Comments on: Get your mass handed to you http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2009/12/26/get-your-mass-handed-to-you/ Wed, 21 Nov 2012 15:12:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Pieter Kok http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2009/12/26/get-your-mass-handed-to-you/#comment-212755 Pieter Kok Tue, 29 Dec 2009 06:40:53 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=9542#comment-212755 Ten-to-the-infinity seems like exactly the right magnification to zoom in on a point particle. Ten-to-the-infinity seems like exactly the right magnification to zoom in on a point particle.

]]> By: Carter http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2009/12/26/get-your-mass-handed-to-you/#comment-212754 Carter Mon, 28 Dec 2009 17:08:10 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=9542#comment-212754 Right-o, Gary #26. If the CERN folks think it might take a 14TeV collision to make a paltry amount of Higgs bosons to 'jump out' of their normal zero-energy (not zero-value) field, you'd have to do some inordinate amount of work to make ALL of them jump out of a particular area in and around your craft. Then you would have to make this inertialess bubble that you are in somehow move with your ship - and all this without damaging the astronauts as it would then take essentially no force to accelerate them to the speed of light. Who knows what that could do to biologic processes! I think the idea of expanding space behind you and contracting it ahead of you seems more promising for FTL travel. I think Discover did a story on that idea a few months ago. Right-o, Gary #26. If the CERN folks think it might take a 14TeV collision to make a paltry amount of Higgs bosons to ‘jump out’ of their normal zero-energy (not zero-value) field, you’d have to do some inordinate amount of work to make ALL of them jump out of a particular area in and around your craft. Then you would have to make this inertialess bubble that you are in somehow move with your ship – and all this without damaging the astronauts as it would then take essentially no force to accelerate them to the speed of light. Who knows what that could do to biologic processes! I think the idea of expanding space behind you and contracting it ahead of you seems more promising for FTL travel. I think Discover did a story on that idea a few months ago.

]]> By: DLC http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2009/12/26/get-your-mass-handed-to-you/#comment-212753 DLC Mon, 28 Dec 2009 11:58:54 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=9542#comment-212753 Amusing story, Phil. "all I want for christmas is my two higgs bosons" ? Gary Ansorage : Smith was the one who came up with the Inertialess drive concept in his Lensmen books. While I hesitate to say he was the originator of the idea, Smith later claimed his Inertialess drive (which he dubbed "The Bergenholm" after it's fictional inventor) was based on an obscure 1912 paper from an Italian scientist. I haven't found any such article, but then I don't have access to journals published before about 1950. Smith also often said he preferred his science fiction to be in the "just barely possible" range. Amusing story, Phil.
“all I want for christmas is my two higgs bosons” ?

Gary Ansorage : Smith was the one who came up with the Inertialess drive concept in his Lensmen books. While I hesitate to say he was the originator of the idea, Smith later claimed his Inertialess drive (which he dubbed “The Bergenholm” after it’s fictional inventor) was based on an obscure 1912 paper from an Italian scientist. I haven’t found any such article, but then I don’t have access to journals published before about 1950.
Smith also often said he preferred his science fiction to be in the “just barely possible” range.

]]> By: seti http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2009/12/26/get-your-mass-handed-to-you/#comment-212752 seti Mon, 28 Dec 2009 10:12:45 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=9542#comment-212752 This reminds me of a movie where a guy was selling USA presindent engraved on metal for 20$ - in fact thy were some regular cents(dollar cents). I was just talking with a friend that if this guy has success we could start selling some photons, or electrons, or why not some pozitrons - and lets see who could prove that we didn`t shipped them! We`re not yet sure about starting price... This reminds me of a movie where a guy was selling USA presindent engraved on metal for 20$ – in fact thy were some regular cents(dollar cents).
I was just talking with a friend that if this guy has success we could start selling some photons, or electrons, or why not some pozitrons – and lets see who could prove that we didn`t shipped them! We`re not yet sure about starting price…

