I'm not sure I totally understand the physics behind this, but it doesn't seem beyond the realm of possibility. However, even if it works, it won't be a hyperdrive or superluminal travel.
Mars is about 55 million km away from Earth at the nearest point, and 363 million km at the farthest point. This means that, depending on which distance was used to estimate the speed of travel, we're talking about anywhere from 5 million m/s to 34 million m/s. As the speed of light is about 300 million m/s, that would be cracking about 10% at best. Which is actually kind of cool, 3 hours to Mars would be amazing, and we're still not even close to the point where superluminal "issues" start cropping up.
Mars is about 55 million km away from Earth at the nearest point, and 363 million km at the farthest point. This means that, depending on which distance was used to estimate the speed of travel, we're talking about anywhere from 5 million m/s to 34 million m/s. As the speed of light is about 300 million m/s, that would be cracking about 10% at best. Which is actually kind of cool, 3 hours to Mars would be amazing, and we're still not even close to the point where superluminal "issues" start cropping up.
Hayabusa Rider
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Ah, I should have known better than to trust the news article to give all the details in the summary.
However, after reading the New Science article, I'm not convinced of the superluminal travel part. It sounds like an interesting means of propulsion, possibly much faster than we currently have with chemical rockets, but the part about going FASTER than light seems to involve a lot of hand waving about different dimensions with a speed of light constant much larger than in our universe. Nothing in the article supports such an assumption. While the propulsion part sounds interesting, I'm not sure about the hyperdrive stuff.
I would love to watch what happens as it approaches c . Over 80 days of constant accelration we would have to wait a while for the results though
sandorski
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Cool stuff. Kinda doubt it'll work, but if it does or kinda works, something like this would revolutionize everything. Of course it could turn out that we'd be unable to travel at those speeds or something, sending out Probes or even just Supplies would dramtically improve science or even manned missions to far off places.
You know how Bush wants to go to Mars? I say send him.
All resources being spent on Iraq war, Star wars, nuclear arms should be immediately reallocated to make this possible.
All resources being spent on Iraq war, Star wars, nuclear arms should be immediately reallocated to make this possible.
Way I was taught it was the other way around. Gravity causes space time to curve/wrinkle, with black holes being more of a divit than a hole.
Yes, that's what I learned as well. The rather crude way to explain it is space time is like a soft foam surface, and massive bodies cause "depressions" in space time. Obviously it's a little hard to get your head around
80 tesla? You've got to be kididng me. Isn't that enough magnatism to suck the iron out of your blood? I really don't see this as a viable form of transportation if magnetic fields of that strength are required. Besides, when it moved into the other dimesions it would come back and try to take everyone back to hell with it.
Watch 'The Elegent Universe', you can find it on dvd from Nova / PBS. It does a good job of explaining Newtonian and Quantum physics, as well as String Theory (what this article seems to deal with) in non techinal terms.
Btw, the article is saying a speed of 50 X c is attainable, or Warp 3.5 for Trekkies (couldn't resist) It may turn out to be bunk, or not, but that is what makes it so interesting.
Btw, the article is saying a speed of 50 X c is attainable, or Warp 3.5 for Trekkies
(couldn't resist) It may turn out to be bunk, or not, but that is what makes it so interesting.Originally posted by: Rainsford
Yes, that's what I learned as well. The rather crude way to explain it is space time is like a soft foam surface, and massive bodies cause "depressions" in space time. Obviously it's a little hard to get your head around
The 4 dimensional stuff is easy to visualize, it's when you get past 5 dimensions that your head explodes. Maybe this should be moved to the Highly Technical forum.
Hayabusa Rider
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Originally posted by: Rainsford
Yes, that's what I learned as well. The rather crude way to explain it is space time is like a soft foam surface, and massive bodies cause "depressions" in space time. Obviously it's a little hard to get your head around
Not sure how it's the other way round. Mass creates distortions in space time which we interpret as gravitation, therefore space is deformable.
From the article...
Quantum theory describes the realm of the very small - atoms, electrons and elementary particles - while general relativity deals with gravity. The two theories are immensely successful in their separate spheres. The clash arises when it comes to describing the basic structure of space. In general relativity, space-time is an active, malleable fabric. It has four dimensions - three of space and one of time - that deform when masses are placed in them. In Einstein's formulation, the force of gravity is a result of the deformation of these dimensions. Quantum theory, on the other hand, demands that space is a fixed and passive stage, something simply there for particles to exist on. It also suggests that space itself must somehow be made up of discrete, quantum elements.
We've got a 7-tesla MRI in the basement here.
I think somewhere over 20 tesla you get to the point where you can levitate the human body.
But don't worry about sucking iron out of the blood - it's complexed, not free.
At a high enough Tesla it wouldn't matter. The magnatism I'm talking about is what you would see on a Neutron star, IIRC my physic professsor many moons ago said Neutron stars run at around 100 Tesla and at that level of magnetism it would seperate ferous atoms from molecular structures.
[edit] Just googled my answer, 100 million Tesla for a Neutron star, nevermind me.
There is still the major problem of inertia. Subjecting that amount of force on the human body would result in instant death for anyone inside a ship.
Unless they were suspended in some sort of liquid...they could survive it then.
Unless they were suspended in some sort of liquid...they could survive it then.
If you read the New Scientist article you would realize they are talking about traveling into another dimension and back.
OH HELL NO i dont want them enventing that, i can just see what that would be in the hands of teh military. WTF r they nuts it would blow up the world.
but to be honest the y not going to seriously do much about it the only way they would is i fthey found OIL on mars.
Hhaha thats inventing hahah im drunk
but to be honest the y not going to seriously do much about it the only way they would is i fthey found OIL on mars.
Hhaha thats inventing hahah im drunk
That is what string theory covers. Watch or read "The Elegent Universe", puts it all into laymans terms.
I believe EM, WN, and SN are already unified under Quantum Mechanics, String Theory goes one step further and unifies gravity.
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