tommytwojags
Well-known member
Fans of science fiction series Star Trek will already be aware that many technological advances of the past half century were modelled on components of the Federation's Starship Enterprise. When the franchise first appeared on 8 September 1966, there were no large screen tvs, mobile phones, intelligent personal assistants, pocket computers, tablets, video calls, communication badges and automatic opening doors. Yet all were components of the starship and are now in regular use worldwide. Other Gene Roddenberry 'inventions' are now real production possibilities, such as the replicator (advanced 3D printer), universal translator, tractor beam, phaser (tazer) and in-ear translator.
All very impressive, but the reason for my post is the latest news that the most unlikely of all the Star Trek fictional technologies has been announced as feasible, according to leading physicist Dr Erik Lentz. Apparently, the good doctor believes that faster-than-light (FTL) speed is physically viable for the reasons briefly mentioned in the attached link and based on 'solitons' and 'super-luminal motion', words that might become as common as 'furloughing' in the future. Humans are never likely to explore distant worlds, even those outside our immediate solar system, unless FTL travel is possible. Wish I could be around to see it.
All very impressive, but the reason for my post is the latest news that the most unlikely of all the Star Trek fictional technologies has been announced as feasible, according to leading physicist Dr Erik Lentz. Apparently, the good doctor believes that faster-than-light (FTL) speed is physically viable for the reasons briefly mentioned in the attached link and based on 'solitons' and 'super-luminal motion', words that might become as common as 'furloughing' in the future. Humans are never likely to explore distant worlds, even those outside our immediate solar system, unless FTL travel is possible. Wish I could be around to see it.
FTL: Thoughts on a New Paper by Erik Lentz | Centauri Dreams
www.centauri-dreams.org