The idea and notion of travelling faster than light has always been associated with science fiction, be it movies or scientific comic stories. These have been illustrated in movies such as Star Trek and Star Wars; in an instant, it seemed as though humanity would never be able to speed across galaxies. Having said that, a group of researchers seem to have discovered something extraordinary that could make this “fictional idea” a reality. Dr Jared Fuchs, who is leading a team of physicists, expressed that the rules of physics do not need to be violated; instead, to move faster than light, you just need to bend the space around you.
I know it sounds crazy and wild, and you are probably reading this and thinking, “That is impossible!” However, this is based on real science and physics research. According to The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), the paper published does contain real and calculated information regarding travelling faster than light. This concept can make travelling simple without worrying about the laws of physics.
Warp Drives: The unexpected science of bending, not breaking
There is a full, detailed theory of relativity by Albert Einstein regarding travelling faster than light and it states that nothing can travel faster than light in space and traditionally, it violates physics and its laws. However, what if you do not have to travel through space? For example, rather than crossing the room, picture yourself sitting on a rug that expands the area behind you and folds it in front of you. That is the basic idea underlying a warp drive.
That which was concluded to be impossible has triggered researchers even more to try and figure out if they can make it possible, and that is what these researchers from UAH have done. Their findings and research have numerically illustrated that under certain situations classic warp drives can be formed to satisfy energy conditions. In other words, the physicists assert that a warp drive would be feasible if the calculations add up, but technology is holding us back.
This warp drive model stands out and this is why
Perhaps it is new to you, but the warp drive model concept began in 1994. When it was envisioned about three decades ago, the idea was a spacecraft seated inside a “bubble” that extends space behind it and closes it in front with negative energy involved; however, Fuchs and the team’s concept eliminates the whole negative energy idea, according to The University of Alabama in Huntsville. The goal is to manipulate spacetime with positive energy.
The team of physicists expressed and elaborated,
“Contrary to popular discussions, warp doesn’t expand or contract space. Rather, it relies on large amounts of energy moving rapidly around the passenger volume which creates a conveyor belt effect on the inside. This energy motion is like a smoke ring, but on the inside of this ring, it can transport passengers along via gravity. If you make this ring of matter move while you modify this conveyor effect, you have a warp drive that transports passengers along space-time.”
Although it hasn’t been implemented in real life yet, the blueprint is being drafted
According to ZME Science, there is no assurance of the warp being realistic and operating or being applied in real life. This is because there are major technological and engineering hurdles and challenges that need to be overcome. It is still a mathematical model and concept, and the theoretical model depends on an extremely complex and unproven configuration of matter and energy distributions, even if it is sound within the parameters of general relativity and classical physics. It is impressive to see humanity’s curiosity stating that you just need to twist the space like these experts propose.