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Re: Letīs Say: "It Can Be Done", But How Do We Do It?
Forum List | Follow Ups | Post Message | Back to Thread Topics | In Response To Posted by nåte/">nåte on January 6, 1999 13:30:18 UTC |
: In order to explore the universe we have to come : up with a way to succeed at leat one of the following problems: : 1. Influence the distance we travel or : 2. Influence the time we travel or : 3. Maximize the speed we travel at. : Does anybody has a suggestion how we can do this, or : thinks there is an other way to explore the universe in a life time. luckily with relativity all three are encompassed due to relativistic effects. as velocity increases, (near speed of light) effects such as, time dilation, length contraction all take place. As far as it being feasible? well, my opinion is that it would be rather limited. Due to acceleration limitations, the ability to explore boundless galaxies is likewise limited. for instance: to travel just to Alpha Centauri is 4.6 light years away. Lets say you traveled at a top speed of .98c. Well, that would require you to accelerate at 2g's for half the trip and deccelerate -2g's for the remainder of the trip. you would get to your destination in about 2.3 years, in about 5.2 earth years... now, albiet you could travel at a little faster speed say, .9999998c, and cover much much greater distances, but remember with just that little difference in speed comes a huge difference in energy that it takes to get you there. (due to gamma affects with your increasing kinetic energy) for instance, to travel at a top speed of .9999998c, it would take you about 4 years just to get you at that speed! with an acceleration of 2g's! what little difference in speed, but a huge difference in energy expension. (remember it took you about 1 year to go .98c at a 2g acceleration.) |
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