Lunar Adventures: exploring a little bit of everything
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Now entering hyperdrive?
I found this article about space travel on digg and immediately realized that physicists clearly live in their own bizarre dimension.
I read that article a few times and here’s my layman’s synopsis, as I understand it: we can get to Mars in about as long as it takes to drive across the DFW metroplex during rush hour by spinning some sort of coil which alters gravity and gives you access to a couple more dimensions which causes you to enter hyperdrive and everything moves really fast, including Oprah and also light.
This makes absolutely no sense, but I’m excited about it anyway. I’m not particularly excited about getting to Mars in three hours; I think I’d get bored there pretty fast. I hear some parts of Mars don’t even have Starbucks yet. But I am excited about getting to work with a really fast commute. If they can get to Mars in three hours, I figure I can get to work in like, 1 second at the most, even if you get stuck behind the old person doing 30 in the left hyperdrive lane with their blinker on.
Of course, this is all theoretical, and the theory has a few sticking points. Like, the coil you’d have to spin is impossible to make with materials we have. And they’re not sure you’d really be able to access those other two dimensions because they’re not sure they actually exist.
That’s the difference between physicists and the rest of us. When I am faced with a problem, such as finding the quickest way to get from point A to point B, I try to solve the problem by avoiding traffic hotspots, driving faster, running a yellow light or two. A physicist, meanwhile, comes up with a solution wherein he invents a couple of theoretical dimensions, alters gravity, and goes into hyperdrive.
I like the way they think.
Wed February 1st, 2006 10:53 pm
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They do all these calculations, and decide that if the math works, then it’s theoretically possible. I’m always afraid they have a decimal out of place or something, though.
You might enjoy The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene. . . . it’s a bit dated, but good for smart laypersons in understanding some of the marvels of physics.
Oh, and I found this and thought of you: http://www.usbgeek.com/prod_detail.php?prod_id=0356
Also, you should consider that even if you have a hyperdrive, people are always sabotaging it. Look at Han Solo. He always takes his pretty time getting his ship shot up while calculating a hyperspace route and then when he’s supposedly ready, it never works. Someone from the last place he visited, probably jealous that they don’t have a hyperdrive, disables it. Do you want your hyperdrive to fail when you’re ten minutes late for work and three Star Destroyers are bearing down on you? NO!
Noooo sirree. If we’re talking about ways to beat your commute with science fiction, folding space-time is the way to go. Much easier on the inner-ear too. Plus, you can always go back in time and give yourself something if you forget it. Just like in Bill and Ted.
I ran across a reference to this on a conspiracy theory website a few weeks ago, but couldn’t find anything on the internet about it. Thanks for finding it!
But driving to work in one second would do murder on in-car-DVD-player sales. And how can a fellow find time to talk on his phone while driving? Sheesh.