DARPA FUNDED RESEARCHERS ACCIDENTALLY CREATE THE WORLD’S FIRST WARP BUBBLE
"Engage."
CHRISTOPHER PLAIN·DECEMBER 6, 2021
BREAKING NEWS
FEATURES
SCIENCE FICTION
SPACE
Warp drive pioneer and former NASA warp drive specialist Dr. Harold G “Sonny” White has reported the successful manifestation of an actual, real-world “Warp Bubble.” And, according to White, this first of its kind breakthrough by his Limitless Space Institute (LSI) team sets a new starting point for those trying to manufacture a full-sized, warp-capable spacecraft.
“To be clear, our finding is not a warp bubble analog, it is a real, albeit humble and tiny, warp bubble,” White told The Debrief, quickly dispensing with the notion that this is anything other than the creation of an actual, real-world warp bubble. “Hence the significance.”
Will this happen in our life time? Will space X start researching it?
It's exciting news, but the barrier is making things that happen at the quantum level affect matter on a human scale without scrambling it into its component atoms, collapsing it into some unknown state, or flipping it into the Mirror Universe.
Re: Full ahead, Mr. Sulu, maximum warp.
Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2021 5:30 pm
by Daehawk
Will I be long dead before any of this matters..Yes...a definite yes.
Re: Full ahead, Mr. Sulu, maximum warp.
Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2021 6:00 pm
by Blackhawk
Was that enough to attract the Vulcans' attention?
We could really use some Vulcans about now.
Re: Full ahead, Mr. Sulu, maximum warp.
Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2021 6:15 pm
by gilraen
Blackhawk wrote: ↑Tue Dec 07, 2021 6:00 pm
Was that enough to attract the Vulcans' attention?
I was just thinking that!
Re: Full ahead, Mr. Sulu, maximum warp.
Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2021 6:48 pm
by Pyperkub
Holman wrote: ↑Tue Dec 07, 2021 5:27 pm
It's exciting news, but the barrier is making things that happen at the quantum level affect matter on a human scale without scrambling it into its component atoms, collapsing it into some unknown state, or flipping it into the Mirror Universe.
Not necessarily. This may not ever work for physical travel at FTL speeds, but I could definitely see the potential for a method for communication at FTL speeds...
Holman wrote: ↑Tue Dec 07, 2021 5:27 pm
It's exciting news, but the barrier is making things that happen at the quantum level affect matter on a human scale without scrambling it into its component atoms, collapsing it into some unknown state, or flipping it into the Mirror Universe.
Not necessarily. This may not ever work for physical travel at FTL speeds, but I could definitely see the potential for a method for communication at FTL speeds...
Dear Colony Ship Alpha,
We hope this message finds you well.
Since you left us 2,500 years ago, we have completely destroyed our civilization. Good luck at Procyon B!
Sincerely,
Earth
Re: Full ahead, Mr. Sulu, maximum warp.
Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2021 7:24 pm
by Pyperkub
Did you watch The Midnight Sky (netflix flick with George Clooney)?
Re: Full ahead, Mr. Sulu, maximum warp.
Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2021 7:28 pm
by Pyperkub
But think about it - if we can send information FTL, then we can 3d print based on it (with the appropriate network setup) - using, say, DNA and CHON.
If our consciousness can be quantified into either data, or something small enough for the warp bubble...
Re: Full ahead, Mr. Sulu, maximum warp.
Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2021 8:11 pm
by Holman
"Sending information" requires a recipient on the other end who understands the information. That's the problem.
I definitely feel good about the possibility of a Solar-system level civilization where FTL communication is possible even if physical travel still requires many months/years.
If this new tech results in Warp Bubble Radio where we find ourselves in contact with civilizations light years away, I'm all for it. This might even be the best case, since alien civs could talk to us but understand that it would take them too many millions of years to conquer/assimilate/digest us.
