5 ms·
> The issue seems to be that the alcubierre drive requires things like external negative energy Yes that's traditionally been the stumbling block. But the whol
by eightails 5y ago
> The issue seems to be that the alcubierre drive requires things like external negative energy
Yes that's traditionally been the stumbling block. But the whole point of the linked article is that they have predicted a way to meet this requirement:
> a micro/nano-scale structure has been discovered that predicts negative energy density distribution that closely matches requirements for the Alcubierre metric
Obviously it's still a very very long way from a practical application re. Alcubierre (if such a thing is possible), but it's certainly an intriguing result if correct.
From a quick flick through the paper, the above commenter seems to be correct in saying that they haven't yet completed a practical experiment to confirm. So nothing more than a simulated result at this stage.
- LegitShady 5y agoYes again it seems like one of those 'theoretically possible but never seen in a lab' kind of requirements, just like negative energy. The PBS spacetime video mentions you can 'do away' with the negative energy requirements at quantum scales, but those aren't really productive scales for useful space flight. Maybe for very tiny micro exploring robots? I'm not sure how such a device would usefully communicate with us though.
- eightails 5y agoI suppose an optimist would say that success, even at a tiny scale, would be a step in the right direction. But you're right, it could well be possible that the effect doesn't scale up. I think gram-scale probes are definitely being considered -- though not with Alcubierre drives obviously lol. Breakthrough Starshot think they can transmit back from Alpha Centauri at 2.6-15 baud per watt by using their light sail as a laser reflector [0]. Pretty crazy. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breakthrough_Starshot#Laser_data_transmitter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breakthrough_Starshot#Laser_da...
- klyrs 5y agoCynical prediction: a nano-scale implementation could be a step towards a cable that can transmit signals faster than light... which would only be useful for HFT
- Dylan16807 5y agoWhat, you don't want the ultimate ping in quake?
- klyrs 5y agoNah, I play turn-based roguelikes.
- RantyDave 5y agoI have a drunken plan involving sending neutrinos through the earth as a form of communication. Friends inform me that it has only three problems: producing the neutrinos; modulating the signal; and detecting it at the other end. I shall continue pottering.
- sterlind 5y agoAtomic bombs produce large bursts of neutrinos, which should be sufficient for the Super-Kamiokande detector in Japan. Amplitude modulation is possible through Dial-a-Yield and MIRV warheads can convey multiple bytes. Environmental impact may rival Bitcoin though..
- eesmith 5y agoHow much earth? Quoting https://www.worldscientific.com/doi/abs/10.1142/S0217732312500770 https://www.worldscientific.com/doi/abs/10.1142/S02177323125... from 2012 > We report on the performance of a low-rate communications link established using the NuMI beam line and the MINERvA detector at Fermilab. The link achieved a decoded data rate of 0.1 bits/sec with a bit error rate of 1% over a distance of 1.035 km, including 240 m of earth. https://arxiv.org/pdf/1601.05022.pdf https://arxiv.org/pdf/1601.05022.pdf from 2016 upped that to 810 km.
- ridgeguy 5y agoNuclear reactors produce neutrinos and they can be detected [1]. For modulation, maybe vary the reactor power output (low bit rate, to be sure). People have explored neutrinos for communication with submerged submarines [2]. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutrino https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutrino [2] http://www.physics.ucla.edu/~hauser/neutrino_communication_paper/siljah_mod.htm http://www.physics.ucla.edu/~hauser/neutrino_communication_p...
- beambot 5y ago> 'theoretically possible but never seen in a lab' Not unlike gravitational waves and the Higgs Boson up until relatively recently...