Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: notesfiles
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!oliveb!hplabs!hp-pcd!orstcs!richardt
From: richardt@orstcs.UUCP (richardt)
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: FTL - a postivie argument
Message-ID: <7800030@orstcs.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 26-Jul-85 00:48:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: orstcs.7800030
Posted: Fri Jul 26 00:48:00 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 31-Jul-85 03:02:48 EDT
References: <98@rtp47.UUCP>
Organization: Oregon State University - Corvallis, OR
Lines: 33
Nf-ID: #R:rtp47:-9800:orstcs:7800030:000:1894
Nf-From: orstcs!richardt    Jul 25 20:48:00 1985

First, an apology.  I hope that no one expected my note to present a set
of schematics for an FTL space-drive.  As throopw pointed out, all of the
OBVIOUS approaches to FTL travel suggest time-travel and causality problems.
Q.E.D., by Occams Razor, FTL is extremely unlikely.  I will not say 
impossible for two reasons:  First, we don't know; Second, all that Occams
Razor says (essentially) is that you shouldn't introduce unneccessary 
assumptions into a theory.  It sounds silly to say that a red shift occurs
'because the moon is in Cancer and the Quasar is moving away from Earth.'
The part about Luna is unnecessary.  The Red Shift would still occur
if the moon were not in cancer.  Once experimental data starts showing or
implying time travel, causality problems, or FTL, that data will have to be
integrated into current theories of Physics.  If the theories can't be
modified to include the new facts, they will have to be scrapped, to be
replaced by theories which DO explain the new facts.

My point is:  Don't give up before we start by saying "That's Impossible."
That's on the order of the farmer who said "There ain't no such animal,"
WHEN HE WAS LOOKING AT the Giraffe.  Change the theory, not the data.

As for suggestions, I'm fresh out.  The only suggestions I do have: start
doing a lot of gravity experiments, and start preparing to do some large
scale experiments based on time and relavtivity.  Unfortunately, all of these
will have to be done on Government or Corporate grants, quite probably in
space ("We figured out how to go faster than light! all you do is make a
black hole... :-)  ).  That doesn't mean that none of us will take the short
route to Andromeda, It just means we need to wait awhile.

Richard Threadgill
orstcs!richardt
"As I was going up the stair,
    I met a man who wasn't there,
	He wasn't there again today,
	    Oh how I wish he'd go away!"