FTL Travel (1998/01/15)

FTL Travel

Posted by Andy W. on 1998/01/15 13:40

Now, I'm not too sure about this, but I saw a programme on TV a while
back about some German scientist who claims to have sent a message
faster than light using the quantum tunneling effect. This however was
only in a lab, over a distance of a few metres, and the proof was dodgy
at best. If this is proven to have happened, then with a hefty amount of
scaling-up, the principle could possibly be applied to a spacecraft.
The only real drawback I can see is that the tunneling effect is a
result of the uncertainty principle, therefore random in nature. This
could cause problems if, when the drive is engaged, the ship is reduced
to it's component atoms and flung around the universe.

The whole effect though wouldn't be nearly as destructive as bending a
galaxy in half, just because you want to travel to the other side
quickly.

Andrew(reaching for the napalm cannister)

FTL Travel

Posted by Dave Barlow on 1998/01/15 13:57

Wren A <A.Wren@> wrote on Date: 15 January 1998 13:39

The whole effect though wouldn't be nearly as destructive as bending a
galaxy in half, just because you want to travel to the other side
quickly.

This could explain the very active star birth regions found in spiral
galaxies. Bend space, compress matter and a large region of space starts
condensing to make a star birth region.

Dave "way to go" Barlow

Bring me my Broadsword | http://www.sartar.demon.co.uk
and clear understanding | BBb Bass player extraordinaire

FTL Travel

Posted by Gordan Bobich on 1998/01/15 14:58

On Thursday, January 15, 1998 1:40 PM, Wren A
[SMTP:A.Wren@] wrote:

Now, I'm not too sure about this, but I saw a programme on TV a
while
back about some German scientist who claims to have sent a message
faster than light using the quantum tunneling effect. This however
was
only in a lab, over a distance of a few metres, and the proof was
dodgy
at best. If this is proven to have happened, then with a hefty
amount of
scaling-up, the principle could possibly be applied to a

spacecraft.

The only real drawback I can see is that the tunneling effect is a
result of the uncertainty principle, therefore random in nature.
This
could cause problems if, when the drive is engaged, the ship is
reduced
to it's component atoms and flung around the universe.

The whole effect though wouldn't be nearly as destructive as

bending

a
galaxy in half, just because you want to travel to the other side
quickly.

Andrew(reaching for the napalm cannister)

Yes, but you are bending it in a different dimension, so there is no
effect on the actual stuff that is there... Unless another ship is in
the same place in the different dimension already...

Gordan

FTL Travel

Posted by Gordan Bobich on 1998/01/16 08:21

On Thursday, January 15, 1998 11:50 PM, Wren A
[SMTP:A.Wren@] wrote:

Yes, but you are bending it in a different dimension, so there is
no
effect on the actual stuff that is there... Unless another ship

is

in
the same place in the different dimension already...

What the????????
Andrew

OK. If you jump off our 3D space into say, a hyper dimensional plane,
your will move through this other dimension (not the same as a
parallel universe!) without affecting (too much) the stuff in
commonly percieved 3 dimensions. But should there be something in
your path in the hyper-dimension you are in, you will still be able
to hit it.

Gordan