The Sci. & Tech. Concordance and Discussion Thread

[Seastallion]

You know about Einstein rings, right? Distortions of spacetime that allow stars behind objects with a strong gravitational field to be seen (from Earth). What about a reverse Einstein ring, a ring (like a supergate) that bends light like a lens using gravity, acting like a hyperbolic lens )( ? Does it make sense?

Except that they aren't actual 'rings'. What you are talking about is gravity's ability to bend the path of light around massive objects. As to using that particular property of gravity in a technological device... to what end? What would you want to do with it that would be useful?

[Seastallion]

Hello..!

Just thought I'd let folks know about the Science and Tech webpage I'm building over at stargatesg1.com. It will be a compilation of a lot of my stuff here at Gateworld. The Science stuff, and the Tech stuff, each has their own text-widget. The setup isn't that different from the Concordance at the beginning of this thread. It'll sort of be a 'mini' wikipedia sort of thing I guess. I've still got TONS of stuff to add to it, but I'll be working on it as I can.

Until then, if you like, take a look at the page and let me know what you think..! Here it is-

http://www.stargatesg1.com/Seastalli...r's Laboratory

If you have any suggestions, let me know.

[Wolf_Girl_Passion]

Although i love the wraith the ori would win becuse the wraith have no friggin shields.

[Seastallion]

Although i love the wraith the ori would win becuse the wraith have no friggin shields.

Not to mention the fact, that the Ori are ascended beings that could in principle wipe the entire Wraith species from existence with the sheer force of will.

[immhotep]

Oh the Irony, wouldnt it be funny if the Ori are the ones to defeat the wraith from on high, when its the ancients who should and deserve to it as retaliation for losing the war..

[Seastallion]

Oh the Irony, wouldnt it be funny if the Ori are the ones to defeat the wraith from on high, when its the ancients who should and deserve to it as retaliation for losing the war..

It would be nice, but I don't see it happening. Only because the writers of the show wouldn't let it ever get that far. I'm pretty sure they are going to put the Ori story to bed for good in the movie they're going to be doing. It WOULD definitely eliminate the Wraith for good though. I agree with you there, for sure.

[Cban]

Although i love the wraith the ori would win becuse the wraith have no friggin shields.

there was a thred about that not so long ago and the wraith do poses shileds they just dont use them the protect ships one is used on the canopy on the darts

[boberth2o]

Is anyone familiar with the 11-dimensions inter-woven within each other? I am currently reading the book The Elegant Universe and everything that this book is saying makes sense.



Here is another pic from the book



Edit: go here ------> Click Me!

[tagger]

Is anyone familiar with the 11-dimensions inter-woven within each other? I am currently reading the book The Elegant Universe and everything that this book is saying makes sense.

Cool pictures, sounds like good book.
Are you talking about string theory? Or the theory that preceded it? 11 dimensional theory of supergravity?
Not that I understand it that much myself, but is that what the book is about?

[boberth2o]

Cool pictures, sounds like good book.
Are you talking about string theory? Or the theory that preceded it? 11 dimensional theory of supergravity?
Not that I understand it that much myself, but is that what the book is about?

Yes its about Superstring theory.

I have just begun to read the book myself, and I have to say that I is the most amazing reading that I have come across to date, I suggest reading it. Below is a summary of the book, of course I didn't write this myself, I have only just begun to read the book. I got the summary from spark notes.

Spoiler:

In Part I of The Elegant Universe, “The Edge of Knowledge,” Geene introduces the central problem of modern physics: the incompatibility of Einstein’s theory of general relativity with quantum mechanics. He then lists the physical curiosities—properties of the motion of light, gravity, and the behavior of particles at the subatomic level—that have prevented physicists from establishing a single coherent theory for how the universe works. For most of the twentieth century, physicists contented themselves with describing either the most small-scale or the most large-scale workings of the cosmos, but never both simultaneously. At the end of this section, Greene describes both the objectives and the promise of superstring theory, which attempts to merge the laws of general relativity with those of quantum mechanics.

