mistermack wrote:
That might seem a bit outlandish, but look at what's happened in the last 100 years.
I do not think it is outlandish. But I doubt it will happen in a few hundred years. A small number of people in a few hundred years, but the majority of humanity, no. A few thousand years, maybe.
Of course, if you have a large population inside a space city, spinning for gravity, and with some kind of shielding mechanism, then a trip to Alpha Centauri may not be such a problem. It is simply a case of having some large thrusters attached, and enough reaction mass carried. If we are looking forward that far in time, we can assume that the thrusters will of highly advanced design, and capable of acceleration to 0.1c, or at least, not much less. If, in addition, we assume that advanced medicine gives the inhabitants long life, the journey time of 50 to 60 years may not be that big a deal.
I think we can also assume that, well before that time, using advanced telescopes, humanity will have a detailed knowledge of what Alpha Centauri will have to offer. Possibly even the results of robotic probes. Our would-be cosmic travellers will know in advance what planets and other orbiting objects will be present.
For every human action, there is a rationalisation and a reason. Only sometimes do they coincide.