only 12-13 light years away

[3bob]

There are some interesting finds going on about potentially hospitable planets outside our solar system...but they are around 12-13 light years away, and if we are not going there for a very long time is not our interest misplaced compared to trying to figure out how to even get a manned flight up to 25-50% of light speed and also last decades in hostile space to complete such a journey ?  

[thelerner]

Can't see any possible trip for many generations.  Still, the tech involved in creating such a ship, might have huge benefits for those on earth.  More efficient, cleaner energy, the ultimate in recycling.  The technology developed, the metallurgy, the way they grow food, whether people are put in 'hibernation' the things imagined and developed might affect the earth for the better.

 

We do our best when we're stretched.  Sometimes having an almost impossible target, leads to new thinking outside the box.  Maybe getting better data, that might show all those planets to be uninhabitable, would have a strong affect of having us take better care of this one. 

[Miffymog]

No links I'm afraid, just something I remembered reading somewhere.

 

They're thinking of using an ultra light device that will be 'blown along' by solar light. The advantage of this is that because it is has so little mass it can increase to a noticeable fraction of the speed of light and get there in a respectable time.

 

Now, I've absolutely no idea how it then stops when it gets there nor how it communicates back to us what it sees. But if this can be worked out, then it won't actually be all that expensive to send an unmanned exploratory device.

 

Just had a thought, maybe it just does a circular trip...?

[silent thunder]

I love science fiction and the idea of space travel, but the idea of getting in a plastic/metal tube for decades of space hurtling does not appeal.

 

For me, I will be going in a rainbow body, or hanging out here working on my rainbow body.

[Brian]

No links I'm afraid, just something I remembered reading somewhere.

 

They're thinking of using an ultra light device that will be 'blown along' by solar light. The advantage of this is that because it is has so little mass it can increase to a noticeable fraction of the speed of light and get there in a respectable time.

 

Now, I've absolutely no idea how it then stops when it gets there nor how it communicates back to us what it sees. But if this can be worked out, then it won't actually be all that expensive to send an unmanned exploratory device.

 

Just had a thought, maybe it just does a circular trip...?

A solar sail can be used to accelerate away from a star or to decelerate towards one.

[thelerner]

Interesting theory, using 10,000's of tiny 'chip' ships that sail along a laser beam, but with no deceleration they'll pass there target, decades later in a fraction of second, then have to pass that information down the line for another decade. 50 to 90 years to see information taken in a thousandths of a second.  

 

I don't see that happening unless its real cheap. 

[3bob]

there also some interesting ideas about harnessing anti-gravity that I came across years ago but I'm not up on that now... 

[Marblehead]

Y'all go ahead on.  I will remain here, thanks.

[silent thunder]

One of the most compelling ideas I heard for space travel was to generate a field of gravity.

 

You generate this field in the direction you wish to travel and the ship with you, fall effortlessly to your intended destination.

[Brian]

Personally, I like L. Ron Hubbard's "Will-Be-Was" engine theory. It feels right somehow.

[Michael Sternbach]

One of the most compelling ideas I heard for space travel was to generate a field of gravity.

 

You generate this field in the direction you wish to travel and the ship with you, fall effortlessly to your intended destination.

What you are describing is a warp drive such as first featured in sci fi shows like Star Trek. This concept is being seriously studied by a number of researchers today. Quoting Paul Karl Hoiland: Warp Drive and Beyond - From Here to the Stars:

 

Now if we look at the two spheres glued together modeling for a wormhole when we consider a warp drive we have again two spheres of space-time glued together or patched with the frontal sphere being a region where the volume of space-time is contracting due to a frontal region just ahead of the craft with a very high gravitational field causing the contraction. The rear sphere is a region of expansion of space-time brought about by a usually equal amount of exotic energy. The region the craft sits in is the actual glued region of the two spheres where the craft sits in free fall towards the frontal gravity well.

