Is faster than light travel allowed by the laws of physics? There’s no harm in speculating, right?
In 1994, Michael Alcubierre, a physicist at the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City, put warp drive on a firm (-ish) theoretical footing for the first time. His thinking was that what relativity actually prevents is faster-than-light-travel relative to the fabric of spacetime. But it places no restrictions on the way in which spacetime itself can move and stretch.
The Alcubierre drive consists of a device that somehow contracts space in front of your spacecraft, bringing your destination effectively closer, while expanding space behind it. The spacecraft sits in a bubble of flat space in the middle. So while the bubble can travel at any speed across the universe, the spacecraft can be almost stationary relative to the space in which it sits.
Clever idea. And today Gerald Cleaver and Richard Obousy from Baylor University in Texas, take it further by explaining how it might actually be possible to stretch spacetime into the Alcubierre bubble.
Their idea is based on the possible existence of extra dimensions that are curled up with a radius so small that we never experience them. They say:
“The basic idea is that by altering the radius of an extra dimension, it would be possible, in principle, to adjust the energy density of spacetime.”
And that would allow the kind of space-time stretching that could create an Alcubierre drive.
There’s one drawback. Cleaver and Obousy calculate that the energy needed to distort the space around a spacecraft-sized object is about 10^45 Joules or the total energy of an object the size of Jupiter if all its mass were converted into energy.
Still, if you’re glass half-full kind of physicist, you’ll take that as encouragement.
Ref: arxiv.org/abs/0807.1957: Putting the “Warp” into Warp Drive
[…] on motivating younger generations to learn more about space science was discussed. Then, I read the arXiv Blog to see a short review about some research into the sci-fi warp drive. Although it’s late, I […]
[…] warp drive, I could totally sleep until 5 minutes before class/work and still get there on time.
Anything that requires extra dimensions is suspect in my mind. How does a dimension become “small?”
What does “a dimension so small you can’t see it” mean? That suggests there a “large” dimension that we can see. I can see things that occupy space in a dimension, but I’m not sure I can see the dimension myself. Perhaps I need new glasses.
We seem to hear about these “extra” dimensions that are “small” frequently now in the days of string theory, though the physical implications of this mathematical convenience has never been explained to my satisfaction.
Sorry to spoil your fantasies but a universe would be impossible in any dimension but 3+1. See proof in the OAIU book. See also the discussion of why it is not possible (no matter how space is warped) to go faster than the boundary speed.
The proof that physics, a universe, would be impossible in any dimension but 3+1 (strangely agreeing with reality) is clear and unavoidable. Stunning is that a change of any number in any of the formulas by even 1 would make any dimension, thus any universe, impossible.
That the universe allows, and has, galaxies, stars, planets, even life, thinking life, that all the conflicting conditions do not conflict and are met, is beyond stunning.
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Books (details below)
OAIU;
Our Almost Impossible Universe:
Why the laws of nature make the existence of humans extraordinarily unlikely
GTFQM;
Group Theoretical Foundations of Quantum Mechanics
MRPG;
Massless Representations of the Poincaré Group
QM,QFT;
Quantum Mechanics, Quantum Field Theory
geometry, language, logic
QFT,CGT,CFT;
Quantum Field Theory, Conformal Group Theory, Conformal Field Theory:
GT:IA:
Group Theory: An Intuitive Approach
PG,SG;
Point Groups, Space Groups, Crystals, Molecules
Our Almost Impossible Universe:
Why the laws of nature make the existence of humans
extraordinarily unlikely
R. Mirman
iUniverse, inc. 2006
May be ordered from booksellers or http://www.iUniverse.com
1-800-Authors (1-800-288-4677)
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An exploration of the precise conditions required for the existence of humans in the universe. … the author does an admirable job delineating the laws of physics without becoming too bogged down in complicated jargon, and he maintains a sense of wonder about the unique and random nature of the universe. He repeatedly celebrates our highly improbable achievements as a species, marveling at our ability to use the language of abstract mathematics to unravel the mysteries of existence. … the prevailing tone of the narrative is clear and confident, marked by a meticulous attention to detail. A[n] … often fascinating journey through the history of the universe and mankind. — Kirkus Discoveries
Existence, of the universe, structure, life, intelligence, is unthinkable, really impossible. Incredibly, intriguingly, we are here. From the universe itself to humans, that we are, what we are, what we have accomplished, we find implausibility upon implausibility making us as reasoning beings (at least almost) unique in the universe, quite fortunate, but quite dangerous. SETI is nonsense. Reasons range from mathematically rigorous — unavoidable — to extremely strong to highly likely. These force the question: does the word God exist?
