Warp Speed: It's Lit
One astrophysicist says we can crack it in the next century.
Don’t take this for the ramblings of some geek conspiracy theorist scribbling equations on the wall of his studio apartment. Professor Geraint Lewis is legit University of Sydney approved, a speaker at Sydney’s National Science Week — and says we could figure out warp speed in the next century.
“Einstein’s theory is already a hundred years old, but we have only started to scratch the surface,” he told ABC Australia. “I think in the next 100 or 1,000 years we will reveal a lot more about the universe and maybe this hyper-fast travel will be realisable.”
Lewis said that based on Einstein’s equation, we should be able to bend and warp space to travel at a chosen speed. The problem is building an engine with material of ‘negative energy density,’ a physics concept associated with a long a list of applications and theories, especially black holes.
“Empty space itself has a negative energy density,” Lewis said. “The big question is if we could mine it and shape it, we would basically have a warp drive there and then, but we just don’t know if that’s possible.”
Between this and humans’ increased longevity, what the hell, maybe you will someday board an intergalactic vessel.
