Thursday - June 07, 2007
Lasers, Spaceships, and Nanotubes: Part 1
Civilizations obtained lasers, spaceships, and nanotubes by one of two methods; they either invented these technologies independently, or they adopted them from other civilizations. In this first part, we'll look at how some civilizations developed lasers, spaceships, and nanotubes. In the second part we'll consider how other civilizations acquired, or failed to acquire, the technologies that allowed some civilizations to dominate others.
The first species to rise to galactic power was my own, the Gujurpus. Four hundred eighty seven centuries ago [1], early Gujurpus built the first spaceships in the galaxy and explored their planetary neighbors. First they colonized the satellites of Gujupa, then other planets in their solar system, laying the foundations for an interplanetary civilization. Over the next 48 centuries the Gujurpus spread to all 11 planets and 789 asteroids in their home system. By the 22nd century after reaching space, though, the Gujurpus were already feeling crowded, so they began to explore nearby stars which they observed to have planets. They sent hundreds of spaceships out into the galaxy, some which would reach their destinations after only several centuries, starting the Golden Age of Exploration.
Why was it the Gujurpus, and not the Hotari, Jitnurys, or many other species they encountered, who first developed spaceships and lasers? Let us consider how the Gujurpus developed spaceships and lasers, and why the order in which they developed proved important. Surprising to many species, ancient Gujurpus developed lasers millennia before space travel was remotely possible. This strange history is a consequence of Gujupa's many surface rocks high in stored energy. By a simple, easily discoverable chemical reaction, these rocks generate enough light to provide the basis of a power system. It was only a short time before the Gujurpus focused this light through translucent gems to create fine beams of light: lasers.
While most species fought with physical impact weapons before they developed space flight, the Gujurpus used lasers, and in short time, high-energy weapons. After the atrocities of the Fourth Dyanad, the Gujurpus people were eager to find a way to permanent peace, which resulted in the political unification of Gujurpa. So when, just two short centuries later, the Gujurpa developed space flight, they made the jump, not as several warring factions, but as a planet. And as history has shown, this pre-space-flight unification is essential to rapid success of multi-planetary and multi-system governments.
Throughout the known universe the story of the Gujurpus has been repeated (cf. the histories of the Manbars, the Hollindots, and the Woralbas), with one interesting exception. The Autiumyannias stand out for many reasons. They developed space flight long before lasers or nanotechnology. They are carbon-based and breathe oxygen. They came into space without political unification. Yet they rose to dominate their neighboring systems. The story how is the exception that proves the rule.
Like the Gujurpus, the Autiumyannias are an ancient species, with a history in space beginning five hundred thirty eight centuries ago. They were arguably the first species to develop space flight, although constant fighting caused them to remain on their home planet until approximately four hundred fifty centuries ago, when the destruction they had done to their environment forced them to migrate to other planets in their system. These were the unlikely beginnings of a galactic empire.
Autiumyannian unification came only by military domination. One faction fought their way across the system, planet to planet, conquering all 8 habitable planets. The Autiumyannians then entered a dark age as the ruling faction destroyed all historical records and encouraged a culture of presentism. By three hundred ninety eight centuries ago, though, quiet political revolution brought them back to normative government. Autiumyannian scientists rediscovered their history, and the people began looking to the future. Seeing that one day their population would exceed what their home system could support, they set out to spread through the universe.
Despite the recent peace among themselves, the Autiumyannias remained war-like and slaughtered several dozen species as they expanded to their neighbors, leaving extant only those species that could be usefully enslaved. Only upon encountering the powerful empire of the Woralbas did their reign of destruction end, ultimately resulting in subjugation of the Autiumyannias.
How did the Autiumyannias rise to power despite constant war and frequent setbacks? Simply put, isolation. The nearest space faring species to challenge them were the Warolbas, and they were separated by the Void of Garrlagh. With much more promising territory, the Warolbas never bothered to visit the Autiumyannias or their neighbors, meting them only when the Autiumyannias traveled through the Void in hopes of continuing their expansion. Thus we see Autiumyannian achievements depended largely on the luck of isolation and being the oldest life in their stellar island.
By all accounts, then, it seems the Hotari should have developed into a galactic power. They remained isolated for many hundreds of centuries, being older even than the Autiumyannias, yet never developed spaceships. They only learned of spaceships when a Gujurpian explorer arrived. Yet they were politically unified and had developed nanotechnology beyond anything the Gujurpus knew. But the Hotari didn't develop spaceships because they didn't want to leave home. They only took to space when their population exceeded what their planet could sustain.
Based on this review of history, three common themes emerge among the dominant civilizations: early development of space faring technology, sufficient political stability to support expansion, and lack of other similarly advanced species. Only when all three appear together is it possible for a civilization to rise to early dominance. However, not all the multi-system governments of the known universe are the continuation of these early civilizations. In the next part, we look at how other civilizations adapted to, or failed to adapt to, lasers, spaceships, and nanotubes.
[1]: Since Humans are generally unfamiliar with standard galactic time-keeping units, I've translated them to Earth-centric ones when necessary. The author literally said "1546 gigaseconds ago".