-- Posted by HeartofJuyoMk2 at 2:07 pm on Dec. 26, 2008 Yes, objects in space cannot move at the speed of light, but who says the space around them cannot? Would it be possible in the distant future to introduce controlling elements to contract space in front of an object and expand space behind it to cause it to effectively move faster than light? Thoughts? -- Posted by Event Horizon at 2:09 pm on Dec. 26, 2008 Yes. Theoretically. Alcubierre Warp Drive. FuckVerbosity!ytisobreVkcuF -- Posted by HeartofJuyoMk2 at 2:11 pm on Dec. 26, 2008 Quote: from Event Horizon at 5:09 pm on Dec. 26, 2008 Yes. Theoretically. Alcubierre Warp Drive. FuckVerbosity!ytisobreVkcuF I was thinking starship enterprise, but that works too. -- Posted by Event Horizon at 2:12 pm on Dec. 26, 2008 What? Miguel Alcubierre is a mexian theoretical physicist. That is the name of his proposed theory of FTL flight. -- Posted by Sector Corrupt at 2:12 pm on Dec. 26, 2008 Well, it sounds like a very generally possible thing, but the concept of what we would need to actually do to cause that is really difficult to imagine. It'd require some so-far unheard of technology, -- Posted by HeartofJuyoMk2 at 2:20 pm on Dec. 26, 2008 Quote: from evil bamboo at 5:12 pm on Dec. 26, 2008 Well, it sounds like a very generally possible thing, but the concept of what we would need to actually do to cause that is really difficult to imagine. It'd require some so-far unheard of technology, the beauty of technology. it's always breaking preconceptions. -- Posted by Sector Corrupt at 8:40 pm on Dec. 26, 2008 Quote: from HeartofJuyoMk2 at 5:20 pm on Dec. 26, 2008 Quote: from evil bamboo at 5:12 pm on Dec. 26, 2008 Well, it sounds like a very generally possible thing, but the concept of what we would need to actually do to cause that is really difficult to imagine. It'd require some so-far unheard of technology, the beauty of technology. it's always breaking preconceptions. More than a preconception. It'd be a revolution in physics, since It'd be taking advantage of something only very rarely witnessed in physics, namely action at a distance. It occurs naturally in quantum effects, but Humans have never really done crazy physics things themselves. -- Posted by Stellar at 8:54 pm on Dec. 26, 2008 Isn't this the technology they use in Futurama? And I guess it would be possible, theoretically. -- Posted by ckenyon at 10:18 pm on Dec. 26, 2008 "Humans have never really done crazy physics things themselves." Bullshit. I do crazy physics things myself all the time. Yeah. If you're gonna define "faster than light" as any transfer from one point to another point faster than light could travel that constant distance, I would say the most interesting possibility would be through quantum entanglement or whatever. I can't remember the specifics, but the information is transferred virtually instantaneously -- the "information" being a change in one particle when its "partner" is measured miles and miles away. If you could be "coded" like a computer file, perhaps this technology could "print" you out at another location. It'd be teleportation, essentially. And to any who say you wouldn't be yourself, I beg to differ. All your emotions and memories and whims and sins and annoying personality traits are based in arrangements of your matter -- mostly your gray matter. -- Posted by Bacon at 3:48 am on Dec. 27, 2008 I think if you're going to have the energy to manipulate space around a ship, you may as well see if it can be used in a more effective way - wormhole transportation. Nevertheless, the amount of sheer power required for such transport (either method) would be something akin to the energy output of multiple Suns. I however, do not believe these theories to be impossible or even implausible - given enough time of course (at least 150 years).   -- Posted by MotoMojo at 4:10 am on Dec. 27, 2008 I won't say it's impossible, but I doubt I'll see it in my lifetime.  Maybe I'll see an attempt, but anyway, I highly expect the first attempt at breaking the speed of light to be a failure -- probably a catastrophic failure. -- Posted by cpjcjhsh at 12:59 am on Dec. 29, 2008 The Lorentz transformation is nobody's and everybody's friend.