Heim theory (Hyperdrive technology for space travel)

[Valiant]

I believe that there are several mathematicians, physicists and other people on here that really know what the Heim theory is all about. I'd like you to say what you think about this... In my non-professional opinion, this seems like one of the most important things I've ever read about.



Does the Heim theory hold any water?

If not, then what is wrong, and why?

Will the human race be able to travel faster than light to visit other worlds in the near future(let's say 10-200 years)?

What needs to be invented for this theory to work in practice?

 

[Nocapszy]

Obviously, we need a solar sail and a leash.
We hire some old style wranglers ad tie up the sun, drag it with us and sail by way of photon reflection. It'll undoubtedly take years to get going fast enough, but we'll reach the speed of light, then jettison a craft or series of crafts from the sail to get the extra speed boost.

 

[Valiant]

You mean that in order to achieve faster-than-light travel, we need to have something that is faster already?

 

[Oberon]

You mean that in order to achieve faster-than-light travel, we need to have something that is faster already?

Nocapszy is toying with you. He knows that as long as we're locked into the current physical model, faster-than-light travel is absolutely impossible. Einstein said it, and Lorentz quantified it. You can accelerate at any rate for any length of time and you'll never exceed C. You'll just get to bigger and bigger fractions of C.

In order to make FTL possible, we would need... and Heim presumably provides... a new model.

 

[ptgatsby]

You mean that in order to achieve faster-than-light travel, we need to have something that is faster already?

I think he means we should leash a star and use it to accelerate itself with a solar sail. To faster than light. And change velocity by dropping mass (or maybe just increase acceleration... or something. I dunno.)


Anyway, I am not a physicist, but my understanding of it is that it requires material sciences to advance so that the velocity of electrons can increase (this could also be achieved in other ways, but either way, a material that would support it).

Of course, I believe the theory doesn't hold a lot of weight at this point. If it is shown to be correct, then it essentially says that one of the paradoxes in the system (the changing of one of two constants) can only be resolved by adding 'spaces/dimensions'. But that requires the theory to be correct and the resolution to operate in the manner described.

 

[Valiant]

Hmm... But suppose that we could get alien materials through the mining of, let's say, asteroids?

Option number two is to invent and synthetically construct such materials. No doubt scientists are experimenting with stuff like this already.


Hyperspace travel and material acquisition are two subjects that i'm almost emotional about. So much could be achieved if we had stronger, harder, lighter and more durable materials than what we have available.

 

[ptgatsby]

Hmm... But suppose that we could get alien materials through the mining of, let's say, asteroids?

Not really... I mean, unless there are some very unusual combinations made in the lack of atmosphere or gravity, I wouldn't think there would be much out there. The same ingredients are here on earth.

It'll be something fairly complex, I would imagine - I think superconductors are mentioned as being close in one of the papers.

Option number two is to invent and synthetically construct such materials. No doubt scientists are experimenting with stuff like this already.

Yup! I don't think such a material is possible at this point... I believe some people have mentioned Cooper's electron pair instead.

Hyperspace travel and material acquisition are two subjects that i'm almost emotional about. So much could be achieved if we had stronger, harder and lighter and more durable materials than what we have available.

We are advancing very quickly now that we have nano-manufacturers. It may not seem fast enough, but it's growing faster now than it ever has in history... significantly faster!

I actually think the opposite. It's power that is our major limiting factor... if we could build vessels with nuclear engines and what not, we'd be able to shuttle around fairly easily. It's a multi-faceted issue. We don't have the groundwork to be in space yet, and our focus isn't there.

 

[Oberon]

Hmm... But suppose that we could get alien materials through the mining of, let's say, asteroids?

Option number two is to invent and synthetically construct such materials. No doubt scientists are experimenting with stuff like this already.


Hyperspace travel and material acquisition are two subjects that i'm almost emotional about. So much could be achieved if we had stronger, harder, lighter and more durable materials than what we have available.

