> Will people still care about “the mission” 5 generations and billions of kilometers from earth? Will the goal we set even be relevant or make sense at all?
That's an interesting point. I have noticed that often ideologically motivated parents don't always produce the same ideologically motivated offspring. They'll have to have very strict rules and some kind of brutal indoctrination to ensure the next generation follows the same path. But the more brutal and severe it is, the more likely it will cause rebellions.
I can already see a tragi-comedic scenario: the new generation overthrows the old guard, slams on the brakes, ship takes years to slow down from almost light speed. Decades later they are finally going back to earth at full speed. Now the next generation looks back at the mess their parents made, rebel, overthrow the old guard, slam on the brakes, decades later they are back flying to the original destination. But not until the next generation decides to bring back the fire of the revolution and turn things around... It all ends with them running out of fuel.
The pessimistic view is that we'll just have to let ChatGPT drive the ship and knock everyone out in cryosleep so they don't mess with the ship.
The odds of the counter revolution deciding to go exactly back on their grandparents original course, out of what is honestly quite a large space is possibilities, seems quite low to me. And even that's assuming the original revolutionaries don't plainly see the cost of turning around; I think it will be pretty obvious. And the first generation of people born in the starship won't exactly be yearning for an Earth they've never known.
Once you're on a starship with just enough fuel to reach the destination, the only real question is what the political organization will be at the end.
> The odds of the counter revolution deciding to go exactly back on their grandparents original course, out of what is honestly quite a large space is possibilities, seems quite low to me
Not if those are the only two known destinations known to support life! Then the choice is binary really - go to destination or go back.
> And the first generation of people born in the starship won't exactly be yearning for an Earth they've never known.
I think they would. I've seen this in second generation immigrants. One would expect they'd completely embrace the new country, culture, environment, but I often see them idealizing or yearning for some mythical version of their old country, even if the parents have already adapted and moved on in the current culture. There are two mechanisms at work there, I think, one is rebellion against the old generation, and also if things are not going perfectly well, yearning for an alternative ("the grass is always greener on the other planet" principle).
> I often see them idealizing or yearning for some mythical version of their old country, even if the parents have already adapted and moved on in the current culture.
Interesting, from what cultures have you noticed this? In what place, e.g. where is the new culture?
Have you watched the series The Silo? It is on Apple TV. I love the show. Based on a serious of books. Season 3 should be coming out some time next year so a good time to watch the first 2 seasons if you have not.
Your comment basically made me think of that show. They are a multi generational society that lives in a massive underground silo. And many of your concepts you mentioned play out. But in that show the brutal and very strict rules of course were used to keep people in order and from not rebelling. Of course as brutal as they are and do their best to control and stop rebellions it will always be inevitable.
I don't want to give any spoilers away but I highly enjoyed the show and definitely recommend it. Cheers.
Only slightly joking. The best way to do this is to either ensure you have a scientific culture that can dedicate itself to a very distant goal, or you make it a religion and keep the intermediate generations complacent.
That's an interesting point. I have noticed that often ideologically motivated parents don't always produce the same ideologically motivated offspring. They'll have to have very strict rules and some kind of brutal indoctrination to ensure the next generation follows the same path. But the more brutal and severe it is, the more likely it will cause rebellions.
I can already see a tragi-comedic scenario: the new generation overthrows the old guard, slams on the brakes, ship takes years to slow down from almost light speed. Decades later they are finally going back to earth at full speed. Now the next generation looks back at the mess their parents made, rebel, overthrow the old guard, slam on the brakes, decades later they are back flying to the original destination. But not until the next generation decides to bring back the fire of the revolution and turn things around... It all ends with them running out of fuel.
The pessimistic view is that we'll just have to let ChatGPT drive the ship and knock everyone out in cryosleep so they don't mess with the ship.