Question Where are the designers of the future propulsion system that will take us to the distant stars.

[sunstance]

It is heart breaking to see that humanity still lacks the research and development towards new propulsion and new designs for our future.

 

[akashrao]

the central driving force behind the human endeavour would naturally allow humanity to discover their needs and wants that would result in development of newer technologies i believe ... which are useful for our future

 

[Catastrophe]

Are you planning to exceed the speed of light (FLT)?

 

[rod]

Are you planning to exceed the speed of light (FLT)?

Consider that quantum mechanics does allow FLT, Spooky! Quantum Action Is 10,000 Times Faster Than Light Others is cosmology apply VSL too to the early universe, Theory that challenges Einstein's physics could soon be put to the test

I find it interesting in QM that certain physics of QM can be applied to explain the origin of the universe in inflation and multiverse view or string theory, but action-at-a-distance 10,000 > c is not used. Just think, it wold not take millions of years for remote starlight to reach Earth using QM

 

[Catastrophe]

Is not the point that it is only material objects that cannot exceed c?
Information can. Is that not correct?

 

[YetAnotherBob]

Is not the point that it is only material objects that cannot exceed c?
Information can. Is that not correct?

Currently, information can be transmitted only by some transmitting medium. The fast medium currently known is light, and no, light cannot exceed the speed of light.

Material objects can be viewed as a kind of frozen light. That isn't actually accurate, but it is close enough for a rough approximation.

If we model an atom as some assembly of photons bound together such that they orbit some center, then as the atom is accelerated, the orbit will happen slower in the direction of travel and so will appear to an outside observer to be slowing down.

This is what is observed to happen to material objects.

This might make for some understanding why nothing material can travel faster than light, or even actually reaching light speed.

Ther is hope for FTl (Faster Than Light travel) however. It seems that space and time are not really independent entities. Spacetime can be warped. We see this warping about massive objects. The Sun can paradoxically magnify objects beyond it in certain circumstances. We have been able to detect the warping of space. That's how the 'Gravitational Telescopes work.

There are some ideas on how we might be able to use this warping ourselves. Currently we know only a handful of ways to warp space. None of them are usable for travel, but the mathematics says that it is possible to so warp space that an object contained in a bubble of warped space can appear to move faster than light because the distance is so reduced.

In extreme cases, you might have a "Stargate" that brings the distance between you and another planet about another star only a short walk away. Such a thing is possible, but not likely to be survivable by any means we now can envision.

So yes, it's possible, but no, we have no idea how to do such a thing.

It's rather like trying to design a boat to exceed the speed of sound for the ancient Greeks. Just how many rowers must your Trireme have to row faster than sound travels?What sort of wood is best used for it's construction?

It's (exceeding the speed of sound) now been done, but we didn't use triremes, nor did better designed oars help at all.

When we talk of starships, we are just like those Greeks, using Triremes when something totally different is needed.

For FTL Starships, we don't know the answers and we probably don't even know the questions.

 

[dfjchem721]

It is heart breaking to see that humanity still lacks the research and development towards new propulsion and new designs for our future.

You should not get too worried and heart broken about this. There is no evidence anywhere that suggests we, or future humans, or even advanced aliens will be able to develop spaceships capable of "new propulsion and new designs for our future." Unless and until we do so, or meet aliens who have done so, it is a good bet that it is simply not possible. Keep in mind, there are a large number of things that are impossible for humans to accomplish. Star travel might very well be one of them.

But we do have options. We can settle down to the real business, which is exploring what we can in the solar system, and leave the interstellar travel to the telescopes. The telescopes may indeed be the closest we will ever come to finding out what else is out there, and of course that includes radio-telescopes.

I must admit to being a skeptic based on a lot of years in the sciences. But it remains a very distinct possibility we will never get to the stars because of the extreme distances and our extreme limitations.

Puny only begins to define human existence.