Aucbvax.5801
net.space
utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!Onyx:jeffc
Fri Jan 15 00:54:39 1982
Harry Stine and the Dean Drive
Perhaps the most convincing argument I've ever seen that proves
that the Dean Drive is IMPOSSIBLE is the one offered by Isaac
Asimov in his autobiography, when he was discussing John
Campell's eccentricities (to put it nicely).  While I don't
remember the exact wording, it went something like this (after
explaining how it was supposed to work):  That's just fine.
Except that it violates the law of conservation of momentum, and
the law of conservation of angular momentum, and if it actually
worked I don't believe that the physicists would ever be able
to put back together again the laws of physics after the shambles
that would result.

Sigh.  You'd never know that Stine was into such mysticism from 
reading that excellent book, the Third Industrial Revolution.