title: A human galaxy: a prehistory of the future.
abstract: In the very long term, how could humans colonise the Galaxy? Colonisation cannot be centrally controlled; deeper drives must be tapped. It may take centuries to colonise the nearest stars: it may be a 'programme' like the Industrial Revolution, fuelled by entrepreneurship. To build a respectable interstellar empire may take millennia. Religions are similar multigenerational projects. Perhaps colonists will be motivated by appropriate creeds. To win the Galaxy, starship technology must persist for tens or hundreds of millennia. Homo erectus made the same hand-axe for a million years. The driver was biological, not conscious. Perhaps to our descendants starships will be like peacock tails.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baxter
mesh_terms: D005075:Biological Evolution; D002962:Civilization; D005118:Extraterrestrial Environment; D006801:Humans; D016082:Solar System; D013026:Space Flight