It is the same for pretty much all the narrative hand waves that are used to push the story forward. This is not knocking SF but to temper expectations.
Deep sleep/human hibernation.
FTL travel of any description, including FTL communication.
Directed energy weapons already exist today. They’re mostly experimental, but the US and Germany (and possibly others) are both investing millions into R&D and have working prototypes.
Speed of light is a singularity in a special relativity theory. Singularities usually indicate model limitations, not reality fundamentals.
The theory happily describes behaviours below and above this “speed limit”, but insists on it being unapproachable from either side, which is weird already. At the same time our other models tell us that matter loses a finite amount of energy when it gains mass and stops moving at the speed of light.
Problem is, we don’t seem to have a vocabulary to discuss ways around this singularity and universe is not so forthcoming with any clues.
It’s a general crysis of physics lately. We know our models have limitations, we often know where they break exactly, and universe just giggles along.
But yeah, it’s highly unlikely that any SF will correctly guess a viable FTL, even if it is possible. Especially considering how seemingly every author thinks quantum entanglement is it.
Sorry but not in this universe.
It is the same for pretty much all the narrative hand waves that are used to push the story forward. This is not knocking SF but to temper expectations.
Deep sleep/human hibernation.
FTL travel of any description, including FTL communication.
Sentient, Self-aware AGI.
Directed energy weapons and EM shields.
Directed energy weapons already exist today. They’re mostly experimental, but the US and Germany (and possibly others) are both investing millions into R&D and have working prototypes.
FTL is a weird one.
Speed of light is a singularity in a special relativity theory. Singularities usually indicate model limitations, not reality fundamentals.
The theory happily describes behaviours below and above this “speed limit”, but insists on it being unapproachable from either side, which is weird already. At the same time our other models tell us that matter loses a finite amount of energy when it gains mass and stops moving at the speed of light.
Problem is, we don’t seem to have a vocabulary to discuss ways around this singularity and universe is not so forthcoming with any clues.
It’s a general crysis of physics lately. We know our models have limitations, we often know where they break exactly, and universe just giggles along.
But yeah, it’s highly unlikely that any SF will correctly guess a viable FTL, even if it is possible. Especially considering how seemingly every author thinks quantum entanglement is it.