Re: our tech level

[email removed] writes:
>
> > Next, I've seen several references here to present day Earth being TL 8.
> > Has anyone succeeded in building a grav vehicle, even a simple air/raft?
> > Has anyone yet got a working fusion power plant?  If the answers to those
> > questions are both "no", then on what grounds can present day Earth be
> > awarded a TL rating of 8?
>
>   I got the UPP for Earth Now straight from the Traveller Book. I don't have
> anything else but Hard Times and S&A with me now, but the conversion charts
> in 3G^3 talks about 'caseless ammo' and simple laser weapons as the top of
> the tech at TravellerTL 8.

Well, if they're going to change the definitions, then maybe we are TL 8.  Just
exactly what does mark a planet as being TL 8, as opposed to TL 7?  I always
thought it was the ability to build fusion plants and anti-grav.
>
>   As for the lack of anti-grav, it is well known that the Solomani is lacking
> in that area:) Both old 'Robots' and S&A mentions that Solomani gravitics fall
> one or more TLs behind.

And apparently they lag one or more TL's in power technology as well.  Come to
that, what operational simple laser weapons exist today on Earth?  I assume
this refers to hand-held laser weapons, because starship lasers are also
available at TL 7, according to High Guard and MT.  On the other hand ...

[email removed] (Steve Higginbotham) writes:
>
> By the way, did anyone notice on Headline News a few weeks back when they
> did a piece on a Data Display Headset?
> ...
> It cost less than $800 (about one-third what MT charges for them), and is
> here now (as opposed to TL12).

And in addition, we've had hand computers for some time.  Apparently, a hand
computer is the equivalent of a Model/1 computer, and the Model/1 comes out
at TL 5.  I believe TL 5 is about the equivalent of WW2 times, and I'm fairly
sure that a decent present-day hand-held computer can outperform any computer
built during or around WW2!

MT charges Cr1000 for a hand computer, and the planet which built it is TL 11.
I'm not sure what Cr1000 translates to in dollars or pounds, but I am sure
that present-day Earth is not TL 11!

- --
 "Keyboard?  How quaint!" - M. Scott

 Adrian Hurt			     |	JANET:  [email removed]
 UUCP: ..!ukc!cs.hw.ac.uk!adrian     |  ARPA:   [email removed]