This discussion is aimed at all interested in not only science, but in the world in which we (strangely can and do) live, the laws of nature, in what humanity is and why. It has in addition much material of value to specialists, and because of its breadth and coherence, its attempts to provoke thought, it, besides being a popularization, should be an excellent text for courses in science for non-scientists and as a (perhaps necessary) supplement for science courses.
I. IS OUR UNIVERSE REALLY POSSIBLE?
Existence is the greatest mystery, not only that it is but that it can be. Conditions are too many, too strict, too conflicting. Outlandishly we are, yet that we are impose upon us the responsibilities of loneliness. Horrendously our most basic need is to hate, hurt and kill, to horribly misuse that awesome, and likely unique, gift of intelligence — destroying, dishonoring, the most magnificent constituent of nature.
II. MYSTERIES OF THE MERE NUMBERS THAT GIVE US LIFE
The most elementary arithmetic, just counting, should make a universe impossible. Why then does one actually exist? Just counting, not even concepts of numbers and arithmetic are needed, just nothing, but in that nothing there is so much, so much that is so necessary. Nothing, but that nothing gives everything, existence itself. Why can, why should, our invention, mathematics, tell nature that it can be, what it must be? Is it counting or is it physics? Is it physics or just mere numbers? Yet mathematics extends almost infinitely beyond numbers, our mathematics that we create. That is the strangest part of being human: we can — and do — create rules for nature. And nature obeys. There is no reason that we should even have mathematical talent, no reason for it to have developed. Humans have immense, but quite unreasonable, talents not only in mathematics — totally unreasonable but true. Why? And they work.
III. SPACE: THE COMPLEXITY AND WORTH OF EMPTINESS
We look, we see, but do not notice. The nothingness that is space much requires noticing — the opulent structure of the emptiness is essential, even for just a universe. There is so much to see, especially because there is nothing to see. We should learn, and we should look.
IV. HOW TURNING AROUND CREATES SPACE AND TIME
What do we mean when we say that space is 3+1-dimensional, that the space part of space is 3-dimensional, and that there is also another dimension, time? Couldn’t we say that space is 3-dimensional and that time is an independent dimension? Why do we even say that space is 3-dimensional rather then space having 3 independent dimensions? And why is temperature not like time? So we have to consider how to turn around, even between space and time. If space is 3+1-dimensional some distances, and masses, are real, some imaginary. There must be a boundary: the boundary cone, unfortunately called the light cone. Light and gravity (these only) travel on it and only on it. Why?
V. WHY THE WORLD MUST BE UNCERTAIN
Atrocities nurtured by twisted views of the universe emphasize that they are not merely wrong but deeply malevolent, deeply malignant, and the overriding moral imperative of correct understanding and acceptance of the realities of nature. What are these realities, what are physical objects including people? Not particles, not waves, meaningless words here. However unpleasant it is, we must accept what all objects, all people, must be, whether we or nature wishes it so. Thus nature must be quantum mechanical, probability, uncertainty, are inherent, unavoidable. Yet it is causal, quite sensible, quite understandable even elementary. And physics must have axioms: physical objects. Quantum mechanics emphasizes how dangerous language is.
VI. OUR UNIVERSE IS — JUST BARELY — POSSIBLE
It is simple to show that physics, a universe, could not exist in any dimension but 3+1, little more than counting. Yet only because of a set of numeral accidents is 3+1 possible, thus that any dimension so any universe is possible at all. Change any number, even by 1, then nothing, no universe could exist. But that universe allowed by arithmetic, barely much more than numbers, is the unique one allowing structure, galaxies, stars, atoms, certainly life. And these requirements have nothing to do with ones leading to the dimension. Satisfying any one does not mean any others can be, certainly not that all can be, that all are. So many conditions, it is just a freak that any are satisfied, thus extremely implausible that all can be, all are. Yet they are. Life is impossible, it really cannot exist.
VII. LAWS OF PHYSICS LOVE US
Why is the universe not concentrated in an immensely small region, or is not huge and practically empty, with nothing but a few useless particles? Why can it have galaxies, stars, light, people? This analysis of a broad range of laws of physics (and mathematics) amazes, that our universe can be possible, and more that it is true, and is what it is. These laws, what they are, their form, how many, the numbers, all the very, very little details — if there were even the most minute difference then essentially nothing. Laws must prevent a realistic universe, yet actually allow it.
