NASA: ‘warp drive is plausible’ – experiments under way

[To Be Quite Honest]

NASA: ‘warp drive is plausible’ – experiments under way



"It’s clearly unpractical. Well, that’s not what NASA believes. The agency, not a 17-year-old basement discussion group, believes warp drive is plausible and is very much interested in probing its applicability. At the 100 Year Starship Symposium, NASA researcher Harold White held a presentation where he spoke about warp-drives in very real-life terms. Dr. White and other physicists have found loopholes in some mathematical equations, which according to them mean that the required amount of energy is much less than previously thought. More specifically, they found if the ring encircling the spacecraft was adjusted into more of a rounded donut, as opposed to a flat ring, then the required amount of energy would be contained in a few thousand pounds of mass – that’s considerably less than let’s say…Jupiter."

[Swarly]

This proves time travel is possible, I knew it. Gene Roddenberry came from the future, that is the only plausible explanation.

[undercoverbrother]

Make it so.

[jamoro]

Wow, we may see men on mars sooner then later if this turns true!

[TurnedTheCorner]

Cue the Vortigaunts.

[jamoro]

Originally Posted by TurnedTheCorner

Cue the Vortigaunts.

[TurnedTheCorner]

Yep, those guys.

[evman150]

An article which uses Jupiter as a comparison for something with "thousands of (sic) pounds of mass".

That's like comparing the size of Vancouver Island to the Milky Way Galaxy.

[flylock shox]

It's remarkable how not-totally-out-to-lunch Star Trek was in so many respects.

Look out green chicks, here we come.

[To Be Quite Honest]

Also being discussed here:

Originally Posted by Cowperson

Scientists continue to work on Warp Speed.

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/...working-on-it/

I like the news that the original formula called for power greater than the mass of the universe, then greater than 10 times the mass of the sun and now, only the mass of Jupiter.

So, we're getting somewhere!!!

The mathematical formula is here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcubierre_drive

Cowperson

Isn't everything in Star Trek a working theory?

[scotty2hotty]

Originally Posted by evman150

An article which uses Jupiter as a comparison for something with "thousands of (sic) pounds of mass".

That's like comparing the size of Vancouver Island to the Milky Way Galaxy.

I may be reading it incorrectly, but I don't think they are saying that Jupiter compares to a thousands of pounds. They are saying that they can accomplish the task with a few thousands pounds .... not the mass of Jupiter, which they initially determined.

[karl262]

I just hope for the scientists safety that they use proper containment and handling practices for the dilithium crystals, those things can be very unstable.

[To Be Quite Honest]

Originally Posted by scotty2hotty

I may be reading it incorrectly, but I don't think they are saying that Jupiter compares to a thousands of pounds. They are saying that they can accomplish the task with a few thousands pounds .... not the mass of Jupiter, which they initially determined.

It's about reading and comprehension.

[Canada 02]

Originally Posted by karl262

I just hope for the scientists safety that they use proper containment and handling practices for the dilithium crystals, those things can be very unstable.

I'm more concerned about the trilithium resin waste product from the warp core being weaponized. It's highly unstable, but can be used to make a biogenic weapon

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by karl262

I just hope for the scientists safety that they use proper containment and handling practices for the dilithium crystals, those things can be very unstable.

Dilithium is as unstable a giant piece of rock salt and you can even wear it as jewelry.

All it does is regulate the matter/anti-matter reaction

[polak]

This thread:

[evman150]

Originally Posted by To Be Quite Honest

It's about reading and comprehension.

I'm still not seeing it.

It's saying a thousand pounds is "considerably less" than Jupiter. Why even compare it to a planet? They're talking about a mass similar to that of an F-150.

Am I missing some famous quote about Jupiter providing warp speed energy or something?

[To Be Quite Honest]

Originally Posted by evman150

I'm still not seeing it.

It's saying a thousand pounds is "considerably less" than Jupiter. Why even compare it to a planet? They're talking about a mass similar to that of an F-150.

Am I missing some famous quote about Jupiter providing warp speed energy or something?

They are saying the energy needed by calculation would be equal to the mass of Jupiter. Now the math says they can do it using an energy mass of thousands of pounds. Previously it was the energy equivalent of 3 suns. Soon it will be the energy equivalent of running your microwave... However, that's just my anti-hypothesis.

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by polak

This thread:

The least you could have done was use a famous Canadian nerd:

[Five-hole]

Originally Posted by evman150

I'm still not seeing it.

It's saying a thousand pounds is "considerably less" than Jupiter. Why even compare it to a planet? They're talking about a mass similar to that of an F-150.

Am I missing some famous quote about Jupiter providing warp speed energy or something?

Understatement? Humor?