RAMA wrote:
It would take as little as 500,000 years with Von Neumann probes. A long time for us but minute in cosmic history...
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But still a long time for us, and since WE are the ones taking this undertaking, it is OUR timeframe that needs to be considered here.
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DNA: In fact, DNA is a hardy information storing medium, lasting millions of years as well as being hardy when stored.
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And if we were talking about exporting our DNA to parts unknown, that would be one thing. But we are discussing practical exploration and/or colonization. Exporting stored human DNA and cloning a fresh population at the destination is neither.
OTOH, the moon, Mars and the asteroids could be settled for relatively little expense, in a fraction of the time and for a fraction of the expense as an interstellar voyage. If you're going to use Von Neuman machines for anything, THAT is the way to go.