ForumsWEPRWarp drives! It might be possible.

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samiel
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samiel
421 posts
Shepherd

So I was watching some TV show that discussed the idea of warp drives and how it could be possible by creating a wave like phenomanon in the vacuum of space. I personally was baffled but if anyone has some link to a website or something to help illuminate this or some personal idea or belief about that could be kinda cool.

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Hunter_07
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Hunter_07
1 posts
Shepherd

It didn't happen to be hosted by a Japanese physicist was it? Because I saw something about lightsabers being a theoretical possibility IRL too, just need a far higher density battery and ceramics that can resist much higher heat.

HahiHa
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HahiHa
8,259 posts
Regent

I would personally advise caution with ideas discussed in TV shows. You know they tend to edit and embellish what the people say in the interviews.

Anyway, this is the first serious link on warp drive that appeared when I googled it:

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/technology/warp/warpstat.html

It says however that the page was last updated in 2008, so maybe there's been improvement since then.

nichodemus
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nichodemus
14,987 posts
Grand Duke

When you say warp drive, I think about Warhammer.

http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20131101205546/warhammer40k/images/a/ae/SMShipsWarp.jpg

SSTG
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SSTG
13,055 posts
Treasurer

I was thinking about using two giant electromagnets attached to the ship.
Have you ever played with 2 magnets? When you place them close to each other on the opposite polarity side, they violently attract each other.
If you put them close but with the same polarity side, they repulse each other as violently.

In order for this to work, the ship would have to let go of the other magnet once the push is initiated. Would both forces cancel each other in space though? Because when you hold the two magnets, you apply a force to keep them from bouncing off your hands.

09philj
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09philj
2,825 posts
Jester

@nichodemus

When you say warp drive, I think about Warhammer.


Why's that such a bad thing?
HahiHa
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HahiHa
8,259 posts
Regent

SSTG, I think that the forces would indeed cancel each other out in space. Also, magnets quickly lose their force with growing distance, so I think they are not good for travel propulsion. Also, you would still have to resolve the issue of travelling faster than light.

SSTG
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SSTG
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Treasurer

SSTG, I think that the forces would indeed cancel each other out in space. Also, magnets quickly lose their force with growing distance, so I think they are not good for travel propulsion. Also, you would still have to resolve the issue of travelling faster than light.

Yeah, the speed is a big deal in order to travel fast enough to not require 20 generations to get there. xD
FishPreferred
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FishPreferred
3,171 posts
Duke

If you just mean superluminal travel, it's hypothetically possible, although many present-day physicists would say that it isn't. If you mean travel by way of distorting space-time, it's absolute nonsense.

SSTG
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SSTG
13,055 posts
Treasurer

The electromagnet idea could work when a ship leaves a space station dock.
That way they would save on fuel and it could actually give the spaceship a good momentum to start it's journey. I don't know how much speed it could achieve though.

nichodemus
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nichodemus
14,987 posts
Grand Duke

Because I like Warhammer, and I spend alot of time on it, but ultimately it's just a fantasy.

Not that warp drives are impossible or what not, I just have zero knowledge on the stuff.

Kennethhartanto
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Kennethhartanto
241 posts
Constable

Anyways, i have read your article HahiHa. about the topic on warp drives, i really think that the obstacles are nearly impossible to crack. I think by warp drives you meant the Alcubierre's Warp drive hypothesisi

The obstacles include negative mass particle, means to control the field and how to somehow avoid time travel. the first obstacle isn't even technically possible to crack. how in the bloody hell are you going to create something that have a mass less than 0.00000000000000000001 kg, let alone engineer something that circumvent the 0 mass found in photons and keep going to negativity? it is purely impossible in my belief

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