Michio Kaku Says: Alcubierre’s Warp Drive is “A Passport to the Universe!”

[kevindavis007]

Well, your kids won’t be traveling by the speed of light—probably not their kids either—but new theoretical advances may mean that warp drive will someday become a reality. Light travels at 186,000 mi/sec—if we could move that fast today, we could circle the Earth along the equator 7.5 times per second. Or travel to Mars in 3 minutes. We’re nowhere near the ability to travel at or close to the speed of light today, making warp drive—or faster-than-light (FTL)—travel seem like an insurmountable feat best left for the fictional realm. But, back in 1994, the idea of faster-than-light (FTL) travel became a possibility when physicist Miguel Alcubierre hypothesized a way to travel FTL on a “magic carpet” that doesn’t actually move at all. Because no object can move faster than the speed of light, we would instead travel by remaining still on a piece of space-time (i.e., the carpet) that sits inside a warp bubble capable of moving at FTL speed.


This all rests on the idea that there is no limit to the speed at which space-time can expand and contract. During the Big Bang, for example, we know that space-time expanded at 30 million billion times the speed of light—at least. So how does this warp bubble idea work? It uses gravity to compress the space-time fabric in front of an object, then expand that fabric behind it. The actual space-time that we (or a spacecraft) would sit on would float along at theoretically 10 times the speed of light or more, wrapped comfortably in a warp bubble much like a surfer is carried along on a wave.


Sounds great in theory, but the negative literally outweighs the positive in this model. Alcubierre’s original model would require more negative energy than the total mass of the Universe to allow even a small aircraft to travel at FTL speeds. Although refinements in the 20+ years since he developed the idea have brought the amount of negative energy needed down to a few hundred kilograms, we’re still traveling in the land of science fiction here, because this so-called “exotic matter” with the negative energy and negative pressure to make this happen doesn’t exist in the realm of classical physics. Quantum mechanics holds some possibilities for negative energy, but not the right kind to generate the warp bubble we need for FTL travel.


Read More: http://www.isn-news.net/2017/06/michio-kaku-says-alcubierres-warp-drive.html

[kevindavis007]

I think Warp Drive might be a reality in our lifetimes...



Space Ping! PM me if you want on or off the list..


@Oceander
@Sanguine
@Cripplecreek
@Freya
@EC
@Joe Wooten
@r9etb
@Just_Victor
@montanajoe
@Ghost Bear
@Free Vulcan
@Idaho_Cowboy
@geronl
@Scutter   
@InHeavenThereIsNoBeer
@bigheadfred
@Victoria33
@Weird Tolkienish Figure
@sneakypete
@bolobaby
@DCPatriot

[montanajoe]

The more I have thought about it the more I have come to the conclusion that it is virtually impossible that we are the only intelligent beings in the universe and probably millions of civilizations are far more technologically advanced than our species. In my view  the reason there has not been contact is the vast distances that could only be transversed by a theoretical warp drive type of propulsion.

But I think these theories just don't pan out and even the most advanced civilizations have not managed to travel even a few light years from their native worlds...

[Oceander]

The more I have thought about it the more I have come to the conclusion that it is virtually impossible that we are the only intelligent beings in the universe and probably millions of civilizations are far more technologically advanced than our species. In my view  the reason there has not been contact is the vast distances that could only be transversed by a theoretical warp drive type of propulsion.

But I think these theories just don't pan out and even the most advanced civilizations have not managed to travel even a few light years from their native worlds...

Interesting thought.  Nonetheless, if one could figure out what sort of signature a warp drive would leave, it might be possible to start looking for evidence that someone is moving around. 

[kevindavis007]

The more I have thought about it the more I have come to the conclusion that it is virtually impossible that we are the only intelligent beings in the universe and probably millions of civilizations are far more technologically advanced than our species. In my view  the reason there has not been contact is the vast distances that could only be transversed by a theoretical warp drive type of propulsion.

But I think these theories just don't pan out and even the most advanced civilizations have not managed to travel even a few light years from their native worlds...

If I was an alien and I see this planet, I would say frak this rock.. What an a bunch of a**holes..

[Cripplecreek]

Kaku is no slouch nor is he known for being wildly over optimistic.

[Cripplecreek]

If I was an alien and I see this planet, I would say frak this rock.. What an a bunch of a**holes..

