What do you think of this FTL/time travel engine?

In summary, the conversation revolved around the concept of an FTL engine for artistic purposes and the speaker's request for feedback on its potential flaws. The proposed engine involved containers made of photonic matter and oscillating electromagnetic fields, as well as the use of degenerate fermionic matter and tachyons to create gravitational waves and increase the imaginary mass of dark energy. However, the conversation concluded with the suggestion to focus on making the time travel device interesting in the context of the story, rather than getting caught up in technical details.
  • #1
aslan227
1
0
So, I have this idea for the FTL engine for artistic purposes and I wanted to ask if anybody could point out it's flaws. I would greatly appreciate if you were willing to discuss them further. It is just a rough summary, so if you want me to disclose more details, ask away.

The idea is as follows:
All the containers, vessel even the warp field are made from either photonic matter or oscillating electromagnetic field in which most of the particles in it would be at least from 97% photons and the rest electrons. I haven't given much thought to deciding on this one.
In the first container there would be degenerate fermionic matter that would be exposed to tachyons and after some time it would start to tachyonically condensate. One of the by-product of the condensation would be gravitational waves that would increase the gravity of the dark energy/vaccum in the second container next to it. The increase of gravity will make the dark energy/vaccum increase its imaginary mass.
I haven't really flashed out the final stage yet. I know that the dark energy/vacuum with increases imaginary mass will be led through the third chamber to some sort of warp field generator. The third chamber will also release the by-products of the tachyonic condensation.
Unfortunately I don't know how to describe the individual parts of the warp field generator. I'm still thinking through that one.
Thanks in advance for your help.
 
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  • #2
Just say what it does---detailed "hows" are not the stuff of even mediocre space operas.
 
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  • #3
Perhaps build a prototype?

Seriously, I read a fair amount of SF and no one seems to be writing about FTL travel, except maybe Peter Hamilton. Read Alistair Reynolds - great SF with no violations of relativity
 
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  • #4
Bystander said:
Just say what it does---detailed "hows" are not the stuff of even mediocre space operas.

I second this. Unless an author has an interesting set of made up physics whose consequences they are going to explore in a smart and entertaining way there’s no need to talk about how technobabble works. Set explicit capabilities and limits, then write the story given those.
 
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  • #5
aslan227 said:
The idea is as follows:
All the containers, vessel even the warp field are made from either photonic matter or oscillating electromagnetic field in which most of the particles in it would be at least from 97% photons and the rest electrons. I haven't given much thought to deciding on this one.
In the first container there would be degenerate fermionic matter that would be exposed to tachyons and after some time it would start to tachyonically condensate. One of the by-product of the condensation would be gravitational waves that would increase the gravity of the dark energy/vaccum in the second container next to it. The increase of gravity will make the dark energy/vaccum increase its imaginary mass.
I haven't really flashed out the final stage yet. I know that the dark energy/vacuum with increases imaginary mass will be led through the third chamber to some sort of warp field generator. The third chamber will also release the by-products of the tachyonic condensation.

Don't bother detailing this. It doesn't make any sense to those who know what all these terms mean and the people who don't know can't understand it anyways. So you haven't peaked anyone's interest in your device.

Instead, make your time travel device interesting in some manner. Perhaps invent one specific detail of how it works that you can work into your story to generate a problem for the characters to overcome. Perhaps you characters are lost in the past and have to somehow find uranium to power it. Maybe it's more mystical than technological. Maybe it's an alien device that the characters can barely operate, let alone understand. Heck, it could be so commonplace that every 11-year-old can have an hour's worth of time travel per week as an allowance.

Remember that it's not how it works in detail that matters, it's how it plays into your story.
 
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FAQ: What do you think of this FTL/time travel engine?

1. What is an FTL/time travel engine?

An FTL (Faster Than Light) engine is a hypothetical propulsion system that would allow an object to travel faster than the speed of light. Time travel engines, on the other hand, are theoretical devices that would allow an object to move through time, either forward or backward.

2. Is it possible to create an FTL/time travel engine?

At this point, it is not possible to create an FTL or time travel engine. The laws of physics as we currently understand them do not allow for objects to travel faster than the speed of light or to move through time in the way depicted in science fiction.

3. What are the potential implications of creating an FTL/time travel engine?

If an FTL or time travel engine were to be created, it could have significant implications for space exploration and our understanding of the universe. It could also raise ethical and philosophical questions about the consequences of altering the past or traveling to the future.

4. What are the challenges in developing an FTL/time travel engine?

There are numerous challenges in developing an FTL or time travel engine. These include finding a way to overcome the speed of light barrier, understanding the effects of time travel on causality and the laws of physics, and ensuring the safety of the travelers.

5. Are there any current research or experiments being done on FTL/time travel engines?

While there is ongoing research and experimentation in the field of propulsion and time travel, there is currently no concrete evidence or successful experiments that suggest the possibility of creating an FTL or time travel engine. Much more research and technological advancements would be needed before such engines could become a reality.

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