Hyperspace Drive?

[Suicide Junkie]

You have to distinguish between the "no idea how it could possibly be done" ideas and the "physically impossible" ideas.

[ZeroAdunn]

That is the thing, is anything physicly impossible? Even our own current beliefs of a speed of light limit are being brought into question these days. I would want to read more about this theory, but if Nasa is contacting him it may have some validity, if not for ftl then maybe for something more simple like a new form of propulsion. Either way, could be interesting.

[Suicide Junkie]

That was in reference to wilhil's examples.

The laws of physics are based on empirical testing. You can't undo existing experiments, which cover an incredible amount of stuff. Good luck to you on the fringes, but don't come home without repeatable, empirical evidence.

[David E. Gervais]

My thoughts on this interesting thread,..

I'm tired of being reincarnated, I want to go home.


Cheers!

[StarDragon]

If you carefully read the linked article of the originator, it never says when or how the Doctor lost his "eyes, hands, and hearing" to an "accident". So where did they go, into this other dimension?

I only have one comment to make: USS Eldridge...

I am sick of people ripping off Einstien, they see the movie and basicly say the same thing like they originated the idea lol! If anyone actually can prove they succeded I am sure the US Navy would be very interested in how not to screw up anymore... (for future stealth ships).

In case some people aren't familiar Einstien had a Unified Field Theory but never officially finished it.

[RCCCL]

I think most of you are missing the Important word in this little bit of sentence

The theoretical engine

In other words this is a theory. They wish to test this theory. And they would like a grant to test this theory.
I see no reason why they couldn't get this grant. Goverments seem to give Research Grants all the time to people with kooky ideas and people who want to prove obvious things like "Doing jumping jacks for 5 hours straight while smoking and drinking is bad for you"

Besides most of what people take for granted as facts about space are still only theories. Just a few days ago I was reading a Scientific America magazine that had a story about a new theory that suggests our universe may actually be only 2 dimensions with the 3rd just being an illusion, kind of like a holligram. It said that this thoery actually cleared up some conflicting data that A 3 demensional universe created.

[ant pant:]

[narf poit chez BOOM]

Hmm...It's possible, but I don't think it's probable.

[Renegade 13]

I was kinda wondering that as well, and noticed they didn't address it. If we can get real close to a huge mass, and if that mass is already travelling at a massive velocity and if the theory is correct and if the human body and/or spaceship can withstand the forces, it'll be great!

[Hunpecked]

Depending the mass of the propelling body and the distance of the "payload" from it, the ship/probe may experience tidal stress (see Larry Niven's story "Neutron Star"). Otherwise, if I understand the article correctly, the payload would be in "free fall", only away from the propelling mass rather than toward it.

Depending on propulsion method (e.g. surfing on nuclear detonations), the payload may of course experience considerable "stress" merely catching the relativistic mass in the first place.

It just occurred to me that the article had no suggestions for slowing down at the end of the journey...

[Suicide Junkie]

Lithobraking