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/sci/ - Science & Math

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2754077 No.2754077 [Reply] [Original]

Hey /sci/ I'm hoping you can help me. Does anyone know of a short story with this description?

>Someone once wrote a short story with almost that exact basis. Turns out there's a really simple way to achieve interstellar travel and we overlooked it, so we kept pushing on with all sorts of other inventions like nuclear power. The aliens arrive to invade with muskets and are hopelessly outmatched. Can't remember the story's name.

Posted in /k/, but no one can remember the name.
>mfw /sci/ will probably just rage about FTL spaceships armed with black powder cannons.

>> No.2754095

>mfw /sci/ will probably just rage about FTL spaceships armed with black powder cannons.

Well you gotta admit. That is a pretty retarded concept that a civilization that has mastered interstellar travel are using fucking muskets.

>> No.2754109
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2754109

>>2754095

Ok fine, I'm looking for the story but goddamn I wanted to coax you guys into an at-length discussion about it.

Sadfrog.jpeg

>> No.2754119

Oh wow /lit/ found it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Road_Not_Taken_%28short_story%29

>> No.2754137

> can make stuff move FTL, enter through atmospheres and stuff
> shoots barely supersonic projectiles
zerotonsofdiplomacy.jpg

>> No.2754174

Pretty damn interesting concept. Hoping my Uni library has it...

>> No.2754189

There are issues with the whole concept. Surviving the vacuum of space, feding people in space, keeping the ship cool, powering the 'simple' gravity manipulation, powering anything, if they are using gunpowder they have wood burning or water wheels as their main power source maybe even gunpowder engines or steam power.

Even if the manipulation is like superfast spinning discs, they still need propulsion.

Navigation is the other big issue, landing another massive issue.

so much is wrong with the concept

>> No.2754204

Unless they just stole someone else spaceship...

I doubt the people in Africa dancing around campfires could build a car, but they could drive one.

>> No.2754207

>>2754189

The sheer awesomeness of space pirate ships renders your point moot.

>> No.2754210

>>2754189
Oh shush

>> No.2754224

>>2754207
then roll with spell jammer, or divine intervention, or make them able to breath in space or something.

Just the general idea that they wouldnt be able to tell we have vastly superior weapons to them, the fact they think we're un advanced without grav manipulation just shows stupidity.

The whole concept is, aliens learn to fly, dick around with everyone else, come up against us, we bitchslap them and take their shit, and then invade everything else laying waste to all with OUR gunpowder weapons....

>> No.2754230

>>2754189
If the gravity manipulation would result in protective buble, inside would be air and outside obstacles would get diverted around it. Also FTL space pirates, you can't be much better than that.

>> No.2754271

>>2754189
What if they are not human or even close? What if they are some unknown energy that just physically animates objects to communicate?