Zefram Cochran's To-Do List
Popular Science sets out the four things we need to get done in order to implement warp drive:
Discover Negative Energy: There are no known particles with negative mass. The closest scientists have come is a phenomenon called the Casimir effect, wherein empty space between two conducting plates behaves as if it contains negative energy.
Devise a Way To Manipulate It: Even if scientists could transform matter into negative energy, they would still have to find a way to focus it and create an infinitesimally thin, yet extraordinarily stable, bubble of the stuff around the spaceship.
Harness Dark Energy: In recent years, cosmologists have been studying a mysterious force called dark energy that they think is accelerating the expansion of the universe. If scientists could generate it at the back of the bubble, it might move, or expand, space.
Build Bubble Brakes: Because the spacetime carrying the ship would be completely cut off from the outside of the bubble, there would be no way to send a signal to turn off the warp drive. The signal would never get there, and the ship would never stop.
No big deal, eh? With it broken out for us like that, we should be well on our way to the Neutral Zone in a matter of months. Actually, this kind of reminds me of the old Steve Martin bit about how you can be a millionaire and never pay income tax.
"First, get a million a dollars..."
Via GeekPress.
Comments
Why travel in space when we can turn the earth into computronium and open up new worlds billions of times more interesting than anything blind chance (i.e., nature) has to offer? Of course this topic is still interesting regardless. :-)
Posted by: Michael Anissimov![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.blog.speculist.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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May 2, 2006 08:13 AM
Why travel in space when we can turn the earth into computronium and open up new worlds billions of times more interesting than anything blind chance (i.e., nature) has to offer? Of course this topic is still interesting regardless. :-)
Well, diversification of risk springs to mind. Also, relatively speaking, it wouldn't take much effort to duplicate the interestingness of Earth somewhere else once you've figured out how to do it in the first place.
Posted by: Karl Hallowell![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.blog.speculist.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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May 3, 2006 01:42 AM
Another reason is that physical exploration will most likely generate observations outside of our existing imaginative space.
Medieval Europeans dreamed of dragons, cyclops, centaurs and mermaids. But they never dreamed of something REALLY different, like a kangaroo, armadillo, platypus or penguin.
Observation gives imagination a wider base to work from.
Plus there's that whole eggs in one basket thing. And resources.
Posted by: doctorpat![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.blog.speculist.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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May 4, 2006 02:17 AM