# Warp Speed, Scotty? Star Trek's FTL Drive May Actually Work



## Sasqui (May 14, 2013)

http://www.space.com/21140-star-trek-warp-drive-possible.html

I'm sure this has been posted at some point here before...



> Alcubierre used this knowledge to exploit a loophole in the "universal speed limit." In his theory, the ship never goes faster than the speed of light — instead, space in front of the ship is contracted while space behind it is expanded, allowing the ship to travel distances in less time than light would take. The ship itself remains in what Alcubierre termed a "warp bubble" and, within that bubble, never goes faster than the speed of light.


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## RejZoR (May 15, 2013)

It's all fine for as long as the first FTL flight doesn't end up as with Event Horizon and Von Braun/Rickenbacker...


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## Frick (May 15, 2013)

Bad article. Too much pop culture, not enough science.

Also, I immedietly thought about folding space (from Dune).

Also Star Trek is extremely overrated.


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## W1zzard (May 15, 2013)

Is there actually any Star Trek tech that may actually _not_ work ? Hmm transporter maybe .. anything else?

Alcubierre Drive requires negative energy, more energy than available in the universe, violates causality


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## 15th Warlock (May 15, 2013)

W1zzard said:


> Is there actually any Star Trek tech that may actually _not_ work ? Hmm transporter maybe .. anything else?
> 
> Alcubierre Drive requires negative energy, more energy than available in the universe, violates causality



Food replicators


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## W1zzard (May 15, 2013)

15th Warlock said:


> Food replicators



fill 3d printer with food, done


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## qubit (May 15, 2013)

I think it will work and the paradoxes resolved, but I reckon that a functioning warp drive spaceship is a good 100 years out.

So for us, we'll have to just keep dreaming.


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## 1freedude (May 15, 2013)

Haha, W1zz hijacked your thread with a Tractor Beam!


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## Inceptor (May 16, 2013)

Sasqui said:


> http://www.space.com/21140-star-trek-warp-drive-possible.html
> 
> I'm sure this has been posted at some point here before...



Massive amounts of energy are required...like the power output of an average star...
Either to create the theoretical exotic matter that might allow for an Alcubierre Drive or to just brute force it.

Still, it would be cool.


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## DannibusX (May 16, 2013)

W1zzard said:


> Is there actually any Star Trek tech that may actually _not_ work ? Hmm transporter maybe .. anything else?
> 
> Alcubierre Drive requires negative energy, more energy than available in the universe, violates causality



Data.  The AI will kill us long before we perfect it like that.


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## Mathragh (May 16, 2013)

Well, indeed it sounds like something that would cost way too much energy to accomplish at the moment. 

However, you do not then factor in the fact that we might find ways to manipulate spacetime, which could greatly lessen the energy needed for such a thing.
Just think of an ordinary light bulb, and then compare that to LED's, or the upcoming LET's.

I'm not saying it'll ever get easy, but remarks like "We'll never have enough energy", to me sound a bit like "Computers will never get smaller than a 3x3x3M room".




W1zzard said:


> Is there actually any Star Trek tech that may actually _not_ work ? Hmm transporter maybe .. anything else?



One of the things I find truly implausible, and probably never possible, is the way the com system works, without people having implants, or telepathy. They always say something like, "Picard to doctor Crusher", which the receiving person then instantly hears, even the part where Picard has only said, "Picard". How the hell did the "computer" know which person to route the call to before the caller has even mentioned the receiving person? =D

I know I know


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## Aquinus (May 16, 2013)

Mathragh said:


> They always say something like, "Picard to doctor Crusher", which the receiving person then instantly hears, even the part where Picard has only said, "Picard". How the hell did the "computer" know which person to route the call to before the caller has even mentioned the receiving person?



It's called record the message first, scan it, find out who it's intended for, and reply it back on an open channel. Ta-da! Done!


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## Mathragh (May 16, 2013)

Aquinus said:


> It's called record the message first, scan it, find out who it's intended for, and reply it back on an open channel. Ta-da! Done!



I doubt that's what it called, furthermore, there is no time for recording and scanning in instant messaging.

I know there can be all sorts of explanations, but none of them can truly clarify exactly how it works in its current(star trek universe) form. I just wanted to make a point


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## AphexDreamer (May 16, 2013)

Cubert J. Farnsworth: I understand how the engines work now. It came to me in a dream. The engines don't move the ship at all. The ship stays where it is, and the engines move the universe around it.


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## WhiteLotus (May 16, 2013)

W1zzard said:


> Is there actually any Star Trek tech that may actually _not_ work ? Hmm transporter maybe .. anything else?
> 
> Alcubierre Drive requires negative energy, more energy than available in the universe, violates causality



Sci-fi: Saving the planet one great idea at a time.


Oh and Holo Deck?


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## Sasqui (May 16, 2013)

W1zzard said:


> violates causality



Says you!  

Laws of physics?  I never studied law.


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