[dwai]

What you are describing is a warp drive such as first featured in sci fi shows like Star Trek. This concept is being seriously studied by a number of researchers today. Quoting Paul Karl Hoiland: Warp Drive and Beyond - From Here to the Stars:

 

 

That's how taiji masters do power transfer using gravity fields

[thelerner]

I liked the movie Passengers.  A well done, low action, romantic sci fi flic.   It came and went quickly.  It involved members waking up early on a 90 year trip to visit another inhabitable star system.  The technology and methods seemed pretty well done.  

[silent thunder]

What you are describing is a warp drive such as first featured in sci fi shows like Star Trek. This concept is being seriously studied by a number of researchers today. Quoting Paul Karl Hoiland: Warp Drive and Beyond - From Here to the Stars:

 

I never realized that about Star Trek and their warp drive engine!  I always thought they generated thrust via the Dilithium crystals and anti-matter... so much for my geek card renewal... I'll have to ask to be reinstated now.

 

I recall where I read about it now though.  It was in connection with a scientist who claimed to have worked @ area 51.  Not Lazar; but this gentleman talked at length in this interview about the saucer we recovered and the reverse engineering taking place on its drive, which was gravity driven. 

 

I remember being intrigued by his description of the manner in which the craft could execute these incredible maneuvers that are often reported in sightings, yet at that time, he stated we hadn't been able to make use of the tech because we hadn't figured out how to dampen the incredible shifting g'forces on the human pilots.

 

ps.  I do at least still remember that TIE fighters stands for Twin Ion Engine... and the Millenium Falcon made the Kessel run in 12 parsecs.

[Brian]

I never realized that about Star Trek and their warp drive engine! I always thought they generated thrust via the Dilithium crystals and anti-matter... so much for my geek card renewal... I'll have to ask to be reinstated now.

 

I recall where I read about it now though. It was in connection with a scientist who claimed to have worked @ area 51. Not Lazar; but this gentleman talked at length in this interview about the saucer we recovered and the reverse engineering taking place on its drive, which was gravity driven.

 

I remember being intrigued by his description of the manner in which the craft could execute these incredible maneuvers that are often reported in sightings, yet at that time, he stated we hadn't been able to make use of the tech because we hadn't figured out how to dampen the incredible shifting g'forces on the human pilots.

 

ps. I do at least still remember that TIE fighters stands for Twin Ion Engine... and the Millenium Falcon made the Kessel run in 12 parsecs.

The irony being that a parsec is a measure of distance rather than time.

[3bob]

hey what about "sub-space" while we are at it?  Btw, I always liked Sam in Star Gate.

[dwai]

Subspaces are (as far as I know) entirely a geometry thing---no known physical correlate (except when we break a known space into different "sub"-spaces).

I think they posit some sort of sub-space through which information travels instantaneously between any two points irrespective of distance between them. This is based on the subject of quantum entanglement.

Edited March 10, 2017 by dwai

[Michael Sternbach]

That's how taiji masters do power transfer using gravity fields

 

That sounds interesting. Could you elaborate, please?

[3bob]

getting off of my OP - I've come across various spiritual sources that say our souls/spirits originally came from other star systems as if that were a final answer to our origin, yet lets face it at one time those other star systems did not exist and also came from somewhere so to speak... (or arose)

 

although I have zero problem with the idea and fact to me that souls do travel across great cosmic scale distances and systems.

Edited March 10, 2017 by 3bob

[Miffymog]

getting off of my OP - I've come across various spiritual sources that say our souls/spirits originally came from other star systems as if that were a final answer to our origin, yet lets face it at one time those other star systems did not exist and also came from somewhere so to speak... (or arose)

 

<SNIP>

 

The simple question that takes you from the world of science and certainty to the world of mystery and mysticism

 

 

"... and what came before that?"

[3bob]

...a formless and indescribable chicken?  (that can somehow lay eggs?)

Edited March 10, 2017 by 3bob