Essential linkage: Warp drive - it's not just a sci-fi fantasy any more!
Faster than light travel has been the dream of many space propulsion scientists, but most people are more familiar with it thanks to the made up science of shows like Star Trek and Babylon 5. Now, thanks to the work of Dr. Richard Obousy, it's one tiny step closer to reality.
Obousy still admits, though, that there are large leaps and bounds still needed to make his 'warpship' a reality, such as gaining a greater understanding of dark energy and coming up with better energy sources to power his vessel, but the science he's worked is perfectly sound. The big brains over at the Discovery Channel recently chatted with Obousy, and followed it up with a small gallery of what he envisions his warpship would look like.
ioneill80: Now, getting onto some practicalities: I recently read some research indicating that a space ship could be cooked by Hawking Radiation if the warp bubble travels faster than the speed of light. Did your research point to problems like this? robousy: No - that's a more recent paper and not something we addressed. The objections are valid and need to be looked into, but it's certainly not the end of the road for warp drives. Objections are good, but usually we find smart ways of circumventing problems. Humans are good at that.
ioneill80: Now, getting onto some practicalities: I recently read some research indicating that a space ship could be cooked by Hawking Radiation if the warp bubble travels faster than the speed of light. Did your research point to problems like this?
robousy: No - that's a more recent paper and not something we addressed. The objections are valid and need to be looked into, but it's certainly not the end of the road for warp drives. Objections are good, but usually we find smart ways of circumventing problems. Humans are good at that.
If you like big science and crazy looking starships, give the article a go.
Issue: 133 | February, 2012