by David B. Trout
Exploration of other star systems requires not only the ability to construct a craft capable of attaining speeds approaching that of light, but also a species with an extremely long lifespan. After all, what good is an expedition if, upon their return, all of their contemporaries are dead? Therefore, for interstellar travel to be feasible, the average lifespan of the species must be at least long enough for an expedition to reach its objective, perform studies, and return with the information and/or resources within a single generation.
