Hyperdrive and Space Propulsion

Interested reader writes "MSNBC has an article covering the recent Space Technology and Applications Forum in New Mexico, which included a frontier physics session on hyperdrive, wormholes, and other blue sky ideas. The idea is a revival of NASA's long-dead (and heavily criticized) Advanced Propulsion Project."

Comments

The hyperdrive works by skipping ahead

[NthDegree256]

Well, I don't know about the hyperdrive, but I clicked on the hyperlink in the article and I was immediately on page 2! Amazing!

Re:The hyperdrive works by skipping ahead

[Guppy06]

Not as amazing as a Slashdotter RTFA.

Wrong Terminology

[IgnoramusMaximus]

a frontier physics session on hyperdrive, wormholes, and other blue sky ideas.

I believe the proper technical term is: pie in the sky ideas.

Re:Wrong Terminology

[IgnoramusMaximus]

Given that it was held in New Mexico, Blue Sky is appropriate.

I was referring to the imminent practicality of those ideas. There is indeed Blue Sky in New Mexico but in that conference it was mostly obsucred by cloudy pipe dreams. I do wonder if they handed out bongs at the reception.

Re:Wrong Terminology

[IgnoramusMaximus]

What they are doing in acutality is selling you a car for $3,995 or some similar number for which they paid $995.

I must insist that, in this case, the term used by such upstanding, trustworthy, honest an generous businessmen, such as used car salesmen, fails to describe properly the situation at hand. If the ideas discussed in that conference were to be applied to your situation, the "car" would cost $1.5 billion and all that would actually end up being delivered would be an "artist's rendering" in 3D and on many exciting backgrounds. I urge you, modest car lot dwelling gentlemen of integrity, to stick to your trust-inspiring terminology of "Blue Sky" and leave the "Pie In The Sky" to true professionals.

Re:Wrong Terminology

[lucaslucaslucas]

Aliens came up with those?

If that is the case, then I for one welcome our new potsmoking overlords!

Prior Art

[Nom du Keyboard]

And in further news, Star Trek claims prior art and all intellectual property rights to any hyperdrive. A spokesman for Paramount says, "Even though we call it Warp Drive, its all the same thing. We had our spaceship launched back in 1967 and now want royalties on discovery. You saw it on TV, so you know it must be true."

NASA has no comment, but are reportedly checking into the technology of Lost in Space to determine the validity of Star Trek's claims.

Frontier physics?

[Mr. Bad Example]

I keep getting an image in my head of Newton's Laws of Whittlin', and it won't go away.

Mod me down

[Anonymous Coward]

My hyperdrive is so fast, I will be out of the solar system by the time this comment gets modded up.

Re:Mod me down

[raoul666]

I bet you could get there on a scooter by the time your comment gets modded up.

Re:Only one basket?

[interactive_civilian]

Given earth's history, we can easily afford to wait a hundred thousand years before even starting to worry about getting off this planet.

Right...procrastination is always a good policy.

Re:In Short ...

[Anonymous Coward]

... we could see our grand children zipping to Mars and beyond for their honeymoon or school picnic....

Well, this assumes the average Slashdot reader is going to manage how to reproduce. That's a long shot.

---

Look! Here he goes with his nice wife and my son.

Re:Blue Sky ideas?

[IgnoramusMaximus]

Man cannot fly!

I propose an experiment to verify your claim.

Step 1: use an elevator in a tall building and travel to the top floor.

Step 2: obtain access to ther roof.

Step 3: Make sure not to be in possesion of any material objects on your person, nor to be in contact with any during the experiment (you do not want to call in question the data in your triumphant paper on the subject to be published afterwards). Also remove all clothing (necessary to prevent cheating and for an extra perceptual effect to the scientific observers passing below on the sidewalk). Do so quickly as to prevent interruptions from local anti-scientific luddites, who usually pretend to be cops, psychiatrists or priests. Ignore their advice and disregard the silly "Don't jump!" hollering from below (these luddites can be numerous). There will always be some true admirer of science who will encourage you anyways with his gentle and inspiring advice of "Jump! Jump!".

Step 4: Determine the aero-dynamic flight characteristics of Man by launching outwards off the edge off the roof. Attain cruising flight altitude and perform basic aerobatic manouvers, including rolls and loops. Bank left and right over rooftops admiring cheers of the spectators.

Step 5: Land back on roof.

Step 6: Collect Nobel Prize and a 10-season contract for a TV series named "Bareassman!"

Note for the lawyers: the above is satire. I live in Canada anyway. Go away.

Re:Not obligatory, but I feel compelled...

[Inflatable Hippo]

> The engines don't move the ship at all. The ship stays where it is and the engines move the universe around it!

OK team, it's like this: the science guy says rip the engines off the ship and bolt them to the universe. We can't move the damn ship 6 inches and now he wants to launch Nevada...

The old joke...

[Black Parrot]

> Sure, a few blackboards for a few mathematicians and physicists might seem like a cheap way for NASA to look like it is doing something

Administrator #1: "If we start a Department of Mathematics, all we'll need to buy is pencils, papers, and erasers."

Administrator #2: "If we start a Department of Philosophy, we wouldn't need to buy the erasers."

Mmm, orbital cannons

[lennier]

They're perfectly safe.