This is all well and good, except that your idea of an absolute velocity is incorrect. According to Einstein's basic assumptions, upon which all relativity is based, there is no reference frame, and the laws of physics perform the same no matter what your frame. As an example, assume you are on a train travelling 60 mph, and you throw a ball from the back of a car to a friend at the front of the car. Now to an observer in the car, the ball moves in a parabolic arc whose distance is the distance between you and your friend, so classical newtonian mechanics within this frame are correct. To someone outside the train, the ball appears to travel much further, because the forward velocity of the train is cumulative with the forward velocity of the ball. In this frame, the ball also has a parabolic trajectory, but with a much larger overall distance. Einstein's point is this: neither analysis is incorrect. As far as the observer in each case is concerned, his observations show the actual trajectory of the ball. We could expand this analogy up further, to the planet, solar system, galaxy, etc, but the underlying fact remains the same. There is no absolute point from which to measure the "correct" trajectory. In a relativistic universe, there is no preferred reference frame. In fact, the only universal constant is the speed of light, so in fact what the FTL condition is saying is that no object can be moving faster than light in ANY reference frame... So in other words it could not move away from ANY object in the universe at FTL. I hope this wasn't TOO unclear, I tend to ramble:)
Tell a man that there are 400 Billion stars and he'll believe you
An efficient method of storing antimatter might not be as far off as you think. The folks at Princeton Plasma Physics (PPPL.gov) are working on a project called the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX). (http://fileroom.pppl.gov/nstxhome/index.shtml)Thi s project's specific goal is to do research on fusion technologies, and part of that involves developing a highly efficient magnetic storage field for the high-energy plasmas needed to create sustained fusion. So far, the most efficient form they have found is the spherical toriodal "doughnut" which contains plasma. I am not sure of the mathmatics of the situation, but I believe that it takes a stronger field to contain the highly volatile plasma than antimatter, which only releases energy if coming into contact with matter, so, in theory, the NSTX approach should be able to be adapted to contain antimatter. Now if we could just figure out a way to create more than a few subatomic particles of antimatter...
Tell a man that there are 400 Billion stars and he'll believe you
Slashdot Mirror
This is all well and good, except that your idea of an absolute velocity is incorrect. According to Einstein's basic assumptions, upon which all relativity is based, there is no reference frame, and the laws of physics perform the same no matter what your frame. As an example, assume you are on a train travelling 60 mph, and you throw a ball from the back of a car to a friend at the front of the car. Now to an observer in the car, the ball moves in a parabolic arc whose distance is the distance between you and your friend, so classical newtonian mechanics within this frame are correct. To someone outside the train, the ball appears to travel much further, because the forward velocity of the train is cumulative with the forward velocity of the ball. In this frame, the ball also has a parabolic trajectory, but with a much larger overall distance. Einstein's point is this: neither analysis is incorrect. As far as the observer in each case is concerned, his observations show the actual trajectory of the ball. We could expand this analogy up further, to the planet, solar system, galaxy, etc, but the underlying fact remains the same. There is no absolute point from which to measure the "correct" trajectory. In a relativistic universe, there is no preferred reference frame. In fact, the only universal constant is the speed of light, so in fact what the FTL condition is saying is that no object can be moving faster than light in ANY reference frame... So in other words it could not move away from ANY object in the universe at FTL. I hope this wasn't TOO unclear, I tend to ramble :)
Tell a man that there are 400 Billion stars and he'll believe you
An efficient method of storing antimatter might not be as far off as you think. The folks at Princeton Plasma Physics (PPPL.gov) are working on a project called the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX). (http://fileroom.pppl.gov/nstxhome/index.shtml)Thi s project's specific goal is to do research on fusion technologies, and part of that involves developing a highly efficient magnetic storage field for the high-energy plasmas needed to create sustained fusion. So far, the most efficient form they have found is the spherical toriodal "doughnut" which contains plasma. I am not sure of the mathmatics of the situation, but I believe that it takes a stronger field to contain the highly volatile plasma than antimatter, which only releases energy if coming into contact with matter, so, in theory, the NSTX approach should be able to be adapted to contain antimatter. Now if we could just figure out a way to create more than a few subatomic particles of antimatter...
Tell a man that there are 400 Billion stars and he'll believe you