Without dismissing the importance of electrons and quarks, which are the basis of quantum mechanics, superstring theory depicts the smallest particles in the universe not as dots but as tiny strings of energy. These strings are one hundred billion billion (a quintillion) times smaller than a single atomic nucleus. They vibrate in different patterns, which in turn produce different particle properties. But because these strings are too tiny to locate with current scientific tools, superstring theory is not yet predictable or testable. Therefore, physicists like Greene must work with approximations of equations until more information has been verified. Still, the promise of string theory is tremendous. Only string theory’s conceptual framework offers any possibility of unifying general relativity and quantum mechanics into one complete understanding of how the universe works.
In Part II, “The Dilemma of Space, Time, and the Quanta,” Greene reviews the basic precepts of the two competing theories—first, Einstein’s special and general relativity, and then the “microscopic weirdness” of quantum mechanics. General relativity presupposes a smooth surface of space, but at an ultramicroscopic level (which quantum mechanics has helped unveil), the spatial fabric is subject to violent undulations known as “quantum foam.” Greene also discusses the basic principle of quantum mechanics: the uncertainty principle. The uncertainty principle predicts the impossibility of knowing both the exact location and the velocity of a particle at any given time. Greene goes over the four fundamental forces—the strong force, the weak force, electromagnetism, and gravity—and he describes the complexity of incorporating gravity into the standard model of the first three. In the last chapter of this section, Greene stresses the necessity of finding a new theory that revises both general relativity and quantum mechanics. Like many of his colleagues, Greene simply cannot accept that the universe is, at its core, divided into two contradictory theoretical frameworks.
In Part III, “The Cosmic Symphony,” Greene discusses in detail how superstring theory works. He employs many musical metaphors to suggest how strings “harmonize” or bring together the most puzzling aspects of the cosmos. After praising the elegance and economy of the theory, Greene gives a brief history of its first incarnation in the 1970s, when it was referred to as the bosonic string theory. He also explains the subsequent revisions the theory underwent during the first superstring revolution in 1984. Greene then describes how supersymmetry— a concept that predicts the existence of superpartners that correspond with all known particles—transformed string theory into superstring theory.
With these basics covered, Greene proceeds to one of the oddest claims of string theory: the theory that the universe contains far more dimensions than we can perceive. In its current form, superstring theory postulates the existence of eleven total dimensions: ten of space and one of time. According to the theory, equations of quantum theory can mesh beautifully with relativity if we assume the existence of eleven dimensions. Greene concludes “The Cosmic Symphony” by analyzing the central difficulty of string theory—namely, the lack of experimental evidence for superstring theory. He describes the efforts he and his colleagues have made to develop string theory and refine its underlying mathematical principles. He shows what a Calabi-Yau space (the six-dimensional shape that physicists believe the additional, curled-up dimensions of space will form) may look like.
Part IV, “String Theory and the Fabric of Spacetime,” is the most complicated and involved section of the book. Greene begins with an overview of quantum geometry and the new kind of math that must emerge to explain the universe on an ultramicroscopic scale. He argues that contrary to what physicists previously believed, the fabric of space can be ripped and torn with no catastrophic consequences. He also covers the second superstring revolution, which shows that all five string theories are really part of a single, unified framework called M-theory. It is fitting that no one knows what the “M” signifies, because M-theory is one of the most radical, incompletely understood theories ever to evolve. M-theory proposes the unification of gravity with the three nongravitational forces. It is an extension of string theory that suggests the elementary particles of the universe might include, in addition to strings, two-dimensional membranes and three-dimensional blobs of varying size. Greene ends his discussion of the latest advances in superstring theory by discussing its cosmological implications, what it might reveal about the origins of the universe.
Part V, “Unification in the Twenty-First Century,” concludes the book. It covers the prospects of string theory in the twenty-first century. It describes the advances Greene and other string theorists hope to make in unveiling a single theory to explain the entire universe. For all his optimistic predictions, however, Greene never hesitates to admit that because of its complexity, superstring theory might not be fully understood for many years.
The Fabric of the Cosmos
In 2004, Brian Greene published a simplified follow-up to The Elegant Universe called The Fabric of the Cosmos. He claims to have written The Fabric of the Cosmos because his mother—to whom The Elegant Universe is dedicated—told him that she put down the book and never finished it. She said it was too difficult for the average person to understand. The Fabric of the Cosmos is the best first resource for someone having trouble with The Elegant Universe. It is written in the same engaging, user-friendly language, but the technical explanations are considerably easier to understand. Chapter 12 of The Fabric of the Cosmos, “The World on a String,” succinctly summarizes the history of string theory, while Chapter 13, “The Universe on a Brane,” introduces the findings of the second superstring revolution.

[tagger]

Yes its about Superstring theory.

I have just begun to read the book myself, and I have to say that I is the most amazing reading that I have come across to date, I suggest reading it. Below is a summary of the book, of course I didn't write this myself, I have only just begun to read the book. I got the summary from spark notes.

I think I'll go to the bookstore and take a look, thanks.

[boberth2o]

I think I'll go to the bookstore and take a look, thanks.

NP

[tagger]

Yes its about Superstring theory.

I have just begun to read the book myself, and I have to say that I is the most amazing reading that I have come across to date, I suggest reading it. Below is a summary of the book, of course I didn't write this myself, I have only just begun to read the book. I got the summary from spark notes.

Ok, got both his books! They look great. Started Elegant Universe - gonna take some time, but so far so good.

I have used the search engine to look for threads and posts on ion drives - I am positive this has already been addressed, so am not trying to bring up an old, already hashed-out topic, but how exactly does propulsion work in space? What are you propulsing against? Read the hyperdrive theory threads, but couldn't find any musings on ion drives...

[Wraith Scientist]

I have used the search engine to look for threads and posts on ion drives - I am positive this has already been addressed, so am not trying to bring up an old, already hashed-out topic, but how exactly does propulsion work in space? What are you propulsing against? Read the hyperdrive theory threads, but couldn't find any musings on ion drives...

Ion drives accelerate charged ions for thrust
Ion drives

Spacecraft must move by throwing reaction mass (in the case of the ion drive, streams of particles, and solar sails and the like don't require the reaction mass to be stored on the spacecraft itself) in the direction opposite to the one they want to move in, and since momentum is conserved, the spacecraft experiences an equal and opposite impulse.

[tagger]

Ion drives accelerate charged ions for thrust
Ion drives

Spacecraft must move by throwing reaction mass (in the case of the ion drive, streams of particles, and solar sails and the like don't require the reaction mass to be stored on the spacecraft itself) in the direction opposite to the one they want to move in, and since momentum is conserved, the spacecraft experiences an equal and opposite impulse.

Thanks, nice NASA diagram, too.