[0xffff2]

Currently we have no known materials that would actually survive a 111 light year trip to another solar system, so that fact that we can't actually build the space elevator when we get there seems irrelevant. They're both roughly the same order of magnitude of impossible with our current technology.

[fwip]

Sure we do. Chuck a rock in the right direction, it'll still be a rock 111 light years later.

[0xffff2]

Okay, I should know I have to be 100% pedantic when discussing these kinds of topics, so that's my bad. I amend my claim to the following:

Assuming we could generate a sufficiently focused laser or other communication mechanism to communicate over 111 light years (which we can't), currently we have no known material that we could build the comm device out of that would survive a 111 light year trip to another solar system intact enough for the device to actually function.

Still a bit wishy-washy since it involves magical technology that we have no idea how to build, and if we had the communications technology we would probably have the materials science too, but hopefully that gets the point I was originally trying to make across.

[fwip]

Thanks for the clarification :)

[nradov]

If the rock is moving at a relativistic velocity then it will be gradually ablated by collisions with interstellar particles. That's why any realistic design for a starship requires some kind of bow shield.