I don't want to be the Grinch who poisoned "Star Trek," but keep in mind that I'm messing around with UFO propulsion theories, too. Oh well, may as well be despised by one and all. . .
The Web site PHYSorg.com, quoting from Jason Major in Universe Today for March 1, lays out a pretty convincing theory from researchers at the University of Sydney for why "warp drive" travel may not offer the responsible way to vacation in or to sell vacuum cleaners to other galaxies in the future. Focusing specifically on the Alcubierre warp drive, designated as such because it was proposed by Mexican theoretical physicist Miguel Alcubierre in 1994, some in the scientific community claim that anybody or anything warping through space, though safely enclosed in a bubble of sorts, would consequently pick up all manner of space debris -- that is, cosmic particles. "Of course," states the reporter, cutely understating the humor in all of this, "when the ship reaches its destination it has to stop. And that’s when all hell breaks loose."
This instantaneous oh-oh moment assures that everything in front of the warp drive-ee is annihilated, gone to lunch, gone fishing. Gone. "When the Alcubierre-driven ship decelerates from superluminal speed, the particles its bubble has gathered are released in energetic outbursts. In the case of forward-facing particles the outburst can be very energetic — enough to
destroy anyone at the destination directly in front of the ship."
I'm not a scientist and I've never even testified at a stone-faced congressional hearing about my need for taxpayer-paid contraception, but I'm thinking this is not a good thing, particularly for Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock. Think of future "Star Trek" franchise motion pictures or a renewed TV series, where every journey to each new planet by the Starship Enterprise results in the entire ecosystem being blown to Smithereens before anybody can even make awkward intestinal noises. There might p-o-s-s-i-b-l-y be a way around the chaos, according to some brave minds, but don't bet your quasars on it.
Where does that leave UFO propulsion theories? Dunno. Maybe ask British computer hacker extraordinaire Gary McKinnon and his mom, since they've surfaced in the news again in attempts to prevent Gary's long-pending extradition to U.S. government courts at all costs. I'm not sure if Gary McKinnon knows how to iron out the kinks in warp speed (though his mind was allegedly "warp speed" in comparison to whomever or whatever was entrusted to keep prying eyes far away from NASA's computerized secrets), but he's done a heck of a job in providing evasive air travel maneuvers for himself. 'course, the almost mythological lad IS rumored to be the most dangerous entity on Earth, capable of cyberfeats without limits.
BARRY GOLDWATER FILES AVAILABLE NOW: Grant Cameron at Presidential UFO (see link) has posted a number of files (letters) regarding the late Sen. Barry Goldwater and UFOs, and will continue to do so. I won't get to them right away, so by all means get yourself involved in the past now by downloading what appear to be some intriguing historical documents. More will be posted in the future. Thanks, Grant!