VIII. WHY ON EARTH?
Because it is so special, and in so many ways. Yet it is not just that it is special but that it is possible at all seems so implausible. Physical laws, and the vagaries of chance, conspire to allow it — quite, quite difficult — and then to make it true, and thus very special.
IX. WHY LITTLE THINGS MEAN A LOT
To emphasize our implausibility and our peril, our dangerousness, we must consider the often immensity of the most minute, so the moral and ethical implications of mathematics. From the most fundamental laws of nature to the distribution of dirt on asteroids, the slightest change and we would not exist, perhaps intelligence would not exist in nature. Chance has been very kind. We are children of chance.
X. LIFE — WAS IT REALLY NECESSARY?
Life is a precarious balance between altruism and selfishness. The necessity for both, from the beginning, emphasizes how difficult it is for life to arise. A review of the complexity, the intelligence, the linguistic ability, required of even the simplest cells, of what life is, shows that it, even the most primitive, is very likely extremely rare. We see also the absurdity of the concepts of genetic determinism, nature vs. nurture, even survival of the fittest. Looking at the huge number of potential forms of life, and of the small number of actual ones, emphasizes the immense improbability of a specific type, like one with intelligence, especially humans. We should be thankful to the universe for allowing life (seen clearly dreadfully hard), and to chance for actually creating it, and humans.
XI. IS BEING SMART REALLY A VERY STUPID THING TO DO?
Intelligence is rare — is it toxic? These arguments, including what nerves and brains are like, show strongly why it is, why it is so disadvantageous. The evolution of humans, even intelligence, emphasizes the huge number of accidents, the luck, needed. It is clear why only (placental) mammals have even hope of thought: MOTHERS.
XII. DOES THE WORD GOD EXIST?
The vast implausibility, yet actuality, of nature and of humans seem to have implications. Can there be any? To study this we must consider not science, not religion, but language. That is definitive. Inability and refusal to accept reality, to accept what humans are and our place in nature, and our egomania, megalomania, helping to cause these, has led to vast evil. Science is rejected, since it shows that evolution leads to morality, and because people cannot tolerate the truth about reality, about themselves, causing great suffering, much abominations.
XIII. A UNIVERSE OF WONDER
Our universe is a strange and wonderful place, almost impossible, as are we. But we do not care about these great gifts given us by the unbelievable beneficences of chance. We apply them, not gratefully, but to destroy and diminish, to show our contempt for that life likely so rare, perhaps unique. Our gifts are used not to enhance this life with such incredible talents that we are part of, but to satisfy what is so clearly the most basic human needs, to hate and to kill — hatred, this cancer of the human soul, is fundamental. We are part of a universe of great rationality and grandeur, exceedingly kind and exceedingly cruel, that has made us, and made us what we are. We should be thankful, yet are contemptuous.
A. DOES SPACE MATTER FOR MATTER?
Laws of physics are (perhaps completely) consequences of geometry. Nature, God and we are all governed by geometry. Some of those that we are most aware of, like conservation of energy (with obvious major effects on daily life), are required by geometry (and its monotony). Why? How does geometry enforce these; what do they mean? And how does it restrict turning around?
B. ASTONISH PEOPLE WITH YOUR BRILLIANCE BY BABBLING
See how to impress your friends with your mastery of the secrets of the universe without really knowing anything, especially by misusing language. There are many reasons for the strange stupidity of the errors about quantum mechanics, including often saying it requires that which it forbids (as with wave-particle duality and the vacuum). A major one is that words are not only wrong, meaningless, misleading, but say just the opposite of what we think they say. Quantum mechanics makes complete sense; often language makes none and makes it seem that quantum mechanics (even nature in general) is weird. Language is very dangerous. Weirdness is a confession of incompetence, or dishonesty. It is an interesting psychological question why so many physicists feel so compelled to flaunt their incompetence and complete misunderstanding of their own field.
C. HOW WE DEVELOP (HOPEFULLY CORRECT) BELIEFS ABOUT NATURE
Our world is vastly complicated. Biological objects, especially humans, have developed ways of coping, thus telling much about biology and us. In their most formalized forms they are called science. Which are the best scientists: bacteria, trees, worms, bees or birds? Among humans, babies. For biology, even at its most elementary, science is necessary. What is science, what is a scientific theory, why? What is required of these? Why can a theory be indispensable even if absurd? We see that evolution is scientific; (blasphemous) proposed alternatives are nonsense.
