Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cadnetix.COM!cadnetix!beres
From: beres@cadnetix.COM (Tim Beres)
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Re: Tachyons
Message-ID: <6312@cadnetix.COM>
Date: 25 Jan 89 16:22:36 GMT
References: <8901241509.AA20873@NMSU.Edu> <1989Jan24.121432.3544@cs.rochester.edu> <6@enuxha.eas.asu.edu>
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Reply-To: beres@cadnetix.COM (Tim Beres)
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In article kluksdah@enuxha.eas.asu.edu (Norman C. Kluksdahl) writes:
>
>Now for the fun part.  If we assume that space-time, mass, velocity, etc.
>are complex quantities, then normal space that we perceive is merely the
>real part of space-time.  Further, if we assume this 8-D structure is folded
>on itself such that Re(x) corresponds to the Im(y) axis, etc, then it is 
>mathematically possible to show that Minkowski's transformation holds, and
>all the equations of special relativity are satisfied with the set of
>complex masses, velocities, momenta, and coordinates.
>

More of this reasoning can be found in _Future Magic_, by Dr. Forward.
He attributes this theory to Penrose, not Minkowski - but it may be that
Penrose has pursued it further.  This book is fairly recent, copyright
1988, so this "imaginary" theory is still being pursued.  Does anyone
have any (readable to the non-physicist) references on this Minkowski/
Penrose theory?

BTW:  _Future Magic_ discusses a range of technologies that may come to 
pass in the future.  Communication methods, space propulsion, space tethers,
anti-gravity machines and time travel are some of the topics he tackles.
He doesn't say that all these technologies *will* mature, just that there
is some theoretical (and practiced, in some cases) basis for them to occur.
The Universe has 8-D theory is used by Forward to speculate on FTL travel...

				Tim

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Tim Beres   beres@cadnetix.com  {uunet,boulder,nbires}!cadnetix!beres