Meet the NASA scientist devising a starship warp drive

[Archaea]

I came across this article about warp drives:

Meet the NASA scientist devising a starship warp drive
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21929300.300-meet-the-nasa-scientist-devising-a-starship-warp-drive.html#.UhgU_Ep-_2c

I thought this bit was interesting:

[...]

What would it be like to travel at warp speed?
You would have an initial velocity as you set off, and then when you turn on the ring of negative vacuum energy it augments your velocity. Space would contract in front of the spacecraft and expand behind it, sending you sliding through warped space-time and covering the distance at a much quicker rate. It would be like watching a film in fast forward.

Even if travelling at warp speed is theoretically possible, don't the huge energy requirements make it unlikely?
When the idea was first proposed mathematically in 1994 it required a vast amount of negative vacuum energy which made the idea seem impossible. I did some work in 2011 and 2012 as part of the 100 Year Starship symposium and discovered ways to reduce the energy requirements by many orders of magnitude, so for a 10-metre diameter spacecraft with a velocity of 10 times light speed, I can reduce the negative energy needed.

[...]

I wonder if negative energy is related to negative temperature, discussed here: Negative temperature. (http://cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php/topic,30089.msg389499.html#msg389499) If so, then all they have to do is create a largish "quantum energy mountain" in a magnetic field, flip the magnetic field, and fly off into space.

I also remember reading in a 2003 Scientific American magazine physics special that moving a mirror with a laser bouncing off it can create pockets of negative energy, although I can't recall the specifics.

 

[Richs]

Here is an interview with a professor who claims he has actually reproduced the warp effect at a very small scale.

"Professor David Pares – Space Warp Breakthrough – August 5, 2013

Posted by: Alejandro Rojas
August 6, 2013
4 Comments
2084 Views

Open Minds UFO Radio: David Pares is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Metropolitan Community College, Nebraska Wesleyan, and at Buena Vista College. He teaches Physics, Meteorology, Physical Science, Astronomy, Physical Geography (Weather and Climate) & (Soils and Landforms), Physical Geology and Statistics. In his spare time he runs Space Warp experiments in his garage. He says that Space Warps, like the ones in the sci-fi movies, that bend space allowing faster-than-light travel, occur in nature. He has observed the phenomenon and now he believes he has recreated it on a very small scale in his lab. Pares explains his experiments, how he believes Space Warp technology works, and the exciting implications for the future. You can see his lab and read more about his experiments at his website: -www.ParesSpaceWarpResearch.org"

The interview is at: -http://www.openminds.tv/professor-david-pares-space-warp-breakthrough-august-5-2013/

Even in the case that this is real and verified there would have to be quite a bit of research and development work done to make this into a practical system which could then be used for a large number of applications and not just for spaceflight. He claims that his measurements so far show that an energy level of only 25 to 50 kilowats of power in necessary to operate such systems. More research at higher power levels would better quantify how much power is necessary as he only can operate up to 100 watts with the power supply he has available. Naturally, much more money is needed than he can afford on his own as he has been doing.

 

[Archaea]

Hello Richard S,

Thanks for pointing out that guys website and interview, I've just about read the whole thing. ;)

I think the idea that he's making micro warp bubbles with moving charge is really interesting and it's sort of works with my super-secret theory of physics too. I think what he is doing is shifting the frequency of the laser light with the tri-pole antenna.

Some things which I thought were really cool:
1) He moves some mass with a micro warp bubble.
2) He thinks it's possible to travel to the moon using the same amount of power that a radio station uses.
3) He wants to put them on planes!! So they can fly around the would in a few minutes using less fuel.