Interstellar Drive?

[alklloyd]

Yes, but if you exist as light, how do you flip off a mechanical switch that now exists as light as well?

Well, I didn't think you transformed into light. But light has different properties in the other dimension (speed is higher, right?)...
My physics education is nowhere near the level it would take to understand a quarter of this paper. What's impressed me about this is that no physicists are laughing at it. Some are thinking the assumptions are wrong, but no one is saying it's material for the funny papers.
And to see some of this stuff happen in my lifetime would be amazing...so I'm hopeful.

Al

[Ridirich]

Well, just for clearification, I was taught that "E=MC2" means we all exist as Energy as well as Matter(a synopsis of it) so we already exist as wavelengths. Light is just a type of energy, just like sound....

Like I said before though, I imagine the entire ship would be shifted into another form on a quantum phase, and would like to know how it would be shut off.

[TheCotMan]

Well, just for clearification, I was taught that "E=MC2" means we all exist as Energy as well as Matter(a synopsis of it) so we already exist as wavelengths. Light is just a type of energy, just like sound....

Like I said before though, I imagine the entire ship would be shifted into another form on a quantum phase, and would like to know how it would be shut off.

With conventional views of matter accellerated to "the speed of light" a few other problems may exist:
1) Simple math suggests that an infinite amount of energy may be required to accellerate an object to the speed of light
2) Math related to "1)" suggests that objects approaching the speed of light gain mass, and if matter were accellerated to the speed of light, then the mass would be infinite.
3) More math suggests that if we assume that the speed of light is constant, application of conventional physics on motion leads to the stopping of time for passengers in transit. (Often used in conjunction with the above two items.)
4) Other thoughts suggest that as an object approaches the speed of light, it may become 2 dimentional

Other issues that exist from the above include:
if time is stopped for the pilot, how do they make a decision to stop, or choose to stop?
Assuming you were a mass travelling at the speed of light, given the above, how do you slow an infinite mass?
Where can we get infinite energy?
If we are two dimentional, can we trigger a switch that was previously three dimentional?

These all are suggested through use of conventional physics and motion, ignoring special cases.

The above numbered items also do not consider things like "warping" or compression of space, nor do they include "shifting dimentions."

If their ideas (from the article) work as they claim, some of the issues we have with near-light-speed travel, may not be issues. Assuming it "works," we don't know for certain what might apply to an object if it were pushed to higher velocities (net displacement over time) by (ab)using two yet-to-be-shown new forces in physics.

[alklloyd]

Okay, guys...hang on a second.

In the other dimension the laws of physics are NOT the same.

OK?

The speed of light is faster, so why would e=mc2 even apply?
And forget time dilation too; no more coming home to find your people geriatric or dead.

Al K. Lloyd

And as before, I don't really know what I'm talking about.

[TheCotMan]

In the other dimension the laws of physics are NOT the same.

I am not convinced this is the case either.

In this section:

If their ideas (from the article) work as they claim, some of the issues we have with near-light-speed travel, may not be issues. Assuming it "works," we don't know for certain what might apply to an object if it were pushed to higher velocities (net displacement over time) by (ab)using two yet-to-be-shown new forces in physics.

I wondered what rules might apply if their experiment indicates some validity to their assertion. In the response before this, I stated wonder about it as well.

We do not know what rules will or will not apply. I am not convinced that all of the present conventional "rules" will or won't exist. Perhaps new special cases will be developed.

The speed of light is faster, so why would e=mc2 even apply?

This is something that I think would still apply, in the realm of conversion of matter to energy and back again. This idea comes from the consideration that any object "shifted in dimention" once changed would "need"* to conform to the existing laws of conservation of mass/energy once "it" returns back to our space. With E=mc², c is just meant to refer to a very large number, that may or may not be the speed of light if/when experimental values are determined.

*"need"= It does not really need to work this way, but assuming it does not work this way would suggest that matter /energy could be created without consideration of the first two laws of thermodynamics.
If energy or matter can be created through such a process, then "perpetual motion" machines become possible, as we will be able to create matter/energy.
If energy or matter can be destroyed (without compensation/conversion) then the universe would have a "leak" and this creates new questions about "where" the mass and energy leak into.

And forget time dilation too; no more coming home to find your people geriatric or dead.

I am not convinced of this either. Issues of time shifting may or may not still apply-- Remember, time is also considered a dimention, and is often stated to be a 4th dimention.

With respect to "what will happen" to "rules" and objects and people as passengers/pilots, we can paraphrase an old, dead dude, "The only true wisdom comes from knowing that we know nothing" about what will happen.

I still do not think this experiment will work as suggested by the proponents, but if it does work, who will be the first Buackaroo Bonzai?