Re: starship-design: FTL travel

[Bjorn Nilsson <f96bni@student.tdb.uu.se>]

On Wed, 23 Sep 1998, Kyle R. Mcallister wrote:

> Walker, Chris wrote:
> > 
> > Bjorn,
> > 
> > I meant that I agreed that FTL travel was *necessary* for attempting serious
> > interstellar exploration, rather than I thought FTL travel was *possible*.
> > I'm still learning much about the various theories regarding  this subject,
> > so do not feel qualified to comment on whether or not it is possible -
> > that's why I was curious as to Kyle's beliefs in FTL flight.
> 
> A theory cannot tell you if something is or is not possible. Many of the
> scientists who hold power today fail to recongnize this. Experiments can
> give you proof, but not theory. I am not saying theory is bad, however.
> It is necessary to logically organize experimental results and make
> predictions.

Well, that is VERY much a question of philosophy...

I personnaly think that it is well within the capacity of the human mind
to give proof from theory alone, as long as the base for the theory is
sound and your reasoning is stringent enough such a proof is at LEAST as
real to me as any experimental measurment. 

It all depends on your view of what constitutes the (scientific) thruth!
To you it is limeted to what can be OBSERVED, to me it is limeted to what
can be EXPLAINED and to others it might be a combination of the two!



Sorry for straying so far OT

/Bjorn