The Downside of Warp Drives: Annihilating Whole Star Systems When You Arrive

MrSeb writes "The dream of faster-than-light travel has been on the mind of humanity for generations. Until recently, though, it was restricted to the realm of pure science fiction. Theoretical mechanisms for warp drives have been posited by science, some of which actually jive quite nicely with what we know of physics. Of course, that doesn't mean they're actually going to work, though. NASA researchers recently revisited the Alcubierre warp drive and concluded that its power requirements were not as impossible as once thought. However, a new analysis from the University of Sydney claims that using a warp drive of this design comes with a drawback. Specifically, it could cause cataclysmic explosions at your destination."

Comments

Re:Theoritical fix for theoritical problem

[MozeeToby]

If we have the technology to make a negative gravitational gradient (which all the FTL theoretical engines require, incidentally) you can do a lot of neat stuff. Make a ball of negative mass matter and let go and watch it shoot straight up just for kicks. Of course, there's absolutely no reason to expect that such a material is possible; oh sure, the math works out if you assume it can exist, but that doesn't mean that it is physically possible.

Maybe this is where OMG particles come from

[istartedi]

Advanced civilizations might have this drive, and prevent too much particle buildup. It might not be perfect though, so every once in a while a handful of particles come along for the ride. How else do you explain a proton with the kinetic energy of a pitched baseball?