NASA Unveils Warp Ship Design

[rnatalli]

NASA physicist imagines a warp-speed starship - CNN.com

Meet the IXS Enterprise. I've been following this story for a while now even before White recalculated the power requirements. And although this is obviously a PR move by NASA, it's too cool not to post.

 

[markw]

I love how it reminds me of the NCC-1701

 

[Rickster71]

Before they do anything with it, I recommend asking Scotty to take a look at it.

 

[markw]

Ccongress of Wonders- Star Trip

They were a contemporary to Firesign Theatre and The National Lampoon Radio hour. I have this on vinyl from the early 70's and some "enterprising" folks have added some rather crude visuals since then.

 

[TheWarrior]

More than the ship itself, the fact that we could, in our lifetime, see an actual 'warp' event where the ship remains stationary, and induces a field that 'squeezes' it through space by producing a warp field!

 

[Adam]

I saw this yesterday. Very cool! As a kid (and probably still now), I didn't appreciate how much actual science there was behind the fiction in Star Trek.

 

[TheWarrior]

^ Very true! That other awesome guy named Gene really took it seriously and wanted to create something fantastical yet still believable.

 

[shadyJ]

Superluminal speeds are still pure fantasy, don't get your hopes up. The 'warp drive' in question still needs an undiscovered exotic matter to function, an unobtainium if you will. You can postulate all kinds of crazy technologies if you are basing them on properties of imaginary materials. My feeling is that the universe does not permit faster than light travel, and even though the drive described in this article does not violate relativity, it does, on first glance, violate causality. It'll never happen. Another thing, you had better hope it can not happen, because the weapons that could be made with such a technology would make nuclear weapons look like bottle rockets.

 

[Irvrobinson]

I've always enjoyed how it takes me longer to parallel park than it does for the Enterprise to achieve "standard orbit". Science fiction and I have never been good friends. IMO the really unique thing about Star Trek was that it provided an upbeat view of the future for humans. Most of science fiction seems to predict doom and darkness, or nasty aliens attacking us. Personally, I wish NASA would stop dreaming about the Apollo glory days and focus more on telescopes and robotic probes.

 

[Swerd]

I've always enjoyed how it takes me longer to parallel park than it does for the Enterprise to achieve "standard orbit". Science fiction and I have never been good friends. IMO the really unique thing about Star Trek was that it provided an upbeat view of the future for humans. Most of science fiction seems to predict doom and darkness, or nasty aliens attacking us. Personally, I wish NASA would stop dreaming about the Apollo glory days and focus more on telescopes and robotic probes.

I agree.

Besides, if you asked Scotty about it, he would say:

Aye Cap'n, I canna' keep up this fake Scottish accent much longer!

 

[Adam]

Superluminal speeds are still pure fantasy, don't get your hopes up.

Many things that we take for granted today were pure fantasy to people in the past. I will indeed get my hopes up, for without dreams and imagination, I'd be having a different conversation with someone...in a cave...without any concept of beer. Now, that is depressing.

Remember that this isn't claiming to move through space at faster than light speed - it is warping space. In theory, space can expand at much faster than the speed of light. If it couldn't (and I admit that I may have this totally wrong), there would be no universe beyond what we could see. So, unless we discover that we can't see the same distance in all directions (which I think is the current belief), that would mean that we actually are at the center of the universe...and that I don't believe.

 

[Irvrobinson]

I agree.

Besides, if you asked Scotty about it, he would say:

Aye Cap'n, I canna' keep up this fake Scottish accent much longer!

So true...

[edit] But I confess to enjoying it occasionally nonetheless.

 

[shadyJ]

Many things that we take for granted today were pure fantasy to people in the past. I will indeed get my hopes up, for without dreams and imagination, I'd be having a different conversation with someone...in a cave...without any concept of beer. Now, that is depressing.

Remember that this isn't claiming to move through space at faster than light speed - it is warping space. In theory, space can expand at much faster than the speed of light. If it couldn't (and I admit that I may have this totally wrong), there would be no universe beyond what we could see. So, unless we discover that we can't see the same distance in all directions (which I think is the current belief), that would mean that we actually are at the center of the universe...and that I don't believe.

The notion of space beyond what we can see is debatable; it could arguably be said not to exist (although I would not make that argument myself). Science does not lend itself well to that which can not be measured. By the way, there is no center of the universe in the context you described. We do see the same distance in every direction, and if we stood on a planet at the distant edge of our vision, we would still see the same distance in every direction. The universe does not expand from a single point- all of space expands at every point. Since we live in a relativistic universe, everyone is the center of their universe (not that many egos need that extra puffing).

 

[Adam]

The universe does not expand from a single point- all of space expands at every point.

Who's making unmeasurable statements, now?

But, in theory, it can expand at different rates at different points (via different values of the inflaton field).

Whether we agree or disagree, I think this is fascinating stuff. Warp drive in my lifetime? I doubt it. Then again, the Twinkie rose from the ashes like the phoenix of mediocre treats, so I suppose anything can happen.

 

[shadyJ]

Inflaton field is not really confirmed astrophysics, although inflation got a big boost a few months ago. However, there is now some skepticism about the findings that caused the enthusiasm. I am rooting for inflation though, its an astounding idea.

 

[Adam]

Inflaton field is not really confirmed astrophysics...

Agreed, that's why I called it a theory. There's just so much we don't know, but I enjoy learning about what scientists think might be happening. For example, I think string theory is promising, but I'm not sure when (or if) they'll be able to prove or disprove it with measurements.

Back to traveling...I think it's awesome that NASA is working on this, if even on a small level. At our current speed capabilities, it's a virtual certainty that no human would ever leave our solar system. Ever. Even at the speed of light, it would take enormous amounts of time to explore even a tiny fraction of the galaxy around us, let alone get to another one. If we could travel much faster, then maybe. Then again, it's not like we've done a great job with the planet we're on...so maybe it's much better that we're essentially quarantined here.

 

[shadyJ]

That brings up a good point, just because we can do something doesn't mean we should do something. Let's say somehow this drive could be made to work. Do you really want someone else to have that kind of control over mass? The same technology could more easily be made to destroy a planet than to bend space.

 

[Adam]

The same technology could more easily be made to destroy a planet than to bend space.

Or take out an asteroid/comet headed for us. I know that there are gravitational steering ideas if we see them in time, but for ones that we don't see until their right on us...no weapon on this planet would stop it if it's big enough to cause widespread damage. Granted, we'd actually have to detect it coming before it entered the atmosphere. In that event, and if you happen to be looking in that direction, you might have enough time to think "What's th..." before it hit.

 

[MidnightSensi2]

Alcubierre drive - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Some of its out there, but, hey, never know what they might find.

 

[rnatalli]

Another thing, you had better hope it can not happen, because the weapons that could be made with such a technology would make nuclear weapons look like bottle rockets.

We're already able to make very small quantities of antimatter and it won't be long before we can make it in large quantities. The weapons that could be made from antimatter would make nuclear weapons look like firecrackers and this isn't far off.