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jlebrech | 7 years ago

how about we just figure out how to get as close as possible to 1C?

discuss

order

Xophmeister|7 years ago

We already know how to get arbitrarily close to 1C: just keep adding energy to the system to produce enough thrust to overcome the additional mass of said energy's source and the relative mass increase from getting closer to 1C. It's just not practical and the laws of physics forbid it from ever being practical.

jlebrech|7 years ago

but if we keep trying there should be a spacefaring equivalent of Moores law?

what if instead of formula 1 we had races in orbit? this would push the boat out.

russdill|7 years ago

Without a preferential reference frame, that's a nonsensical question. You can define your velocity to be arbitrarily close to C just be defining in relation to which inertial reference frame.

nategri|7 years ago

I would point out that this is "nonsensically pedantic." Clearly the frames of note are the one you begin your acceleration in and the one you end your acceleration in.

tbabb|7 years ago

That's rather a pointless nitpick. If we want to get from point A to point B, we can do it faster by travelling faster.

The reference frame of either the origin or destination is a perfectly good/useful reference frame to choose.

russdill|7 years ago

The more important question is with an Alcubierre drive, how do you decide which direction it was traveling. Since it is traveling faster than C, you can pick a reference frame where it goes frame A to B, one where it disappears from A and arrives at B instantly, and one where it goes from B to A.