Philosophy Discussion Forums

Imagine in the future, we are able to build near-light-speed ships. And we have a colony on Pluto.

A transport ship travels to Pluto at 95% light speed, drops off some supplies and returns home. The round trip takes about 11hrs in Earth time, but because of relativity from the crew's perspective it's been only 3hrs 30mins.

Now, do you pay that crew 11 hours' worth of wages? Or do you pay them 3.5 hours' worth of wages?

If the former, then space travel would be very expensive on crew wages alone.

If the latter, then could a space traveller earn enough to live? Would that constitute paying less than the minimum wage...?

Why would you pay a space traveler by the hour?

A lot of people would pay money to travel in space.

So the closer the ship gets to c during its voyages, the more wages Weyland-Yutani has to pay its starship crews? I think relativistic wages should be paid according to the employees' point of view and not that of the Company. If I were the Company, I'd just send them to collect a Xenomorph.

LOL, wages are determined by the law of supply and demand, not philosophical debate. People will get paid as little as possible and what system they use to determine how much to pay them is determined also by market forces.

Well, if they spend 3 times less time working( biologically), they also sort of lag behind in time, so if there is increase in wages, their's will be delayed. instead of 5 years down the road, they'll get raise after 15 years and same goes for retirement. Who will want to fly?

Haha this is a brilliant display of lateral thinking. I like the way you think Jim. I think the crew would be paid per delivery. Although the cost of the fuel would most likely cost infinitely more than the cargo is worth.

I agree with Geordie. All of this assumes that near-light-speed travel is actually possible for a human crew.