I do completely realize this, but if that's truly the only barrier then we're left in the interesting position in which we can increase society's freedom of communication by increasing energy efficiency.
Or maybe then someone could prove that real freedom is impossible due to the physics of the situation, or that freedom is possible today for exactly X people because we must limit ourselves to X devices in the world for the system to work, or that we need to harness the power of 1000 suns to achieve true freedom -- whatever, to me it still seems an interesting thought experiment to establish the boundaries of the problem. I can see why more practical minds may hate this approach.
EDIT: Ah, or maybe there is a bitrate at which free communication is possible today -- if everyone sends only 96 bits per day or 8 bits per day at equal intervals, would this keep the internet from melting down. Over time, that bitrate would increase.
Or maybe then someone could prove that real freedom is impossible due to the physics of the situation, or that freedom is possible today for exactly X people because we must limit ourselves to X devices in the world for the system to work, or that we need to harness the power of 1000 suns to achieve true freedom -- whatever, to me it still seems an interesting thought experiment to establish the boundaries of the problem. I can see why more practical minds may hate this approach.
EDIT: Ah, or maybe there is a bitrate at which free communication is possible today -- if everyone sends only 96 bits per day or 8 bits per day at equal intervals, would this keep the internet from melting down. Over time, that bitrate would increase.