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Originally Posted by maximara
I saw it and I think calling them "Space-warp based sub-light drives" is more confusing then helpful
Space-warp by it very nature implies FTL while sub-light is anything that isn't FTL.
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Not to me, due to having read (but not having the mathematics or physics knowledge to really understand) a number of magazine articles on exotic drive systems that various scientists are working on. One of the critiques I recall was that some other scientists think that while you could have a drive that warps space, you couldn't have one that exceeds the speed of light in a vacuum. Obviously I hope that they're wrong, or that there's another (not-horribly-expensive) way around the light-speed limit, but it's something that stuck in my mind, and no-one in the
main discussion/development thread on SB.com objected to the title. Do you have any interest in joining SB.com, and perhaps saving me from errors like that (I really can't think of a better title, and it's a bit late to change it).
Quote:
Originally Posted by maximara
In fact, I wrote up a simple explanation for one of my fanfic or how the Stargates there work:
“Simply put, spacetime is a concept that connects the three dimensions of space with one of time,” Ami held out her hands together palms up. “Think of one of my thumbs being the Earth and the other the Moon. The Crystal Gates bend space time,” she continued closing her palms, “until from their prospective the Earth and Moon are right next to each other,” she finished her thumbs touching. “The formal term for it is an Einstein-Rosen Bridge; the common term is wormhole and is a way to go between two points faster than would be possible in ‘normal’ space. The problem is other than intense gravity the only way to do that would to access another dimension and that would put stress on any structure.”
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I should mention that the above is completely viable under real world physics until you hit the "that would put stress on any structure" part with is plot cement as to way to explain why the Crystal Gates become Stargates.
Things like hyperdrive or the space-fold system in Macross/Robotech work along these lines.
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It's a very clear and concise explanation of what a wormhole is, certainly.
Quote:
Originally Posted by maximara
I should add that Star Trek (TOS era) strongly hints at its sublight impulse drives being atomic powered. (Doomsday Machine)
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Also in 'Court Martial,' where we find out that Ben Finney once left a circuit open in the USS
Republic's atomic matter piles, which could have destroyed the ship if it hadn't been closed soon enough.
May reply to the last bit later, have stuff to do RL, shortly.