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<pre wrap="">Jack Smith-
" I think I've heard estimates the Whorl is at least 300 years
old. Typhon was presumably alive on its launching and is still alive when
Severian meets him
strapped to his couch. Quite a lifespan."
Isn't Typhon dead when found by Severian, who then resurrects him? Typhon
seems to have dried out after lying on the cold, dry mountain for 1000 or
2000 years (in contrast to Dorcas, who is soggy).
Since the Whorl has traveled near the speed of light on its voyage, time has
slowed down. So 1000 or 200 years can have passed on Urth, while only 300
years have gone by on the Whorl.
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Gwern-
I don't remember if our past discussions went into the technical
details, but it's pretty unlikely the Whorl got any significant
slowdown.
Useful link: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.projectrho.com/rocket/rocket3aj.html#relativity">http://www.projectrho.com/rocket/rocket3aj.html#relativity</a>
Notice that to get a slowdown of even 1/3, you need to get up to
somewhere around 0.97 or 0.98 _c_. Given that we're talking an entire
hollowed-out asteroid, and one which needs to slow down to rest at the
end... Well, the energy requirements would be absolutely fantastic.
(And I mean fantastic as in, you'd better have an entire other
anti-asteroid made of anti-matter for propellant.)
Dunno if Wolfe took all this into account, though.
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<br>
In the Urth List Q&A, Wolfe said:<br>
<br>
<i>Q: About how far, really, is the New Sun series set in our future
(or the future of the previous universe)? How much time elapses
between Typhon and Severian?</i> <br>
<br>
A: That is never specified in the books. My offhand guess is between
1000 and 2000 years. I would have to reread the books with care to
perhaps trim the estimate up a little bit.<br>
<br>
However, since Dream-travel can involve Time-travel, all of this
might be academic as far as the Rajan's visits to Urth go.<br>
<br>
u+16b9<br>
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