Warp Drive Might Actually Be Possible

[Saulkar]

Hmmm.....
Isn't that similar to how FTL travel works in Mass Effect?

No, in mass effect they flow a current through element zero via dark energy, with a positive current, mass is increased, with a negative current, mass is decreased. So they lower the ships mass to nothing and this allows ftl speeds, so to do it the mass effect way we'd need a element that bioware made up and a hypothetical form of energy that may exist.

I thought that normal electricity was passed through Ezoo, not dark energy, or am I reading that wrong.

OT: Has no one ever seen what happened in Event Horizon? If not just a quick pro-tip: Do not land that fucker back on Earth.

 

[KoudelkaMorgan]

Didn't they watch that helpful documentary films called "Event Horizon" and "Lost in Space" back in the 90's? I thought they pretty much covered why its a bad idea.

Besides, everyone knows that Star Trek science is inferior to Lexx science.

/sarcasm

 

[Syzygy23]

Now the only question remaining is... how the hell DO we perturb space in the first place? Unless someone just happens to have a spare Space-Disruptor lying around...?

 

[LordMonty]

This makes me think of event horizen... don't piss anything off too much please!

 

[KeyMaster45]

Whooo! Let's tear open a hole in reality! I've got my thumpin' stick and I'm ready to whack some orcs!

 

[Gormech]

Even if it works, they're just going to send something into an unknown 'distance' from when/where it was sent. We can bend space/time but once we tear it, we can only improvise. In all honesty, try moving everything except the target object. At least then if it works we'll all still be in relative existence with one another if something goes wrong.

 

[RatRace123]

Want. Want want want want; so much freaking want!

Get us the hell out of this solar system, scientists! Screw the risks!

 

[Rooster Cogburn]

Of course, there's got to be some tests, you know, before we open up one of these rings and realize that we've created a portal to an alternate reality - complete with evil goatee-wearing versions of you and your friends.

That would be bad. And this is an election year. I won't know where to cast my vote when when we start getting our politicians in the wrong dimensions:

Spoiler: Click for Image

On a serious note, I'm cautiously but seriously optimistic about this. I know, I know, we won't be exploring the stars in my lifetime regardless. But wouldn't you rather live knowing that it is at least theoretically possible? That there is even the smallest chance? That one day, maybe...

 

[Jadak]

...thinking that I may have to stop by JSC on the way home from work and give them a couple of copies of Event Horizon to review before they go "perturbing" space/time less than 10 miles from my home.

Nothing good I expect, but really, better not to hang out in the vicinity of warp capable ships anyways....

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

To quote the esteemed professor Hubert J. Farnsworth:

'Nothing is impossible. Not if you can imagine it.'

 

[Robot Number V]

Holy shit, first they find the Higgs Boson, then they land a motherfucking SUV on Mars, and now they're "perturbing" space-time with the hopes of developing FTL-drives. Science is really kicking ass these days.

 

[Wicky_42]

Now the only question remaining is... how the hell DO we perturb space in the first place? Unless someone just happens to have a spare Space-Disruptor lying around...?

All we need to do is polarise the tachyon grid and channel all power to the deflector array. That should perturb SOMETHING, surely?

Fingers crossed we get this thing working before we all starve and kill each other over ideology and water ^_^

 

[SuccessAndBiscuts]

I already wear a goatee. I have for many years. But I don't want to destroy and/or enslave the world. Does that mean I'm a evil version of myself with amnesia? Or that my good version is an asshole?

Either way, you gotta love it when scientists talk to each other. Perturbing space-time and oscillating the fabric of reality.

Any mention of what speeds they think they can reach with this tech?

I recall reading somewhere that they were estimating something in the region of 10c (Ten times the speed of light) unfortunately I can't remember exactly where I read this but I did work out that it would give you a one way trip to alpha centauri in something like 120 days (Again approximate figures I lost all my working and accurate answer in a crash right after I worked it out).

 

[RA92]

... they land a motherfucking SUV on Mars...

A nuclear-powered, laser-firing robot SUV that lands with a jet-pack. Truly we live in interesting times.

 

[XMark]

Just wondering - if a functional FTL drive is invented, what happens to the funny time-related consequences? Would you arrive at your destination before you left?

 

[Silva]

Interesting news. I'm sure that physics has already explained that there is little danger in that particular experiment, but the general public is not wrong to be sceptical. The danger of nuclear war did not stop scientists testing atomic reactions, and we still came close to that really happening during certain missile crises. Let's hope that this won't lead to more war and terror for the human race. On the surface at least though, it is a cool discovery.

Fingers crossed we get this thing working before we all starve and kill each other over ideology and water ^_^

No kidding. It is sad that one part of the Earth is making all of these amazing discoveries due to abundant wealth (while the same section of the planet is complaining about a "recession"), and the other part is starving and dangerous.

The world economy as it is is sadly built around exploiting that starving side, and that includes science as well. Such sacrifice is made for theories. One can only hope that some day, these theories can somehow help those of us starving and killing each other to stop. To me, that's as important, nay, more important, than getting to other stars.

Let's try to make this world as good a place as it can be, -before- we try to go ruin other places. That at least makes sense.