By Ira Polans

The March meeting will be held on the 13th at 7:30PM in Peyton Hall on the Princeton University campus.

The talk is by Princeton University Professor Ed Turner regarding the “The Breakthrough Starshot Initiative: A “Funded” Interstellar Flight Project

The Breakthrough Starshot Initiative (BSI) is an ambitious program to send tiny spacecraft to nearby stars within a few decades, traveling at about twenty-percent the speed of light. Starshot will combine advances in micro-electronics, nano-tech and photonics (lasers). These interstellar probes are likely to carry artificial and perhaps sentient intelligences. Will machine based AGIs be better for exploring and occupying the Galaxy than biological intelligences? It may turn out that the stars will belong to synthetic awarenesses – our very different descendants.

Prior to the meeting there will be a meet-the-speaker dinner at 6PM at Winberie’s in Palmer Square. If you’re interested in attending please contact program@princetonastronomy.org no later than Noon on March 13.

We are looking for volunteers to give a 10 minute talk on an astronomy related topic at a future meeting. If you’re interested in giving one please see me at the meeting or contact me at program@princetonastronomy.org.

We look forward to seeing you at the dinner or at the meeting!