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| A '''warp drive''' is a hypothetical device that might allow the manipulation of gravitational fields and/or the inertia of a body to produce a propulsive effect. | |||
| Certain kinds of hypothetical spacetimes called '''warp drives''' have been studied by various physicists from various points of view since about 1990. In this category we collect articles related to this concept, which is not a prediction of any well established fundamental theory of physics, such as general relativity, but a theoretical speculation which might eventually lead to such a prediction. | |||
| The hoped-for advantages of this approach are | |||
| # avoiding the need to carry large amounts of sacrificial propellant (in addition to the payload and a power source) | |||
| # the posibility of achieving arbitrarily high accelerations without subjecting a payload to high gee forces, | |||
| # the possibility of achieving speeds in excess of the background speed of light, legally, and | |||
| # the possibility of avoiding massive energy requirements for interstellar travel. | |||
| Not all approaches meet all these criteria, and much of the research on this subject is highly speculative. | |||
| Strong claims made either for the possibility or for the impossibility of a practical warp drive should both be treated with extreme caution. | |||
Revision as of 00:46, 8 September 2005
A warp drive is a hypothetical device that might allow the manipulation of gravitational fields and/or the inertia of a body to produce a propulsive effect.
The hoped-for advantages of this approach are
- avoiding the need to carry large amounts of sacrificial propellant (in addition to the payload and a power source)
- the posibility of achieving arbitrarily high accelerations without subjecting a payload to high gee forces,
- the possibility of achieving speeds in excess of the background speed of light, legally, and
- the possibility of avoiding massive energy requirements for interstellar travel.
Not all approaches meet all these criteria, and much of the research on this subject is highly speculative.
Strong claims made either for the possibility or for the impossibility of a practical warp drive should both be treated with extreme caution.
Pages in category "Warp drive theory"
The following 7 pages are in this category, out of 7 total. This list may not reflect recent changes.