Harry Turtledove spun that short story out to a complete series of books: Worldwar/Colonization/Homecoming

Umm .. that was Arthur C Clarke and the story was Rescue Party and the aliens detected TV/Radio waves when the Sun was about to go supernova, and the humans departed the solar system using sub light ships.

Aside from that you got it pretty well right.

I'm pretty sure that the 20th Century Judges fully comprehend[1] the 20th Century laws that are the basis these types of cases.

[1] For the average judge. I know there are outliers in either direction.

I've seen a few vending machines that take $1 coins in the US. First in Chicago years ago and then in SC last year. The use of $1 coins is spotty for some unknown reason, and I'd say that $2 notes are even less used. About the only place I have seen them is when you buy a ticket to get into Monitcello in Charlottesville, VA - only because it was Jefferson's estate and that his face is on the bill.

Replying to my own post.

I forgot to say that the US informally has the mindset to ditch pennies. All those trays of pennies next to the cash registers in shops that allow you to "place a penny/take a penny" are grass roots effort to implement rounding of bills to the closest number.

You don't need to sell the public on this idea, they already do it!

Australia got rid of 1 and 2c pieces years ago and that didn't kill us at all.

That doesn't mean you people don't advertise things at 99 cents, just that you total up the bill and then round to the nearest 5 cents. Sometimes you win (all of 2 cents on a single bill) and sometimes you lose (again, all of 2 cents on a single bill).

We also ditched $1 and $2 paper currency for $1 and $2 coins. That was also a good move in getting rid of those ratty dollar bills. The US cold easily do the same thing as you already have $1 coins in circulation. About the only people who will notice a change are the strippers who will now have use their coin slots.

You are taking the wrong pills. Please only take the pills we want you to.

If I was so inclined I could drop less than $1k and buy a prebuilt drone that will run rings around this guy's drone - something that will fly a GPS plotted course and linger at various waypoints while it beamed back video. All I am seeing here is that I should pat this guy on the head, smile and go "aren't you a good boy!"

And why should I care?

And yes I did read the Wikipedia article.

Sadly I have to go with FTFY