Future of Space Travel
If you are like me and grew up watching Star Trex space ships engaging the warp drive and zooming through space. You may have wondered just how far are we as Earth Beings from such space travel?
In terms of our (present earth’s intelligence level) understanding of math, physics, and including quantum mathematics, it is extremely unlikely. Unless something really changes for us in the near future.
What are some examples of things holding us back from such space travel?
Well, there are a lot of boxes that have to be checked. In reference to Einstein writing (calculations, theory, and assumptions) a spaceship would need to have infinite energy to reach anywhere close to light speed. Added to that would be all the physical limits that would need to be worked out.
One of things I have to remind myself about with this subject matter is that there is a real-world truth. There are the facts of our limited intelligence level and Sci-Fi imaginations that we have come to know.
The Sci-Fi world has warp drives, wormholes, star gates that allow space craft to travel far into the beyond without breaking the speed of light. Wrap drives work by physically bending both space and time. Lets not forget the old trusty wormhole where we enter one end or through a star gate and come out the other end, in just seconds, traveling million, maybe billions miles from where we started.
These Sci-Fi travel ideas are simply theoretical concepts. However, lets keep in mind that even though they are theoretical concepts, they are not ruled completely out by physics.
Other boxes that we would have to check would be things like characteristics of a space ship materials and configurations for reaching near speed of light travel. How about the possibility of time duration where it is believed that time slows down for the travelers as we move closer to the speed of light, while there is no effect to those left behind on earth. And, what happens to a space ship traveling near the speed of light when it runs in a dust cloud?
The present reality is that if we do not discover new physics, greater understanding of mathematics on the quantum levels, extreme advances in materials, and even an understanding of things we do not even know about yet. For now, such travel remains a Sci-Fi thought and just plain fiction.
Let’s speculate a bit here. What about space aliens traveling from space worlds to earth. Like what is or would their intelligent level be, what kind of space craft would they drive, what obstacles have they overcome to travel to earth.
Just to start a space alien that travels from a space world roe art would have a deep understanding of mathematics. Most likely having intelligence of math we have not even imagined as of yet. An understanding of materials and even the possibility of technologies beyond of capabilities or understanding.
What if space aliens use some method of math that we have no idea or understanding of. Just a thought, but what if space aliens have no concept of general relativity, quantum mechanics, or physics?
Space aliens would have mastered planning for possible generation of interstellar ravel. Using speed of light as a measure just for an example, it could take millions of years just to reach a close galaxy. This would involve complexed social orders, structures, and foresight. Advanced propulsion systems. What about stealth capabilities if they come to visit undetected and possible clocking capabilities.
The complication with all this is enormous. Thinking in earth terms. Space alien intelligence would encompass a greater span of how an alien brain works. Like, possibly not just intelligence but technology masters, wise beyond our terms, strategic thinking and extreme adaptability, and maybe even philosophical understandings.
If aliens come to earth their culture, society would be very different even though they face similar limits to our own. Things like survival, being curios, cultural pressures.
Being extremely intelligent and possible time durations of space travel, you have to ask would there being be biologically mixed? Being part being and machine, possibly some level of digital consciousness?
All speculation but still embedded in reality. For space aliens to come to earth they would already master the time duration thing. Maybe even figured out the wrap drive and maybe even like Star Trex Borg, some culture of collective working as a group instead of individually.
One thing is clear. Encountering a world or culture that has possibly mastered manipulation of gravitational waves, quantum fields, or dimensions would be unpriceable to us. These things would simply be beyond our comprehension.
One thing to consider. Where are we as an intelligent culture. Lets take gravity. We know a lot of how gravity works, on us or objects. BUT, we still have no earthly idea what it is. Let me repeat that, We, earth beings, have no idea what gravity is.
If you think that sounds insane, do not just take my word for it. We have Newton’s Laws, we know gravity pulls objects together, we know how an apple falls. We also know of Einstein’s relativity theory about force, warping of space and time. It is almost strange on how one of the universe’s forces, yet one of the most mysterious.
Something more to consider about this subject is that gravity is one of the weakest forces known. That can be proven by simply holding a small magnet over a paper clip or nail. The nail or paper clip lifts off the table onto the magnet.
Is gravity a particle? Does gravity some how interact with dimensions we can not see? The answer to this one is both simple and complexed. Clearly we can predict the effects of gravity, no confusion there. But on the other side, we have no idea what causes gravity at quantum levels, or any theory of how gravity works with particle physics. Closing this thought out, we have no idea why gravity is so weak or why it exists.
The universe is expansive. Our time here is still young by some measure. There are theory about how old the earth is, how the universe was born. It is clear we have not accumulated the knowledge to know everything we need to know. But that will come. We will in time find the answers to allow us to travel space and explore the vastness before us.