FTL or not FTL...
POSTED BY: BadgersHat
UPDATED: Friday, May 14, 2004 20:35
VIEWED: 17361
PAGE 5 of 9
Quote:
Originally posted by BadgersHat:
(stuff cut)
Therefore, they MUST bein a different star system, which means they MUST have at least HAD FTL drive, because the nearest star to us is Alpha Centauri, which is 4.6 years travel time AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT, and as far as we know, there's no planets there anyway...
So, FTL seems to me that it MUCT exist in the 'verse, or at least DID at some point during the colonization. Also, if we have the tech needed to terraform on such a huge level (changing atmosphere, AND gravity, of a planet), it seems we MUCT have a corresponding transport tech to match it.
--Jefé The Hat
Come on now, use your imagination. If a hypothetical star is 15 light years away, and they develop a non-FTL drive that can go up to (say) 1/2 the speed of light, they can get there in 30 years. It's not hard to imagine some catastrophe on Earth (environmental degradation or whatever) causing a slow exodus to a new, more viable system over the course of decades or even centuries, using massive colony ships. Remember, the show takes place in the 26th century after all.
I admit that a planet with 70+ habitable or terraformable worlds is unlikely, maybe highly improbable, but not automatically impossible. There are many respected people who feel the same way about FTL.
Hans
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Even if AC DOES have planets, and planets exactly like earth, there's still the "Getting there" part. The human body can't withstand too much G-force, so really really fast travel in normal space will take decades if not centuries if not MILLENIA to reach the nearest star system.
If it's Jupiter, there's the small problem of the sun being WAAAAAYY too far away to sustain the planet. Even given terraforming, there's still the fact that the sun is still a zillion miles away-- have you seen the Rover pictures of what the sun looks like from Mars??
--Jefé The Hat
***************************
"I like smackin 'em"--Jayne
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Quote:
Originally posted by BadgersHat:
There's no way we could travel at 90c, because the relativistic acceleration would turn the vehicle's inhabitants to jelly.
Sorry but this 90c is wrong, it's 0.9c. I know I'm being nit picky, but, there's just a world of difference there.
When you go at a speed (0.9c) there is no acceleration. Acceleration only happens when you are speeding up or slowing down. We also know that they have gravity drives on these ships, so, they could implement these drives in a way to counteract the effects of acceleration. Thereby being able to get acceleration that would normally be impossible due to the fragile nature of humans.
Again, this is all speculation.
----
"Canada being mad at you is like Mr. Rogers throwing a brick through your window." -Jon Stewart, The Daily Show
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Well, of course you're all just wrong. 
I must confess though, many of my assumptions about the Firefly universe are based on my deep suspicion that Joss, at one time or another, played the seminal science fiction roleplaying game 'Traveller'. A great many parallels exist between that game setting and the tone and texture of Firefly. Not to mention Wash's comment at the beginning of "Serenity" - "Hang on, Travellers!" (A shout-out to old school gamers?)
Granted, that's pretty slim evidence, but the show has such a tremendous roleplaying sensibility to it in other respects that it makes me wonder.
SergeantX
"Dream a little dream or you can live a little dream. I'd rather live it, cause dreamers always chase but never get it." Aesop Rock
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yeah, like I said.
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Quote:
Originally posted by BadgersHat:
Remember that they were all told to hold onto something first?
Also, normal speeds are not to be compared with fractions of light...
True, but, it was and still is a good point.
To not be knocked around by that amount of force whether you were holding onto something or not is quite extraordinary. I would think that an "inertial dampener" type thing of some sort would have to be in play here.
----
"Canada being mad at you is like Mr. Rogers throwing a brick through your window." -Jon Stewart, The Daily Show
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Quote:
Originally posted by BadgersHat:
Even if AC DOES have planets, and planets exactly like earth, there's still the "Getting there" part. The human body can't withstand too much G-force, so really really fast travel in normal space will take decades if not centuries if not MILLENIA to reach the nearest star system.
If it's Jupiter, there's the small problem of the sun being WAAAAAYY too far away to sustain the planet. Even given terraforming, there's still the fact that the sun is still a zillion miles away-- have you seen the Rover pictures of what the sun looks like from Mars??
You are still putting limitations on unknown technology/technologies. You really shouldn't do that.
----
"Canada being mad at you is like Mr. Rogers throwing a brick through your window." -Jon Stewart, The Daily Show
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Quote:The kind of velocities a vehicle would experience on reentry would be plenty large enough that “holding on” to something would be pointless during a maneuver in which the vehicle was completely turned about. In fact, I doubt any current construction could even withstand those kinds of forces. The vehicle would likely be torn to pieces and burn up, certainly no one would survive, even if it didn't. They would be greasy stains on the wall.
Originally posted by SigmaNunki:Quote:True, but, it was and still is a good point.
Originally posted by BadgersHat:
Remember that they were all told to hold onto something first?
Also, normal speeds are not to be compared with fractions of light...
To not be knocked around by that amount of force whether you were holding onto something or not is quite extraordinary. I would think that an "inertial dampener" type thing of some sort would have to be in play here.
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Quote:
Originally posted by SigmaNunki:Quote:
Originally posted by BadgersHat:
There's no way we could travel at 90c, because the relativistic acceleration would turn the vehicle's inhabitants to jelly.
Sorry but this 90c is wrong, it's 0.9c. I know I'm being nit picky, but, there's just a world of difference there.
When you go at a speed (0.9c) there is no acceleration. Acceleration only happens when you are speeding up or slowing down. We also know that they have gravity drives on these ships, so, they could implement these drives in a way to counteract the effects of acceleration. Thereby being able to get acceleration that would normally be impossible due to the fragile nature of humans.
Again, this is all speculation.
----
"Canada being mad at you is like Mr. Rogers throwing a brick through your window." -Jon Stewart, The Daily Show
.... isn't that exactly what I said?
--Jefé The Hat
***************************
"I like smackin 'em"--Jayne
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I reckon Serenity can go faster than light, but sometimes it has to slow down, otherwise the bloke in the spacesuit with the steadycam isn't going to capture anything. I'll be honest, I'm no quantum physicist, but that's my theory.
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