Dreaming in Space
This is a concept that has not really been talked about in science fiction. Imagine if you will, a huge spaceship, floating among the stars. Inside the ship are thousands of humans, asleep in hibernation. They are on a journey to another planet. While they are sleeping, they are hooked up to a virtual reality machine that simulates a life on earth. Seems far-fetched, right? Not really. Think about it. The first humans will be going to Mars in the next hundred years. The only way a human could survive the long journey would be through constant hibernation. The body is frozen into position and the heart slows down. The humans would be awakened when the ship has reached its destination.
So we know that this whole idea is plausible. But lets go back to what I was talking about with the entire human population. Suppose that by the end of the 22nd century, Earth has become a wasteland. Nothing will grow and there is no hope for the future. In response to this crisis, space agencies of the world come together and form a huge ship that will transport the human population to another side of the galaxy. While they are on the journey, they are unaware they are on a ship because they are in sleep hibernation. In this hibernation state, they are living out their life as if they were still on earth.
Seem possible?
