The debate rages on....

OK, so I was just surfing along on the information superhighway, and what should I happen across but an article that stated that a team of independant scientists in an Italian research lab have said that the faster-than-light particles found during the experimentation in CERN were false, and that the general relativity model is fine. Now its got groups of scientists in Japan and 2 other countries recreating the experiment to try and prove once and for all whether or not it is possible for a particle to move faster than the speed of light or not.

So, what do my esteemed colleagues on this forum think? Can we move faster than the speed of light? Is it really important whether or not we can move faster than the speed of light? And even if we could move faster than the speed of light, what would we do with that capacity?

Probably find a way to blow each other to smithereens. With super-fast missiles.

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Least intelligent comment ever in this section. I apologize.

I'm content here on our spinning blue world as it is; whether or not we have FTl travel has no effect over my life, unless it brings about significant advances in non-space travel technology.

Admittedly, being able to drive that fast would be pretty cool. Just topped you, Arch.

man, I'd love to be able to walk that fast... or OOH! MOTORCYCLE! AWW YEAH, REAL LIFE TRON!

I think I might have just won.

I am a firm believer in "You most likely won't figure out how to do something until it is absolutely necessary that you do." I am also a firm believer in, "Everything happens for a reason", be it Destiny or a loose interpretation of the Chaos theory. Also on my list of beliefs is the Uncertainty principle. So to answer your questions in order:
1. Yes
2. No, but will we try and find out? Yes.
3. We would simply find the next limit that we think is unbreakable, then try to prove it can be broken. Because that is what we have always done, that is what we are doing, and that is probably what we will always be doing.

Honestly, if some alien species came to Earth tomorrow, with a sixth month warning, as well as peace, and told us it is indeed impossible to go beyond or to the speed of light, what do you think mankind would do... (other than panic, because OMG ALEIN!)

I think they would say, "Whatevs bro." then try it anyways. Because us Humens are Stubborn mother fuckers.

OH! I know. We would create a web of information across the globe, that is nearly instantaneous and accessible in most major cities! They will call it... the global information biway of broadcasting legislation execution and transportation! (GIBBLET!) I WIN NAO!

It would be impossible for any craft to move faster than light, otherwise it would just completely destroy itself, or a particle that it will inevitably run into will. Technologically aliens have to reason to invade, abduct, or even have a treaty with us. Our technology would be primitive at best compared to them and the only reason they would come to Earth is to expand their Empire assuming they even have one. Our resources are out of the question since they are alien to them and may be dangerous.

Making cars and other land vehicles that are able to break the sound barrier however is much more likely, yet still dangerous.

Even if we don't figure it out I imagine we'll find a loop-hole for us to abuse that will allow us to. Such as the bending of space loop-hole. You're technically not moving there...

Because mankind are just stubborn fucktards.

PHYSICS SAYS WE CAN'T? WELL FUCK PHYSICS, WE'LL DRIVE STRAIGHT INTO A BLACK HOLE.

Coincidentally, I think one plan to bend space was to "create" a black-hole big enough to distort space-time enough to allow us to just pass over to where we want to go with ease. Although there's still the issue of there being a massive hole threatening to pull us in that would require closing up.

Shade wrote:

I'm content here on our spinning blue world as it is; whether or not we have FTl travel has no effect over my life, unless it brings about significant advances in non-space travel technology.

Admittedly, being able to drive that fast would be pretty cool. Just topped you, Arch.

Clever girl...

My problem using a black hole like that is the whole infinity density and infinite gravity problem. Black holes can rip your cellular structure apart from a great distance, a galactic black hole, the giant massive ones you find at the center of galaxies, can rip your cells apart from billions upon billions of miles away. They release electromagnetic radiation, and so would interfere with any vessels trying to get close, if you even find a way to get around it with the massive gravity.

It would have to be massive to warp spacetime enough to move two regions of space, that were once far away from each other, close to one another and allow faster travel. Why I am not sure about wormholes in a way, theoretically they exist, but what connects the two vortexes together over huge expanses of space? That pathway through each one has to be somewhere, and if it simply warped space, then the space between the two wormholes would be warped, and you just get a giant line across galaxies that acts like a black hole, or severe gravitational disruptions because suddenly once far away stars and planets would be moved closer together from the warping of spacetime, and now their gravity fields would affect each other.

Sounds like more trouble then it is worth, if you can find a way to fly a ship around a black hole and not have it get crushed, the energy necessary to make one and use it that way, and then a way to close it.

I have to agree with you conditionally Impz. I'm willing to suspend disbelief as to what joins the two holes in space, but if you have the kind of energy available to slingshot around a black hole unharmed, you can just go straight and still be going really fast.

Incidentally, has anyone heard of the 'bubble' theory? The idea of wrapping a ship up in a bubble where normal space-time exists and passing through normal space-time at faster-than-light speeds?

Even for me, that one sounds rather odd. How would you create such a bubble, for starters, and more importantly, how could you stablize it against whatever exists beyond normal space-time?

That is an Alcuibere drive or however they spell it. Another name is Warp drive. It is the same thing Star Trek uses believe it or not, creating warp bubbles in spacetime to move faster then the speed of light. The concept is simple.

It stretches and compresses spacetime. Space in front of it is compresses and pulled smaller, while space behind it is stretched.

This means you travel the same amount of space, at normal speed. But because the space is compressed, it is like traveling at FTL speeds, without going faster then light.

Of course, to warp and bend spacetime like this requires a huge amount of energy, not to mention warping spacetime would affect everything around you. Like, it would be a danger to activate a powerful warp drive in our solar system, at risk of affecting other planetary gravitational wells. Seems crazy, but if you are warping spacetime to a degree to move faster in space without going at FTL speeds, then it would probably be enough to pull planets out of alignment if you get too close.

Now the idea is, how do you do that?

Exactly the reason why it has not been done. Purely theoretical, all we know is massive mass and density creates large warping in spacetime, gravity. But who wants to try and drive a black hole around?