The obstacles to faster-than-light travel are theoretical at this point, not physical. It's a physical impossibility, like it's a physical impossibility to pick yourself up by your own bootstraps. It doesn't matter what material you make the bootstraps out of, it still can't be done.

 

[Valiant]

...Helium-filled giant bootstraps, mouse.

 

[Edgar]

I learned everything I need to know about the space time continuum from flipping through astrophysics books in Barnes and Noble (the ones that have pictures) and from watching Friday night movies on the Sci Fi channel, and I can confidently tell you that the only way to "travel" faster than the speed of light is to go through a warm hole. Unfortunately, those things are rather scarce, and the ships that can withstand the travel through a warm hole are even harder to come by.

 

[Jack Flak]

I learned everything I need to know about the space time continuum from flipping through astrophysics books in Barnes and Noble (the ones that have pictures) and from watching Friday night movies on the Sci Fi channel, and I can confidently tell you that the only way to "travel" faster than the speed of light is to go through a warm hole. Unfortunately, those things are rather scarce, and the ships that can withstand the travel through a warm hole are even harder to come by.

Yup. But I think I might have read more on this subject, which is extremely unusual. I don't read books regularly, but about 1/4 of them were about physics.

 

[Valiant]

Got any thoughts about it, then?

 

[Virtual ghost]

Here is my part.

This is unconventional problem that needs unconventional solution.

From what I know(I could be wrong) the problem does't exist.
Our real problem is that we need to find a energy source that is strong enough to accelerate a ship(or whatever) close to speed of light.

But in that scenario our concept of time doesn't work anymore.
So the traveller will experiance that flow of time is slowing down outside of a ship.
What means that in a same period of time you can pass greater distance.


So instead of going over the speed of light you are slowing speed of your life.
To you everything looks normal but it isn't.
The only real problem is that time outside of your "bubble" is going normaly so alot of time will pass while you were in your ship for a short amount of time.
For example it could happen to you that when you get where you want be that instead of research opportunity you will get a warm welcome from people who live there.
Since you were gone for so long humanity had a time to develope better way of transportation and they left you in you ship simply bacause that would sound cool in history books. Or they(civilization) just forgot about you.


But to tell you the truth I think that no one is thinking about something that could be our biggest problem with space exploration.

The problem is that space is not emply. It is full of rocks, ice and dust and if you go
100 000 km/h(what is very slow) you can't risk any collision.What could be much harder then it's look like. But that is another story.

 

[Edgar]

Got any thoughts about it, then?

Here are my thoughts on the "traveling at the speed of light":

[YOUTUBE="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58CJih1iYC0"]Don't Stop Me Now[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Jack Flak]

Got any thoughts about it, then?

Not really. I'm not equipped well-enough in the mathematics to judge this Heim theory, but let's say the proof shall be in the pudding. Iirc, hyperspace itself isn't even considered "likely" yet.

 

[ptgatsby]

It doesn't matter what material you make the bootstraps out of, it still can't be done.

Just for reference, the material here is needed as part of the "engine" to produce the hyper space described in the theory. Kind of like needing a superconductor for levitating with magnetic fields.

 

[Valiant]

But to tell you the truth I think that no one is thinking about something that could be our biggest problem with space exploration.

The problem is that space is not emply. It is full of rocks, ice and dust and if you go
100 000 km/h(what is very slow) you can't risk any collision.What could be much harder then it's look like. But that is another story.

Deflector shields. Apparently there's a thread about it on the forum... It's in development.

 

[Willfrey]

I don't think this exactly shatters the notion that we can't travel faster than light, but I think some may find this article interesting.

 

[runvardh]

Deflector shields. Apparently there's a thread about it on the forum... It's in development.

It's only good against solar wind right now.

 

[ptgatsby]

It's only good against solar wind right now.

Yup. And probably only will be, even in theory, for some time. (Who knows though, really.)

--

Keep in mind that we do have stuff up there in space, and it survives the flights just fine. Well, relatively fine. It's not really that big of a deal.