I'm not interested in intelligent life in the universe. If there are intelligent species out there they may not have discovered us yet, they may have no interest in us, they may have no interest in moving beyond their own system. They may be super intelligent yet lack the means to create technology.

Too often we tend to attribute human desires and drives to our imaginary aliens when there's really no reason to believe it would be true. Harry Turtledove's "The Road not taken" really changed my thinking about such things.

[kevindavis007]

I'm not interested in intelligent life in the universe. If there are intelligent species out there they may not have discovered us yet, they may have no interest in us, they may have no interest in moving beyond their own system. They may be super intelligent yet lack the means to create technology.

Too often we tend to attribute human desires and drives to our imaginary aliens when there's really no reason to believe it would be true. Harry Turtledove's "The Road not taken" really changed my thinking about such things.

I think this where Science Fiction in general has done more harm than good...

[kevindavis007]

https://www.facebook.com/dbaggs01/posts/10158858306255284

[Cripplecreek]

I think this where Science Fiction in general has done more harm than good...

That's what I like about Robert Forward. He used hard science and solid theory in his fiction and he came up with an intelligent species incapable of technology living in the atmosphere of Saturn.

With Harry Turtledove you get unique perspective. In The Road Not Taken an interstellar capable species had dominated every species they had encountered because none had been much above bronze age technology. Unfortunately they never needed to develop weapons tech above matchlock rifles and cannons. When they showed up at earth they found that we were technologically advanced beyond them in almost every way and especially in weapons technology. (oops)

Its also important to note that we exist very early in the theorized lifespan of the universe and may very well be the current ultimate pinnacle of intelligent species in the universe. Also, the universe is still a very big place and warp capability doesn't automatically put every inch of it within reach. Even with warp drive the far reaches of the universe are still thousands if not millions of years away.

[Smokin Joe]

The more I have thought about it the more I have come to the conclusion that it is virtually impossible that we are the only intelligent beings in the universe and probably millions of civilizations are far more technologically advanced than our species. In my view  the reason there has not been contact is the vast distances that could only be transversed by a theoretical warp drive type of propulsion.

But I think these theories just don't pan out and even the most advanced civilizations have not managed to travel even a few light years from their native worlds...

I wonder instead, if civilizations don't have that element of self destruction built in. When they are struggling, living close to their own demise, ever challenged to be stronger, faster, better, they thrive. And when they become soft, complacent, decadent, discarding all once thought decent because that helped them survive and is no longer so poignantly needed, they destroy themselves from the inside out. Like ripened fruit, they go bad.

I expect the intrepid and extensive traveler would find the ruins of many once great 'peoples' who died of their own decadence or complacency. A daring and intrepid few are not enough when condemned by the mob.

[kevindavis007]

That's what I like about Robert Forward. He used hard science and solid theory in his fiction and he came up with an intelligent species incapable of technology living in the atmosphere of Saturn.

With Harry Turtledove you get unique perspective. In The Road Not Taken an interstellar capable species had dominated every species they had encountered because none had been much above bronze age technology. Unfortunately they never needed to develop weapons tech above matchlock rifles and cannons. When they showed up at earth they found that we were technologically advanced beyond them in almost every way and especially in weapons technology. (oops)

Its also important to note that we exist very early in the theorized lifespan of the universe and may very well be the current ultimate pinnacle of intelligent species in the universe. Also, the universe is still a very big place and warp capability doesn't automatically put every inch of it within reach. Even with warp drive the far reaches of the universe are still thousands if not millions of years away.

The reality is this.. Space is the mother of Cruel B***h...  It is not going to be easy... It is going to be hard and cruel... You are right, just because a civilization has Warp Drive or some kind of FTL, doesn't mean they can get point a to b fast. The galaxy is yuge...

[Cripplecreek]

The reality is this.. Space is the mother of Cruel B***h...  It is not going to be easy... It is going to be hard and cruel... You are right, just because a civilization has Warp Drive or some kind of FTL, doesn't mean they can get point a to b fast. The galaxy is yuge...

If it takes an hour to get to Alpha C, the far side of the galaxy is still many years away.

[kevindavis007]

If it takes an hour to get to Alpha C, the far side of the galaxy is still many years away.

Right... Also many many many many years to the next galaxy..