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How hyperdrive works?

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    How hyperdrive works?

    I've been sitting here contemplating hyperdrive and subspace in not only Stargate but many other sci-fi shows and movies. I was trying to think of an explanation with real-world physics. So, here goes, and I'd like feedback on this and your ideas as well. Now obviously this isn't real world physics as there obviously isn't a hyperdrive installed on the space shuttle yet because we haven't figured that out; however, I am simply using real-world physics as a spring board for describing a scifi phenomena.
    Subspace is a seperate dimension of space-time that is a compressed version of the regular material space that we know of. This is a realm of small particles (typically non-atomic particles) such as quarks and building blocks or atoms. Regular matter only exists naturally on this plane of existence on occation for brief fractions of fractions of seconds due to a known phenomena called quantum tunneling. In quantum tunneling on the natual material plane of space time, an atom in high energy experiments can seem to pass through an object and reappear on the other side. The atom seems to disappear in contrary to normal principles of atomic mechanics. As matter and energy cannot completely be destroyed, this particle gets around the object by means of "skipping" through subspace. This is what gives subspace it's "glow" due to high energy particles jumping through it. Unlike regular space-time, vast distances can be traveled in subspace due to the compression of size in relation to realspace. A mile in realspace becomes an inch in subspace. Gravitational fields work in inverse in subspace. If you look at the theory of general relativity in realspace, space time is curved by gravity, as you can see in this image here.

    In subspace, this curve even greater. Imagine cutting out all the points that the space dips and gluing the fabric back together without those holes. Since you would be cutting out large areas of gravitional distortion, you are loosing a lot of area from real space, so two points that may have been far away at opposing ends of a star are now right next to each other in subspace. Another analogy for you, say you had a sheet with bowling balls on it. The spheres would bow the sheet at the points they were placed in. Now, pull the sheet up over the top of the bowling ball so that it's wrapped completely. The flat area of the sheet is now smaller due to this compression. This is how objects like ships seem to move so fast in relation to real space. They are still traveling below the speed of light in subspace therefore, not breaking any laws of relativity; however, the space in which they travel is far smaller. Some hyperdrives are faster than others due to the propulsion needed in subspace. Hyperdrives open a "window" large enough to allow a ship to enter subspace since the only natural particles to enter are the size of atoms. They would have to use an exotic high energy particle stream to do this. Again, this isn't meant to be a true scientific explanation (because someone would have figured it out already if that were the case) but just a random thought.
    That may have been a little long winded, but this is what happens when your bored and cant sleep. Let me here some of your thoughts.
    Last edited by Riptide; 22 February 2009, 10:48 PM.

    #2
    Originally posted by Riptide View Post
    I've been sitting here contemplating hyperdrive and subspace in not only Stargate but many other sci-fi shows and movies. I was trying to think of an explanation with real-world physics. So, here goes, and I'd like feedback on this and your ideas as well. Now obviously this isn't real world physics as there obviously isn't a hyperdrive installed on the space shuttle yet because we haven't figured that out; however, I am simply using real-world physics as a spring board for describing a scifi phenomena.
    Subspace is a seperate dimension of space-time that is a compressed version of the regular material space that we know of. This is a realm of small particles (typically non-atomic particles) such as quarks and building blocks or atoms. Regular matter only exists naturally on this plane of existence on occation for brief fractions of fractions of seconds due to a known phenomena called quantum tunneling. In quantum tunneling on the natual material plane of space time, an atom in high energy experiments can seem to pass through an object and reappear on the other side. The atom seems to disappear in contrary to normal principles of atomic mechanics. As matter and energy cannot completely be destroyed, this particle gets around the object by means of "skipping" through subspace. This is what gives subspace it's "glow" due to high energy particles jumping through it. Unlike regular space-time, vast distances can be traveled in subspace due to the compression of size in relation to realspace. A mile in realspace becomes an inch in subspace. Gravitational fields work in inverse in subspace. If you look at the theory of general relativity in realspace, space time is curved by gravity, as you can see in this image here.
    [image]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/22/Spacetime_curvature.png[/image]
    In subspace, this curve even greater. Imagine cutting out all the points that the space dips and gluing the fabric back together without those holes. Since you would be cutting out large areas of gravitional distortion, you are loosing a lot of area from real space, so two points that may have been far away at opposing ends of a star are now right next to each other in subspace. Another analogy for you, say you had a sheet with bowling balls on it. The spheres would bow the sheet at the points they were placed in. Now, pull the sheet up over the top of the bowling ball so that it's wrapped completely. The flat area of the sheet is now smaller due to this compression. This is how objects like ships seem to move so fast in relation to real space. They are still traveling below the speed of light in subspace therefore, not breaking any laws of relativity; however, the space in which they travel is far smaller. Some hyperdrives are faster than others due to the propulsion needed in subspace. Hyperdrives open a "window" large enough to allow a ship to enter subspace since the only natural particles to enter are the size of atoms. They would have to use an exotic high energy particle stream to do this. Again, this isn't meant to be a true scientific explanation (because someone would have figured it out already if that were the case) but just a random thought.
    That may have been a little long winded, but this is what happens when your bored and cant sleep. Let me here some of your thoughts.
    It's your second sost I know what you mean about being tired
    Well i've put the bits in bold I think are important, but basically you answered your own question - that's just how sci-fi shows explain things but if it really was that simple someone would've figured it out in RL
    Also, you need to put that image in [IMG] thags for it to work

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      #3
      Magic. And giant worms.
      Wraith ships are giant lobsters.

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by Xiphias View Post
        Magic. And giant worms.
        basically oh but you're forgetting nintendo's

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