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| Einstein would have played this game (if he had a computer) |
Here is the third installment of games from Usborne's Computer Space Games, translated into modern BASIC.
Trip into the future is a game about special relativity; a thought experiment that Einstein himself would recognise. Imagine that you are able to travel in a spaceship at nearly the speed of light. According to special relativity, time runs slower for you inside the spaceship than it does for the rest of us on Earth. In this game you must arrive back on Earth after a certain number of years have elapsed by choosing a speed and distance to travel. Remember, your journey will be shorter than the time as measured on Earth!
rem A Trip into the Future
rem By Daniel Isaaman and Jenny Tyler
rem Translated to BB4Win by Tim Street
rem ENSURE LOWERCASE KEYWORDS ARE ON!!!
*font Courier New, 20
target% = 5 : rem margin for error
repeat
print "Trip into the future"
printstring$(20,"-")
rem time in years which must elapse before you return
trip% = rnd(100)+25 : rem (on Earth)
rem display instructions
print "You wish to return "str$(trip%)
print"years into the future."'
print"Enter speed of your ship as a"
print"fraction of the speed of light."'
rem get user input
rem enter speed of ship
repeat
input "Speed (0.00 < v < 1.00) : " vel
until vel>0 and vel<1
input "Distance of trip : " dist
rem time elapsed at this speed as measured
rem inside the spaceship
t1 = dist / vel
rem time elapsed at this speed as measured
rem on Earth
t2 = t1 / (sqr(1-vel^2))
rem display results
print''"You took "str$(t1)" years"
print"and arrived "str$(t2)" years in the future."
if t1 > 70 then
print '"You died of old age on the way!"
else
rem check whether the time taken (on Earth)
rem is close to the target
if abs(trip% - t2)<= target% then
print '"You arrived within "str$(target%)" years."
print "CONGRATULATIONS!"
else
print '"Not even close!"
endif
endif
print''"(Press any key to go again...)"'
g% = get
cls
until false