Re: Full ahead, Mr. Sulu, maximum warp.
Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2021 8:35 pm
by Pyperkub
Holman wrote: ↑Tue Dec 07, 2021 8:11 pm
"Sending information" requires a recipient on the other end who understands the information. That's the problem.
I definitely feel good about the possibility of a Solar-system level civilization where FTL communication is possible even if physical travel still requires many months/years.
If this new tech results in Warp Bubble Radio where we find ourselves in contact with civilizations light years away, I'm all for it. This might even be the best case, since alien civs could talk to us but understand that it would take them too many millions of years to conquer/assimilate/digest us.
Eh, so it takes years/centuries for a lightsail (or something )to accelerate up to the speed of light and decelerate to ship the router/printer/decoder units. It's a one time cost. conceivably could even ship a self replicating unit which is small enough and send it FTL as well. Nobody said the logistics of colonization was easy!
Side note, I've had an SF story idea in my head, where a hive mind alien species starts invading the earth in this fashion (shipping an FTL receiver unit to the edge of the solar system to invade). But, being a hive mind, they never needed to invent encryption...
Re: Full ahead, Mr. Sulu, maximum warp.
Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2021 8:42 pm
by malchior
I find this potentially exciting but I'm too skeptical. I'll get way more excited when someone confirms his results (beyond peer reviewing the math) and replicates it.
Re: Full ahead, Mr. Sulu, maximum warp.
Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2021 8:52 pm
by Daehawk
Just wish we'd solve fusion. ,...and replicators..maybe a holodeck. or two
Re: Full ahead, Mr. Sulu, maximum warp.
Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2021 9:22 pm
by Alefroth
Whew, thought this was going to be a George Takei has died thread.
Re: Full ahead, Mr. Sulu, maximum warp.
Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2021 9:24 pm
by Sudy
Yeah, same here.
Re: Full ahead, Mr. Sulu, maximum warp.
Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2021 10:15 pm
by Max Peck
This is the same guy that was championing the EmDrive thing, isn't it? How has that been working out for him?
Re: Full ahead, Mr. Sulu, maximum warp.
Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2021 11:08 pm
by Holman
Daehawk wrote: ↑Tue Dec 07, 2021 8:52 pm
Just wish we'd solve fusion. [...]
That's what we need.
Right now we're a civilization whose Energy Thirst will wreck us within two or three generations.
All of our theoretical knowledge means nothing unless we can achieve Big Energy that's not suicidal, and soon.
Daehawk wrote: ↑Tue Dec 07, 2021 8:52 pm
Just wish we'd solve fusion. [...]
That's what we need.
Right now we're a civilization whose Energy Thirst will wreck us within two or three generations.
All of our theoretical knowledge means nothing unless we can achieve Big Energy that's not suicidal, and soon.
Commonwealth Fusion Systems recently raised $1.8B from investors including Bill Gates. They aim to have a working commercial fusion reactor called ARC in the early 2030s and a successful pilot called SPARC by 2025. They aren't the only player, either.
Daehawk wrote: ↑Tue Dec 07, 2021 8:52 pm
Just wish we'd solve fusion. [...]
That's what we need.
Right now we're a civilization whose Energy Thirst will wreck us within two or three generations.
All of our theoretical knowledge means nothing unless we can achieve Big Energy that's not suicidal, and soon.
Commonwealth Fusion Systems recently raised $1.8B from investors including Bill Gates. They aim to have a working commercial fusion reactor called ARC in the early 2030s and a successful pilot called SPARC by 2025. They aren't the only player, either.
Yeah, SPARC's POC "hot" fusion reactor is now less than 4 years away. It looks to be a better (more affordable, less space) option than ITER's "hot" fusion reactor - which also is supposed to have a POC up in '25/'26. SPARC/Commonwealth have been hitting all their milestones thus far as well.
Holman wrote: ↑Tue Dec 07, 2021 8:11 pm
"Sending information" requires a recipient on the other end who understands the information. That's the problem.
