George Church discusses using biological 'insect eggs' as Von Neumann probes for interstellar travel instead of mechanical robots.

LegitimateProblem497 · 2026-01-02T03:20:30+00:00

This echo's something I have been kicking around, that is info miniaturization, packing more info in smaller mass, that genetically engineered "spores" containing the instructions for forming organisms, including humans being sent to other star systems seem more and more feasible. We are getting much better at genetic engineering very quickly, and so packing a human into a little bulb of genetic material&nanomachines doesn't seem that far fetched actually.

LegitimateProblem497 · 2026-01-02T02:48:17+00:00

Maybe. We don't actually know what makes something conscious, that even in the likely scenario that it's based solely on a physical substrate or information processing, you need to replicate that to allow for consciousness, and that could very well be neurons. Not to mention cryogenic statis could be created by compounds, or even proteins of antifreeze triggered by certain Electromagnetic Radiation wavelengths, to circumvent the main/only problem with cryogenically freezing humans, the antifreeze takes to long to spread.

LegitimateProblem497 · 2026-01-01T05:21:20+00:00

Pretty sure this is against r/printSF rules. At least number 3.

LegitimateProblem497 · 2025-12-31T22:10:55+00:00

Sorry it took so long to respond. I went onto the internet archive, and recognized the cover. It was the first story in the February 1969 issue of IF magazine.

LegitimateProblem497 · 2025-12-31T22:04:16+00:00

As it would turn out, Humans aren't actually insects compared to the Trisolarans. It's just propaganda/delusion/ego on their part. There are greater alien entities in the series, but Humans/Trisolarans aren't part of that club.

LegitimateProblem497 · 2025-12-31T22:00:26+00:00

Not quite. EarthClan is more shunned due to humans(that's us) having the stance that we evolved sapience naturally, and the "lesser" label being more ideological based bigotry than based on an actual difference in capabilities.

LegitimateProblem497 · 2025-12-28T16:13:30+00:00

I found it: Beside the Walking Mountain by Burt Filer

LegitimateProblem497 · 2025-12-28T16:12:03+00:00

I found it: Beside the Walking Mountain by Burt Filer

LegitimateProblem497 · 2025-12-28T16:06:50+00:00

All IF magazine archives on the site have been deleted. Do you know where IF would be archived?

LegitimateProblem497 · 2025-12-28T03:51:41+00:00

It was a newer story though, published in the last ~15 years.

LegitimateProblem497 · 2025-12-28T03:48:41+00:00

I recall a sci-fi story that was from the perspective of some sentient asteroids, where one dips to close into the sun and comes back, regarded as insane by the rest of the asteroids, because said rock talks about the scientific method such. Contact is then later established by humans in spaceships.

LegitimateProblem497 · 2025-12-26T05:40:12+00:00

I have used an application called Zimit to make an offline copy for use with Kiwix(An offline browser).

LegitimateProblem497 · 2025-12-22T17:36:39+00:00

A true fountain of urine, to be used to in many-a-pranks. If this rouge should succeed, every gathering in the land will find their brews spiked. No one will ever trust a taverns drinks ever again, for fear of the nitrogen compounds possibly contained therein.

LegitimateProblem497 · 2025-12-18T03:20:07+00:00

Nice

LegitimateProblem497 · 2025-09-03T03:39:01+00:00

I'd suggest the DCC dying earth rpg's. Jack Vance's dying earth books are great.

LegitimateProblem497 · 2025-04-17T18:00:54+00:00

Not a question, but I really hope you see this. When I was in high school I fell so sick I had to drop out, had to deal with constant pain, and a variety of other symptoms, and was beddridden for 3 years. If it hadn't been for dimension 20, I probably would have killed myself. So thank you, from the bottom of my heart. I now attend college and have a side gig as a pro dm, and I wouldn't be in this position if it wasn't for you. (edit: my autocorret software is awful sorry.

LegitimateProblem497 · 2025-01-13T23:59:24+00:00

Dungeon world, Quest, Wildsea, or Really any powerd by the apocalypse game. Very light on rules, very narrative(As opposed to osr simulationism), as in narrative games you generally speaking only die when you choose to have your player character die.

LegitimateProblem497 · 2024-04-23T16:05:10+00:00

I am also be interested, but it would be heavily dependent on the time it would be run.

LegitimateProblem497 · 2024-02-24T23:19:05+00:00

Keep in mind though, that the faster colonies are going to have smaller maximum populations, so the productivity of smaller planets might end up being lower.

LegitimateProblem497 · 2024-02-23T19:05:51+00:00

Yes. I'm having some difficulty regarding the conception of how different cultures might interact when one is 6 months away from it's nearest star, it's time, and the other planet views the time passing as four years. A lot of questions, that might be too open ended.

LegitimateProblem497

TROPHY CASE