If we develop spacecraft that can take humans to nearby solar systems at a few percent of the speed of light,how long would it be before we could conceivably populate all habitable planets in the entire Milky Way?
A)a few hundred thousand years
B)a few million years
C)a few hundreds of millions of years
D)a few billion years
E)We could never colonize the galaxy unless we had ships that could travel very close to the speed of light.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Given the vast distances between stars and the limited speed achievable by hypothetical spacecraft (a few percent of the speed of light), spreading across the Milky Way would take a significant amount of time. However, with continuous technological advancements and assuming habitable planets are relatively evenly distributed, a few million years could be a plausible timeframe for populating a substantial portion of the galaxy. This takes into account the time needed for travel, establishing colonies, and then expanding from those colonies to further systems.

If We Develop Spacecraft That Can Take Humans to Nearby