Feasibility of Alcubierre drive

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In summary: This is of course very far from providing evidence of a "warp drive"In summary, the discussion is about the Alcubierre drive and its feasibility. The person has doubts but the other party mentions Harold White's experiments as evidence that it can be built. The speaker is curious about the current thoughts on the drive and mentions that it does not violate general relativity, but wonders about its compatibility with quantum mechanics and quantum gravity. However, there is skepticism among serious physicists about the feasibility of the drive due to the requirement of exotic matter and other major problems. The Alcubierre drive is considered a sci-fi concept and not a physically realizable technology.
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huginn
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I am in a discussion with someone about the Alcubierre drive. I have doubts about it and he seems to think that Harold White experiments shows it can be built
I am trying yo get an idea what current thought is on the drive. I know the drive does not violate general relativity but what about quantum mechanics or quantum gravity
 
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  • #2
huginn said:
I am in a discussion with someone about the Alcubierre drive. I have doubts about it and he seems to think that Harold White experiments shows it can be built
I am trying yo get an idea what current thought is on the drive. I know the drive does not violate general relativity but what about quantum mechanics or quantum gravity
He can believe what he likes, the question is do serious physicists think so, and the answer is no. It requires exotic matter (negative mass) that is not believed to exist, and that's just the first of several major problems. It is a sci-fic pipe dream based on math that is not believed to be physically realizable. Google "Sean Carroll Alcubierre drive"

To summarize his comments (his words):

A bit ago, the news streams were once again abuzz with claims that NASA was investigating amazing space drives that violate the laws of physics. And it’s true! If we grant that “NASA” includes “any person employed by NASA,” and “investigating” is defined as “wasting time and money thinking about.”
 
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huginn said:
Harold White experiments
I don't know which specific experiment is being referenced here. The only experiment I have read of his showed a blatant misuse of statistics in order to get a significant result from a data set that did not appear to support the conclusion.
 

Related to Feasibility of Alcubierre drive

What is the Alcubierre drive and how does it work?

The Alcubierre drive is a theoretical concept for a type of propulsion system that would allow a spacecraft to travel faster than the speed of light. It works by creating a bubble of space-time around the spacecraft, which would effectively warp the space-time continuum and allow the spacecraft to move through it at incredible speeds.

Is the Alcubierre drive possible?

At this time, the Alcubierre drive is still purely a theoretical concept and has not been proven to be possible. While the mathematics behind the idea are sound, there are many technical challenges and unknown variables that would need to be addressed before it could be considered a feasible technology.

What are the potential benefits of the Alcubierre drive?

If the Alcubierre drive were to become a reality, it could potentially revolutionize space travel by allowing us to reach distant planets and stars in a fraction of the time it would take with conventional propulsion systems. It could also open up new possibilities for scientific exploration and discovery.

What are the major challenges in developing the Alcubierre drive?

Some of the major challenges in developing the Alcubierre drive include finding a way to generate the immense amounts of energy needed to create the space-time bubble, understanding the potential effects on the space-time continuum, and overcoming technical obstacles such as the creation and maintenance of the bubble itself.

Are there any ethical concerns surrounding the Alcubierre drive?

While there are currently no ethical concerns directly related to the Alcubierre drive, if it were to become a reality, it could potentially raise questions about the impact of faster-than-light travel on our universe and the potential consequences of altering the fabric of space and time.

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