Topic: Warp Drive A Reality? Could Be... Soon

[FA Frey XC]

Warp Drive A Reality? Could Be... Soon


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"Warp drive, here we come. This never really gets old for all of us here at StarTrek.com, sharing with readers examples of Star Trek’s sci-fi morphing into science-fact and/or in-the-works science-fact. The latest example is warp drive, which, for the moment, falls into the latter category. Right now, interstellar cannot be achieved; it would simply take too much energy (plus it would take far too long to go somewhere). So, how to travel super-fast and not break the laws of physics in the process? Dr. Harold “Sonny” White, the Advanced Propulsion Theme Lead for the NASA Engineering Directorate, just announced a possible solution, and, according to Gizmodo and multiple other new sources that have reported on the story, it involves loopholes in several mathematical equations, loopholes that suggest “that warping the space-time fabric is indeed possible.”

Dr. White and his NASA Eagleworks team are seeking to “generate and detect a microscopic instance of a little warp bubble” as a means of finding proof of the loopholes. “Although this is just a tiny instance of the phenomena, it will be existence proof for the idea of perturbing space time -- a "Chicago pile" moment, as it were,” Dr. White stated. “Recall that December of 1942 saw the first demonstration of a controlled nuclear reaction that generated a whopping half watt. This existence proof was followed by the activation of a four megawatt reactor in November of 1943. Existence proof for the practical application of a scientific idea can be a tipping point for technology development.”

The idea, then, according to  Gizmodo, is that by creating a warp bubble, a spaceship’s engine will compress the space ahead and expand the space behind, moving it to another place without actually moving, and carrying none of the adverse effects of other travel methods. The next issue, of course, is the massive amount of energy required, and where/how to attain it. Dr. White and the Eagleworks team may have that licked as well, arguing that if they can optimize the warp bubble thickness and “oscillate its intensity to reduce the stiffness of space time,” they could lessen the amount of fuel to a manageable amount and effectively, if not actually, go faster than the speed of light.

Click HERE to read the full Gizmodo article. And heed the words of Dr. White, who stated, “Perhaps a Star Trek experience within our lifetime is not such a remote possibility.”
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Discuss what you think this might mean if it's realized in your lifetime HERE.

EDITORS NOTE: While it may appear we're a bit late in an announcement of this calibre, we wanted to give the scientific community time to verify the results, as well as the proposed solutions. As it now appears this has been somewhat pre-verified, we're all excited as hell. This announcement in addition with the recent advances and discoveries at CERN.. we have faith the science will prove out.

Well done, NASA!!

Discuss what you think this might mean if it's realized in your lifetime!

[Sirgod]

Yeah, this has been one hell of a breaking story this week. Let's hope we can get such a thing to practical use in our lifetimes.

Stephen

[Nemesis]

A few months ago while reading an old SciFi novel (The Rival Rigellans) I got to thinking about how useful such a drive would be and came to the conclusion that unless it gave us launch and sublight velocity change ability the answer is "not very".

Assuming the drive does not change your sublight velocity then every hour you are away from Earth the difference in velocity and direction will accumulate making a return to Earth orbit very difficult with today's tech (and time consuming).  Also of course attempting to go into orbit around a planet in another system is even more difficult due to relative motion. 

[chickenhead]

Would be neat.  Without it I doubt humanity would explore the universe past our own solar system.  The best plan thus far has been the "100 year spaceship," and the ethical implications will never let that plan off the drafting board.  Even plans to send people to mars with current technology is a stretch, although I think I'll see a man on mars in my lifetime. 

[Brush Wolf]

We won't even be able to truly explore our solar system until with have a working radiation shield and constant thrust drives that can run for thousands of hours before needing to be refueled.