Stargate Atlantis: Colonizing The Galaxy

On Friday night's episode of Stargate Atlantis, the Atlantis expedition discover a small pod. The pod contains biological material that can be used to replicate a sentient life-form from scratch, should the pod find a planet with the right chemical makeup to provide the raw ingredients. It also contains a cultural and technical database to educate the "Children of the Pod," and an advanced Artificial Intelligence responsible for guiding the pod to a suitable destination and "birthing" the first generation life-forms. In the real world, with its apparently iron-clad restriction on faster than light travel, this kind of approach is actually one of the leading contenders for how human beings might colonize the galaxy. The problem with sending people is that they are a) big b) need to keep eating and c) typically live less than 100 years. The nearest star is 4 light-years away, which means that even if ...