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Re: Plan for your future, the far future
deniro #33833 04/14/15 07:04 PM
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After I saw the movie Interstellar last week, I checked out a book called The Science of Interstellar by Kip Thorne, who was a consultant and executive producer. Interesting book. Mediocre movie.

"You know, Chris also considered traveling through space faster than the speed of light as 'non negotiable' back then, and that’s something that was changed and is not in the final film. He used that phrase in our brainstorms, but in the end after in-depth discussions he came around. We’d always find some way to make things work together, though in this one instance of faster-than-light travel I gave him a series of reasons why we were quite certain the laws of physics prevented it."

Last edited by deniro; 04/14/15 07:09 PM.
Re: Plan for your future, the far future
alternaut #33834 04/15/15 02:50 AM
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There's no evidence to suggest that tachyons exist, and rather a lot to suggest they don't.

The idea of tachyons didn't come out of any sort of research. They basically came from some bloke thinking "well, if there are particles that always move slower than light, and particles that always move at the speed of light, could there be particles that always move faster than light?"

It's a neat idea, but alas, the nature of physics seems to suggest the answer is a resounding "no."

One big problem with the notion that anything--matter or information--can move faster than light is the problem that, because motion is always relative, if it's possible to move faster than light, it's always possible to create an inertial frame such that causality is violated. Or, to put it less technically, there is no functional difference between traveling faster than light and time travel.


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Re: Plan for your future, the far future
Virtual1 #33835 04/15/15 08:01 AM
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Originally Posted By: Virtual1
Originally Posted By: artie505
It would very likely bankrupt the entire planet,

If you're talking monetary, that's really impossible. Wealth is distributed, it can't really be destroyed. Speculation (stock market) is the only way that's loosely considered to be able to "create" or "destroy" wealth. It would be a significant contributor to global inflation though, as material and labor were effectively siphoned out of the economy.

Not that there'd be anybody to foreclose or any collateral to be forfeited, but yeah, should the commitment be made, the ongoing cost of the project could very easily exceed the ability of the entire world to pay for it, and that would result in far worse consequences than mere inflation.

They'd have to invent a new word that transcends traditional bankruptcy, but in the meantime, it'll have to do.

Edit: But if NASA'a also closing in on anti-gravity, I take it all back. grin

Last edited by artie505; 04/15/15 08:15 AM.

The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Plan for your future, the far future
deniro #33837 04/15/15 03:17 PM
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Originally Posted By: deniro
What kind of company is Acme? They send explosives through the mail to a coyote?

They also do jet-suits, snow machines, biplane bombers, a wide variety of jumbo slingshots, rocket skates, 10ft diameter iron balls (imagine the POSTAGE!), inflatable road-runners, earthquake pills, rabid tasmanian devils...

(so what's more interesting, their variety of clients, or their variety of products?)


I work for the Department of Redundancy Department
Re: Plan for your future, the far future
deniro #33840 04/15/15 04:02 PM
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Originally Posted By: deniro
What kind of company is Acme? They send explosives through the mail to a coyote?


Acme was the model that was used for the Contra arms deal way back then. tongue


On a Mac since 1984.
Currently: 24" M1 iMac, M2 Pro Mac mini with 27" BenQ monitor, M2 Macbook Air, MacOS 14.x; iPhones, iPods (yes, still) and iPads.
Re: Plan for your future, the far future
tacit #33874 04/17/15 06:20 PM
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Originally Posted By: tacit
The idea of tachyons didn't come out of any sort of research.

I take it you meant experimental research, as opposed to theoretical research employing ‘thought experiments’. wink That’s an interesting distinction, as most of Einstein’s seminal papers fall in the latter category, the experimental underpinnings of which (to the extent available) were provided largely by others who produced the supporting observations. In several respects, that’s an ongoing endeavor.

All of this is not to say that I really think FTL is possible, to the contrary. Given current understanding it’s highly unlikely indeed, but also not yet conclusively and unambiguously disproven, and hence incredibly intriguing. And since it's hard if not impossible to prove a negative, it'll probably remain that way for some time. tongue


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Re: Plan for your future, the far future
alternaut #33878 04/17/15 10:11 PM
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Quote:
...it's hard if not impossible to prove a negative...

And if it were impossible to prove a negative, it would be impossible to prove that! laugh



dkmarsh—member, FineTunedMac Co-op Board of Directors
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