[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Re: starship-design: My two cents (was Re: Battleship Galactica?)
Kyle R. Mcallister writes:
> Steve VanDevender wrote:
> >
> > Kyle R. Mcallister writes:
> > > Note to physicists: Don't repeat the causality-problems
> > > with tachyons. Sagan, Drake, Orgel, Kardashev, et al have speculate on
> > > this. I think I can too.
> >
> > Apparently they (and you) were speculating without bothering to check
> > their physics. Aside from the causality problems, a quantum mechanical
> > analysis of tachyons shows that they can't be used for FTL
> > communication: either a tachyon travels FTL, but doesn't interact with
> > our universe, or it doesn't travel FTL.
>
> I did not know this. Can you reccomend where I could get information on
> this?
There's a brief article with a more detailed analysis of tachyons at:
http://sunsite.unc.edu/lunar/school/library/tachyons.html
It's an excerpt from the sci.physics FAQ, which is also good reading.
> > Authority counts for nothing in science. Just because an authority
> > speculates about something doesn't mean it's true.
>
> I suppose thats true. It was just an example though.
There is certainly a possibility that more advanced civilizations use
communications methods that we can't detect at multi-light-year
distances. Even our civilization is starting to use methods that
radiate less to the universe (cable, lasers, etc.).