I definitely feel good about the possibility of a Solar-system level civilization where FTL communication is possible even if physical travel still requires many months/years.
If this new tech results in Warp Bubble Radio where we find ourselves in contact with civilizations light years away, I'm all for it. This might even be the best case, since alien civs could talk to us but understand that it would take them too many millions of years to conquer/assimilate/digest us.
Eh, so it takes years/centuries for a lightsail (or something )to accelerate up to the speed of light and decelerate to ship the router/printer/decoder units. It's a one time cost. conceivably could even ship a self replicating unit which is small enough and send it FTL as well. Nobody said the logistics of colonization was easy!
Side note, I've had an SF story idea in my head, where a hive mind alien species starts invading the earth in this fashion (shipping an FTL receiver unit to the edge of the solar system to invade). But, being a hive mind, they never needed to invent encryption...
invitations to spiderspace floating in the void.
edit for: ewww... ewww..... eww.... *pats his mental headspace for spiders*
Waitaminnit. That's Black Mirror right?
Re: Full ahead, Mr. Sulu, maximum warp.
Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2021 7:10 pm
by Pyperkub
dunno - I watched the first episode of Black Mirror and thought, this is too disturbing, I really don't need to subject myself to that (I've heard that the rest of the episodes may not be quite as disturbing, but....)
Holman wrote: ↑Tue Dec 07, 2021 8:11 pm
"Sending information" requires a recipient on the other end who understands the information. That's the problem.
I definitely feel good about the possibility of a Solar-system level civilization where FTL communication is possible even if physical travel still requires many months/years.
If this new tech results in Warp Bubble Radio where we find ourselves in contact with civilizations light years away, I'm all for it. This might even be the best case, since alien civs could talk to us but understand that it would take them too many millions of years to conquer/assimilate/digest us.
Eh, so it takes years/centuries for a lightsail (or something )to accelerate up to the speed of light and decelerate to ship the router/printer/decoder units. It's a one time cost. [...]
Physically, it's unlikely that organized matter as we know it would survive the approach to light speed, so you're still looking at centuries for anything we can use to reach the nearer stars.
I once wrote an SF story where a colony ship required 20 years to travel 10 light years away. I showed it to my friend (a physicist), and he said "I've got to roll my eyes at your faith in atoms here."
Re: Full ahead, Mr. Sulu, maximum warp.
Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2021 8:19 pm
by Alefroth
Pyperkub wrote: ↑Wed Dec 08, 2021 7:10 pm
dunno - I watched the first episode of Black Mirror and thought, this is too disturbing, I really don't need to subject myself to that (I've heard that the rest of the episodes may not be quite as disturbing, but....)
There are other disturbing episodes, but not in a pig fucking sort of way.
Re: Full ahead, Mr. Sulu, maximum warp.
Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2021 8:20 pm
by hepcat
Screw warp drives. I was promised a flying car by this point.
Re: Full ahead, Mr. Sulu, maximum warp.
Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2021 9:18 pm
by Jeff V
hepcat wrote: ↑Wed Dec 08, 2021 8:20 pm
Screw warp drives. I was promised a flying car by this point.
The problem is Elon Musk was born too late to make it so.
As far as impact on communication within the solar system, anyone else ever read Piers Anthony's Bio of Space Tyrant series back in the day?
The same (former) NASA engineer who previously claimed to violate Newton's laws is now claiming to have made a warp bubble. He didn't.
Key Takeaways
Although it was originally a fictional idea, a 1994 paper by Miguel Alcubierre showed how "warp drive" is really possible within general relativity.
By creating a warp bubble where space compressed in front of the ship and rarified behind it, warp travel would be possible, but would require negative mass/energy.
A new paper by a former NASA engineer famed for outlandish claims, Harold "Sonny" White, claims to have created one. But the science doesn't check out.
