Can Magnitism Stretch Time and Allow for Faster-Than-Light Travel?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of using magnetism to stretch time and its implications for faster-than-light (FTL) travel. Participants explore the feasibility of this idea, addressing both theoretical and conceptual aspects, while also referencing personal anecdotes and interpretations of claims made by a physics hobbyist.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express skepticism about the idea that magnetism can stretch time to enable FTL travel, questioning the underlying physics.
  • One participant mentions the need for infinite energy to achieve FTL travel, suggesting that this is a significant barrier to the hypothesis.
  • Another participant highlights the limited contribution of energy to bending spacetime, referencing the mass-energy equivalence principle.
  • There is mention of existing theoretical concepts like warp drives and space folding, which may offer alternative approaches to FTL travel, though their connection to magnetism is unclear.
  • One participant speculates that the teacher's claim of having traveled faster than light might stem from a misunderstanding or a joke.
  • Another participant suggests that the teacher's assertion could be a paradox meant to provoke thought and discussion, rather than a literal claim.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally disagree on the validity of the teacher's claims regarding magnetism and FTL travel. Multiple competing views remain, with no consensus reached on the feasibility of the proposed ideas.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes various assumptions about the nature of energy, spacetime, and the implications of magnetism, which remain unresolved. The references to theoretical constructs like warp drives suggest a complex interplay of ideas that are not fully explored.

RuroumiKenshin
My woodshop teacher, who is a physics hobbyist, insists that by using magnitism to stretch time, we could travel faster than light.

I protested at the idea; but my explanations of how time doesn't matter much when it comes to ftl travel, and the fact that you need infinite energy failed to convince him. Besides, I don't see how 'stretching time' could allow for ftl travel.

To prove his hypothesis, he took one step, and claimed he traveled faster than light. Can anyone make sense out of this??
 
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Originally posted by MajinVegeta
My woodshop teacher, who is a physics hobbyist, insists that by using magnitism to stretch time, we could travel faster than light.

I protested at the idea; but my explanations of how time doesn't matter much when it comes to ftl travel, and the fact that you need infinite energy failed to convince him. Besides, I don't see how 'stretching time' could allow for ftl travel.

To prove his hypothesis, he took one step, and claimed he traveled faster than light. Can anyone make sense out of this??

Well, as far as using magnetism to "stretch time", I'd have to hear some kind of idea as to how this could be accomplished.

As for that last comment (about his having traveled faster than light), I think he was either joking, or under some strange misconception.
 
I don't think so because the only contribution to bending spacetime that energy makes is small - m=E/c2 (or m=hf/c2), so 1 kilogram of matter bends space the same as a super-concentrated energy of 9x1016 joules. That'd be a lot of EM energy, such as having a bunch of H-bombs in a very small space.
 
Originally posted by MajinVegeta
My woodshop teacher, who is a physics hobbyist, insists that by using magnitism to stretch time, we could travel faster than light.

I protested at the idea; but my explanations of how time doesn't matter much when it comes to ftl travel, and the fact that you need infinite energy failed to convince him. Besides, I don't see how 'stretching time' could allow for ftl travel.

To prove his hypothesis, he took one step, and claimed he traveled faster than light. Can anyone make sense out of this??

We do have ideas for warp drive using "Space Folding". I don't know of any magnetic [really electric anyway] connection, but the energy requirement may not be infinite to "avoid" the sol limitation.
 
Originally posted by MajinVegeta
To prove his hypothesis, he took one step, and claimed he traveled faster than light. Can anyone make sense out of this??

I think his point was: try to prove him wrong. He probably got this from KPAX. I suspect his point was the very paradox that you seek to resolve...and the fact that you are doing it [edit] means that he was successful!
 
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