fandomhigh | Sociology of Space Travel, Thursday, 6th Period

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sociology of space travel

Sociology of Space Travel, Thursday, 6th Period

Laura stood at the front of the classroom, reading the report left behind by the substitute. She couldn't say that she was terribly enthusiastic about his language -- it was stilted and as bad as he seemed to think the science-fiction novels were. Not that she had room to talk; she'd had a speech writer for all that, after all.

She looked up as the students began filtering into the room. A smile -- albeit a presidential one -- crossed her lips and she placed the paper back on the desk. "Good afternoon, everyone," she said. "Come in and have a seat. We'll be getting started in just a few minutes."

The bell rang and she slipped off her glasses. Regarding the class, she folded her arms across her chest, clutching the frames in one hand. "I apologize for last week," Laura began. "If I had known the substitute they would send..." She paused, shaking her head with a chuckle. "Let's just say I'll try not to do that to you again.

"Now, last week, you were supposed to talk about your favorite science fiction stories," Roslin continued. "While I'm sure the substitute was, ah, very knowledgeable, I'm not sure he was easy to talk to. I hate to make you suffer for his short comings, but to get the topic completed, I'd like each of you to watch one of the six Space Battles films. Once you've done that, I want you to write out two pages on your reflections on the film. Can it be seen as a microcosm of society as a whole? Or is it just an engaging story? Make sure you have these papers completed by the beginning of class next week.

"Today, we're going to venture out a bit more." She pursed her lips, readjusting her grip on her glasses as she pondered how to broach this subject. "One of the aspects of space travel we see again and again, in the literature, is the distance. I think we all understand the great distances involved in travelling from planet to planet, or even system to system. What are some of the ways authors deal with this distance? How realistic are they?"

Leaning back against the desk, she allowed the students to interact and address the question. The discussion lasted a few minutes, after which Laura reined it in. "All that having been said," she said slowly, "what do you think would happen to a society, if they were subjected to such a long journey without the benefit of cryo-freezing and sustained FTL travel?"

And does it match anything with our experiences? she thought. The presidential smile was back as she directed the conversation. It was quite a bit to take in, really -- the idea that it could take the Colonial fleet years, maybe even generations to reach Terra firma. And yet, here she stood, teaching in a school with a majority of Terran students. The idea certainly strengthened her resolve to resume the search for Earth... as soon as they liberated New Caprica.

As the end of class approached, Laura broke off the conversation. "Okay. For next week, make sure your papers are ready. If you have any questions, I'll be in my office tomorrow and on Wednesday of next week." She smiled. "Have a good afternoon!"

[OCD threads ~~coming~~ up. Time to theorize about the future of the Colonial fleet!]

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The sheet is in its usual place on the corner of the desk at the front of the room.

D'anna Biers

Cameron Mitchell

Sam Carter

Angela Chase

Elizabeth Weir

Naomi Wildman

One of the aspects of space travel we see again and again, in the literature, is the distance. I think we all understand the great distances involved in travelling from planet to planet, or even system to system. What are some of the ways authors deal with this distance? How realistic are they?

Sam decided to lay off the wormholes, for once. "A rift in the space-time continuum? It's...not realistic, but it is theoretically plausible. Sort of."

Laura nodded. "It's certainly been done a few times. I have to admit, those instances have seemed more like an intervention by the Gods, rather than a plausible explanation."

She'd have used the term deus ex machina if she'd known it.

What do you think would happen to a society, if they were subjected to such a long journey without the benefit of cryo-freezing and sustained FTL travel?

D thought about this for a while before saying, "you'd have to keep everyone busy."

"Busy?" Laura raised her brows, pushing her long bangs out of her eyes. "How so? And why?"

"I think you'd have to have extra ships and supplies, to contain the generations that would expand while you were making the trip across the galaxy," Sam responded.

"So, like a military operation, you need to maintain some sort of supply line," Roslin replied, thinking intently of something the admiral had once said. "But what happens when you're cut off?"

"Then you have to go to a rationing system," Sam said, "or look for other means of obtaining what you need. Whether that's through trade with other societies or other methods."

"So if we follow that path a bit, what affect is it likely to have on future generations, if, indeed, that's how long it takes?"

"People will learn to live with economy and efficiency, but won't have much use for luxury, I think."

Laura gave a rueful smile, thinking of Cloud Nine. "Or it -- luxury -- becomes the stuff of dreams. Eventually, you'd have a complete generation who's never known anything but rationing, hard bunks, and interstellar travel." She grimaced. "Doesn't sound like life for the faint of heart."

"No, probably not," Sam admitted, "not to mention the personal conflicts that would arise, being in an enclosed space for an extended period of time. There would probably need to be a ship just for criminals, and the government would have to be precise in their goals and edicts, with a minimum of politics. There just isn't the room."

"Ah, but politics are part of human nature, part of human interaction. Do you think it's possible to function without them, regardless of the 'room'?"

[And I must crash. Pick up tomorrow?]

"No, probably not. But they can be kept to a minimum, if everyone involved accepts that there are limitations to what they can do."

[Sure! Night!]

Pursing her lips, Laura leant back against the desk. "What do you do about those who continue to jockey for position -- those that don't accept their limitations?"

Unfortunately, Sam didn't think shooting them was the right answer. "Put them in a figurehead position of minor importance where they can't do any harm to the infrastructure?"

"They would kind of forget," Angela said. "Life on planets would be like a weird dream, or a myth."

To this, Laura nodded. "That's an interesting point," she said. "If they forget, what do you think would be the first to go?"

Angela thought for a moment. "I guess weather and seasons," she said. "They wouldn't see those things, so they wouldn't have to be aware of them."

"So time might also be a factor, as much of that is gauged by weather, seasons, daylight, darkness..." She mused. "They would, of course, be running on ship's time, but what would be some of the short term affects of adjusting to the time changes or lack of daylight?"

"I don't know," Angela said, chewing on her pen. "Maybe that thing where people get depressed in the winter, SAD? There might be a lot of that."

Laura took a few minutes to review the sign-in sheet, as well as finish reading the sub's rather extensive notes.

...because everyone does it. Woe! The peer pressure!

EEEEEE! No shoes and giggles icon! *is not a dorktastic fangirl* *cough*

::chuckles:: That was one of my favorite scenes. Seeing her giggle like that was just hysterical. I've imagined that her mother signed her up for cheerleading, hoping it would break her of the habit. I don't think it worked. ;)

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Sociology of Space Travel, Thursday, 6th Period

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Discussion - Crossing the Void

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Discussion - Effects of a Long Journey

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After Class

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