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Re:The Theory of Interstellar Trade (1978) by adrianN on Thursday December 31, 2020 @11:40AM (#25594207)
Why would you want to settle a system that doesn't have all the stuff available you need? Moving nontrivial amounts of mass around the universe is extremely expensive.
Re:The Theory of Interstellar Trade (1978) by cgriswald on Thursday December 31, 2020 @12:21PM (#25594664)
> Why would you want to settle a system that doesn't have all the stuff available you need?

To make use of the materials and other benefits the system does have; the same reason we settle such places on Earth.

> Moving nontrivial amounts of mass around the universe is extremely expensive.

This amount of energy is a smudge on a ledger in comparison to the energy even a solitary, planet-less red dwarf puts out in its lifetime.

Unless we develop a method for fusing the materials we need from hydrogen and helium, the only chance of becoming a type III civilization is to learn to move mass around and make these trade offs.