D. LIBERATING ARTS OF SCIENCE
Physics is the most valuable liberal art, but too often quite poorly taught. Here we consider some rules for one aspect, problems. The educational system in general is too often not only poor, even counterproductive, but dishonest, unethical. Emphasis on this can help, but it is only a start.
E. IS MODERN “PHYSICS” A SCIENCE?
It is shocking to see what leaders of the “physics” community, from the top universities, whose work appears in the leading journals, are working on, supported by taxpayer money. Do “physicists” really believe that an object (including a “physicist”) can be in two places at the same time; that “physicists” are so extremely important that just by looking at something they cause the entire universe to split into many universes; that gravity can leak out of the universe; that our universe was started by “another universe” smashing into it (perhaps periodically); that part of the universe is rolled up into a tiny tube and that the dimension is actually 10 or 11 rather than the obvious (and necessary) 3+1; that 1 can have different values in different parts of the universe or at different times; that particles pop out of the vacuum to change solutions of equations; that the vacuum has energy; that a function (which depends on space so has different values at different points) equals a constant (which has the same value at all points); that they are melting the vacuum? Does the American Physical Society advocate that its member lie to Congress to get money, showing deep contempt for Congress, taxpayers, physics and honesty, or do they claim that they have crystal balls in their offices? Evidence is compelling. IS IT ALL A DELIBERATE MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR FRAUD? Taxpayers should be concerned.
by R. Mirman
Group Theory: An Intuitive Approach
(Singapore: World Scientific Publishing Co., 1995)
Group Theoretical Foundations of Quantum Mechanics
(Commack, NY: Nova Science Publishers, Inc., 1995; republished by Backinprint.com)
Classical physics is inconsistent, impossible, quantum mechanics probability, dimension 3+1, and spin-statistics coming from geometry, are necessary.
Massless Representations of the Poincaré Group
electromagnetism, gravitation, quantum mechanics, geometry
(Commack, NY: Nova Science Publishers, Inc., 1995; republished by Backinprint.com)
Geometry requires general relativity, which is thus the quantum theory of gravity. Trivially the cosmological constant is 0 as are the reasons for gauge transformations and CPT.
Point Groups, Space Groups, Crystals, Molecules
(Singapore: World Scientific Publishing Co., 1999)
Quantum Mechanics, Quantum Field Theory
geometry, language, logic
(Huntington, NY: Nova Science Publishers, Inc., 2001; republished by Backinprint.com)
Properties of (badly, misleadingly, named) quantum mechanics are required (by what?). Language, names, are dangerous. Waves, particles are meaningless. Weirdness comes only from incompetence and dishonesty. Properties of quantum mechanics and their reasons are necessary and clear.
Quantum Field Theory, Conformal Group Theory, Conformal Field Theory: Mathematical and conceptual foundations, physical and geometrical applications (Huntington, NY: Nova Science Publishers, Inc., 2001; republished by Backinprint.com)
The conformal group is the largest invariance group of geometry. Group theory is richer than realized. The proton can’t decay, obviously. What is the significance of the mass level formula?
Our Almost Impossible Universe: Why the laws of nature make the existence of humans extraordinarily unlikely (Lincoln, NE: iUniverse, Inc., 2006)
Backinprint is an imprint of iUniverse, Inc.,
iUniverse
2021 Pine Lake Road, Ste. 100
Lincoln, NE 68512
http://www.iUniverse.com
1-800-Authors (1-800-288-4677)
Extra dimensions are nonsense. See the comment I just submitted.
Four responses to R. Mirman:
First, who are you and why are you an authority? (For those who haven’t noticed, the book he’s posted and is referring to is one he wrote.)
Second, if universes can’t exist in other than 3+1, then you should probably tell string theorists about it since most string theory appears to work with 11 dimensions.
Third, your book has 1.5 stars on Amazon, out of a whopping two reviews. While Amazon is hardly an authority on good scientific texts, I hesitate to describe your book as a “good scientific text” based on the evidence.
And finally, when I search for “R Mirman” on Google, a stunning number of the results are you advertising your book. This is, likewise, not a good sign.
By Aether Wave Theory the space-time stretching can be achieved simply by introducing of gravitomagnetic or electromagnetic energy into vacuum foam (an analogy of shaking of normal foam), i.e. by rotation of heavy or charged object. The achieving of less dense vacuum is more tricky – by my opinion the centrifugation of vacuum (concept of Tipler cylinder) could be working, but I’m not quite sure about it.
