4 ms·

> but as I attempt to learn more and more about physics, travel approaching the speed of light, the mechanics that transformed us from a basic life form to a li

> but as I attempt to learn more and more about physics, travel approaching the speed of light, the mechanics that transformed us from a basic life form to a life form with a consciousness, it just seem incredibly unlikely sadly As if humanity's knowledge circa 2023 is the end-all of things!

nprateem 3y ago
This arrogance underpins so many comments on here. We don't know whether some breakthrough is possible that makes interstellar travel viable using hitherto unknown physics.
- thekevan 3y ago
  Can you explain what seems arrogant?
- colordrops 3y ago
  For real there should be a name for this sort of categorical error in thinking.
  - nprateem 3y ago
    Yeah like open minded or something.
    - colordrops 3y ago
      Sure they aren't open minded, but I mean thinking that our current state of knowledge defines the limits of what is possible, which is more specific than just closed-minded. It's crazy how often people make this mistake.
      - thekevan 3y ago
        It isn't close minded at all. I would LOVE to have my thinking changed. After listing to people who research this area like Martin Rees, Sabine Hossenfelder, Matt O'Dowd of PBS Spacetime, it just seems unlikely to me that the logistics of such travel--especially in a small craft that would just carry several beings--seems like it is just too hard to do and will remain so difficult for many, many generations to come.
- fsflover 3y ago
  Did you know that Dark Energy is >50% of the whole Big Bang energy? And we have no idea what it is.
  - thekevan 3y ago
    If dark matter and dark energy are real. While it is generally accepted that they are, dark matter's existence isn't a a closed case yet. Look into the MOND theory. I personally don't have the education to state a theory with confidence, but I like the idea the physicists saw galaxies rotating in a way which seemed to break the rules of physics they knew and so they said, "our rules can't be wrong, there must be something there we can't see or measure or prove what it is." When it is possible (emphasis on possible) that maybe the laws of physics as related to motion and acceleration are different at scales that include multiple galaxies. Maybe they are rotating at the precise rate they are supposed to and there are undiscovered laws of physics at great scale. They are different rules at the quantum level and we haven't found quantum gravity yet. Is it possible the rules of gravity could be not as concrete at the largest levels of existence? Einstein said large masses bend space and time and we see that as gravity. Could the unexpected rotation of galaxies that is now explained as proving dark matter exists actually be caused by galaxy sized massed bending space and time at a different proportion. I dunno, but wouldn't it be fun if the explanation was so revolutionary and simple? Disclaimer because this is the internet: I have no clue is this theory could be real, and it is mostly based on other theories by actual, real physicists--which I am not.
gremlinsinc 3y ago
I'm extremely skeptical, but open minded too. until I see actual evidence, I won't believe it, but ftl isn't needed per se, warp drives supposedly could create worm holes or little folds in space they could jump through to essentially go as far as ftl with fractional speeds. if a worm hole opens between two distant spaces, does time dilation still work the same way? Maybe there's some shortcut through a parallel universe that takes people through space faster, ... I'm obviously not a physicist, but there's plenty of exotic science we don't yet know about, so this is definitely suspect and Occam's razer and all, but that's still like 1 percent or so that it is possible. I would've said 0.0001 percent 4 years ago.

nprateem 3y ago

This arrogance underpins so many comments on here. We don't know whether some breakthrough is possible that makes interstellar travel viable using hitherto unknown physics.

thekevan 3y ago
Can you explain what seems arrogant?
colordrops 3y ago
For real there should be a name for this sort of categorical error in thinking.
- nprateem 3y ago
  Yeah like open minded or something.
  - colordrops 3y ago
    Sure they aren't open minded, but I mean thinking that our current state of knowledge defines the limits of what is possible, which is more specific than just closed-minded. It's crazy how often people make this mistake.
    - thekevan 3y ago
      It isn't close minded at all. I would LOVE to have my thinking changed. After listing to people who research this area like Martin Rees, Sabine Hossenfelder, Matt O'Dowd of PBS Spacetime, it just seems unlikely to me that the logistics of such travel--especially in a small craft that would just carry several beings--seems like it is just too hard to do and will remain so difficult for many, many generations to come.
fsflover 3y ago
Did you know that Dark Energy is >50% of the whole Big Bang energy? And we have no idea what it is.
- thekevan 3y ago
  If dark matter and dark energy are real. While it is generally accepted that they are, dark matter's existence isn't a a closed case yet. Look into the MOND theory. I personally don't have the education to state a theory with confidence, but I like the idea the physicists saw galaxies rotating in a way which seemed to break the rules of physics they knew and so they said, "our rules can't be wrong, there must be something there we can't see or measure or prove what it is." When it is possible (emphasis on possible) that maybe the laws of physics as related to motion and acceleration are different at scales that include multiple galaxies. Maybe they are rotating at the precise rate they are supposed to and there are undiscovered laws of physics at great scale. They are different rules at the quantum level and we haven't found quantum gravity yet. Is it possible the rules of gravity could be not as concrete at the largest levels of existence? Einstein said large masses bend space and time and we see that as gravity. Could the unexpected rotation of galaxies that is now explained as proving dark matter exists actually be caused by galaxy sized massed bending space and time at a different proportion. I dunno, but wouldn't it be fun if the explanation was so revolutionary and simple? Disclaimer because this is the internet: I have no clue is this theory could be real, and it is mostly based on other theories by actual, real physicists--which I am not.

gremlinsinc 3y ago

I'm extremely skeptical, but open minded too. until I see actual evidence, I won't believe it, but ftl isn't needed per se, warp drives supposedly could create worm holes or little folds in space they could jump through to essentially go as far as ftl with fractional speeds. if a worm hole opens between two distant spaces, does time dilation still work the same way? Maybe there's some shortcut through a parallel universe that takes people through space faster, ... I'm obviously not a physicist, but there's plenty of exotic science we don't yet know about, so this is definitely suspect and Occam's razer and all, but that's still like 1 percent or so that it is possible. I would've said 0.0001 percent 4 years ago.