]]> By: Gary Ansorge http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2009/12/26/get-your-mass-handed-to-you/#comment-212751 Gary Ansorge Mon, 28 Dec 2009 05:37:47 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=9542#comment-212751 24. John Paradox : Inertialess drives have been around a long time in SciFi. Postulated but unexplained. With the Higgs Boson, we have a possible candidate for a true inertialess drive, though it might take a planets worth of mass/energy to implement it(similar limitation applies to the Alcubierre space warping drive). Removing Higgs from particles would likely be a very energy intensive endeavor.(See: 14. Carter, for his example of electro/weak force interactions). I really liked Heinliens version of an FTL drive. (in Methuselahs Children). Gary 7 24. John Paradox :

Inertialess drives have been around a long time in SciFi. Postulated but unexplained. With the Higgs Boson, we have a possible candidate for a true inertialess drive, though it might take a planets worth of mass/energy to implement it(similar limitation applies to the Alcubierre space warping drive). Removing Higgs from particles would likely be a very energy intensive endeavor.(See: 14. Carter, for his example of electro/weak force interactions).

I really liked Heinliens version of an FTL drive. (in Methuselahs Children).

Gary 7

]]> By: LatterDay Thag http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2009/12/26/get-your-mass-handed-to-you/#comment-212750 LatterDay Thag Mon, 28 Dec 2009 02:27:00 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=9542#comment-212750 Bidding is currently up to £21.00. Based on the the seller's 516 transactions there at eBay, he has a 100% rating. How could one go wrong? Although he hasn't sold anything since 2006. Personally I am going to pass on it. I weigh too much as it is. Bidding is currently up to £21.00.

Based on the the seller’s 516 transactions there at eBay, he has a 100% rating. How could one go wrong? Although he hasn’t sold anything since 2006.

Personally I am going to pass on it. I weigh too much as it is.

]]> By: John Paradox http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2009/12/26/get-your-mass-handed-to-you/#comment-212749 John Paradox Mon, 28 Dec 2009 02:25:20 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=9542#comment-212749 <I>22. Gary Ansorge Says: Just think. If we could just eliminate the Higgs Bosons from our space ship, we would instantly be moving at light speed. Now, THAT’S a really cool space drive.</I> Believe it or not (any truly <b>hard core</b> SF fan would know about this), E.E. "Doc" Smith wrote in his Lensmen series about "inertialess drives", which sounds to me a LOT like what you propose here.... J/P=? 22. Gary Ansorge Says:

Just think. If we could just eliminate the Higgs Bosons from our space ship, we would instantly be moving at light speed. Now, THAT’S a really cool space drive.

Believe it or not (any truly hard core SF fan would know about this), E.E. “Doc” Smith wrote in his Lensmen series about “inertialess drives”, which sounds to me a LOT like what you propose here….

J/P=?

]]> By: DigitalAxis http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2009/12/26/get-your-mass-handed-to-you/#comment-212748 DigitalAxis Mon, 28 Dec 2009 02:06:00 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=9542#comment-212748 I'll take twelve, and celebrate my impending awesomeness with a glass of Tuscan Whole Milk, 1 gallon, 128 fl oz. (link) I’ll take twelve, and celebrate my impending awesomeness with a glass of Tuscan Whole Milk, 1 gallon, 128 fl oz. (link)

]]> By: Gary Ansorge http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2009/12/26/get-your-mass-handed-to-you/#comment-212747 Gary Ansorge Sun, 27 Dec 2009 16:41:34 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=9542#comment-212747 Just think. If we could just eliminate the Higgs Bosons from our space ship, we would instantly be moving at light speed. Now, THAT'S a really cool space drive. GAry 7 Just think. If we could just eliminate the Higgs Bosons from our space ship, we would instantly be moving at light speed. Now, THAT’S a really cool space drive.

GAry 7

]]> By: Jay Lake: [links] Link salad looks forward to a lazy Sunday http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2009/12/26/get-your-mass-handed-to-you/#comment-212746 Jay Lake: [links] Link salad looks forward to a lazy Sunday Sun, 27 Dec 2009 13:17:04 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=9542#comment-212746 [...] Get your mass handed to you — Higgs boson for sale on eBay.uk, via Bad Astronomy. I love geek humor. [...] [...] Get your mass handed to you — Higgs boson for sale on eBay.uk, via Bad Astronomy. I love geek humor. [...]

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