellar explorations with machines, we need only aim for one-tenth of the speed of light. Interstellar probes are appealing as long as someone else sends them, but not when we face the task ourselves. ennne 4 107733 Direct Contact Alien Probes —NASA report, 1977*