But how these effects can be used for superluminal propulsion? This doesn’t seem real at all for me. As a much more viable appears the concepts of Woodward’s, Shawyer’s or Heim’s drive, which are based on the way, by which the jellyfish is moving through watter.
[…] on motivating younger generations to learn more about space science was discussed. Then, I read the arXiv Blog to see a short review about some research into the sci-fi warp drive. Although it’s late, I […]
Having seen a bright shiny silver disk shaped object hovering motionlessly about 10 feet above a field at around 11 on a sunny sunday morning I have doubts about the impossibility of faster than light travel. It was about 30 ft in diameter and 9 ft thick in the center. About 1/4 mile away in front of a tree line. There were other sittings in the area that day by multiple witnesses. Also I fundamentally object to universe that is set up in such a way that we cannot leave home and visit our neighbors.
Traveling through hyperspace ain’t like dusting crops, boy! Without precise calculations we could fly right through a star, or bounce too close to a supernova and that’d end your trip real quick, wouldn’t it?
[…] on motivating younger generations to learn more about space science was discussed. Then, I read the arXiv Blog to see a short review about some research into the sci-fi warp drive. Although it’s late, I […]
Will someone please inform R. Mirman’s orderlies that he’s gotten out again?
What does seeing a disk hovering about 10 feet etc have to do with faster then light travel? You simply saw an unidentified flying object. Could have been a blimp, how can you tell?
Han Solo brings up an important point. Just how do you precisely navigate your vessel if your traveling at FTL speeds. General relativity says as you approach lightspeed, your view of the universe around you essentially shrinks to a singular point in front of your direction of travel. This is not a trivial matter. How do you determine EXACTLY your position & course at FTL speeds, since light must now catch up to your vessel? What if you encounter molecular clouds, dust, gas, nebulae & possible stars at FTL speeds? How do you know exactly where in the universe(or multiverse, for that matter) your vessel is located? FTL is an interesting thought experiment, but the devil is in the (navigational) details.
Two things I must point out to the creative thinkers out there:
1. “Dimension” is a term that may refer to more than things you can see on a ruler. Remember that we accept time as a dimension, yet we can’t see it. So the difficulty in understanding a “dimension” that is to small to see may just be due to the word not being perfect. The growth of our vocabulary lags the growth of our knowledge. Also, creative thinking “leads” our knowledge, because it considers what “might be”, not “what is”. So there will be a large gap between creative thinking and the vocabulary that supports it.
2. Please do not limit your thinking by applying our limited math to it. Our math is not nearly well developed enough to describe many things. This has been a problem throughout the growth of civilization, and number systems have evolved and expanded to accomodate the needs of the civilization. Imagine trying to do the math we do but using Roman numerals.
The Japanese didn’t have “zero” until Western civilizations brought it to them, and they spent more time on art that on math, look at them now…
Our number system is digital, and does not accurately describe things, such as length, without splitting a digit into smaller divisions, maybe again and again, giving us all those numbers below “1”, such as “0.075” and things like that. Numbers less than one don’t work well with math, as the measuring standard division will distort things. Try doing the same math on an item that measures 0.080 inches, and then compare the results to the same thing done in Metric, using 2mm instead of 0.080 inches. The answers are completely different.
For example let’s say we have a rule that a weld spot size should be “five root T” of the thickness of the metal. We mean that you find the square root of the thickness and multiply it by five, and that is the ideal weld spot diameter.
So two pieces of metal 2mm which are to be welded… the root of 2mm is 1.41, and 5 times that is 7mm. That is our spot diameter.
Now try it in SAE dimensions: root of 0.080 inches is 0.28 Times 5 is 1.4 inches…
Way different results.
Try square roots of negative numbers. Our system is so bad we have added the letter “i” to identify that the value came from a negative number.
We also base everything on “10”, (radix), hmmm, we can count that on our fingers. What if we were a 3-toed sloth, would our radix be the same?
So when space visitors arrive and we try to establish communications by spewing out prime numbers, try to look in the window of their ship and see how many fingers the radio operator is scratching his head with. If it isn’t ten, then you know why he is scratching his head…
So keep an open mind, we aren’t ready to understand a lot of this, so don’t think that something that is not understandable is impossible.
Thanks for listen.. oop, ..reading this.