79 réponses à ce sujet

[jamesp81]

Fiery Phoenix wrote...

jamesp81 wrote...

Fiery Phoenix wrote...

Phaedon wrote...

Doesn't QM say that some particles can reach FTL velocities?

What about: Tachyons? etc.

But anyway, the intro text seems to imply that "mass effect" alters spacetime.

Tachyons are a purely mathematical concept. And for a particle to reach FTL velocities, it would have to have some sort of "infinite mass"; as mass breaks down with increased speed and the only way to overcome that would be to have an infinite supply of mass, which, of course, is impossible according to our current understanding. It's also the reason we will never be able to create a wormhole.

What if it had negative mass?  That's what the concept of exotic matter is.

Sure, but given how little we know of negative mass, it's kind of hard to think about. I can't even imagine what kind of properties an object with negative mass would have. It would be completely exotic, and apparently that's exactly why negative mass would mean the perfect space travel.

Consider how mass increases as speed increases.  As you get close to the speed of light, your mass increases asymptotically to the point there's not enough energy in all of existence to go any faster.

If you have negative mass, however, this might not be a problem.  Hell, negative mass particles might always move at FTL speeds and can't be slowed below light speed.  Alternatively, a negative mass particle, as it approached light speed, might asymptotically suffer reductions in mass, making further acceleration to light speed and beyond it even easier.

I don't know.  It would sure as hell be interesting to find out though.

[Spartanburger]

If my algebra is correct, then an object with negative mass (Therefore with reverse gravity, pushing things away) traveling at the speed of light would just have infinite negative mass, essentially creating an unstoppable force pushing everything away from it at infinite force and velocity in all directions.

For this to work we need something with no mass. None. Zero. Not .1x10^-9999999999999999999kg. Nothing.

At least, thats what I think.

[jamesp81]

Black Raptor wrote...

jamesp81 wrote...

Spartanburger wrote...

Here's an idea: They're searching for the 'god' particle, right? The particle that explains gravity?


EEZO = god particle.

Cave johnson, were done here.

Might be the Higgs-Boson particle they're looking for too.

Messing with Higgs-Boson particles is all fun and games until some jackwagon opens a portal and Dreen invaders start pouring out of it

Cookie for whoever gets the reference.

Into the looking glass?

As promised

[Spartanburger]

(+1)x(∞)=(+∞)

(-1)x(∞)=(-∞)


I think that's how the math works...

[Fiery Phoenix]

jamesp81 wrote...

(...)

Consider how mass increases as speed increases.  As you get close to the speed of light, your mass increases asymptotically to the point there's not enough energy in all of existence to go any faster.

If you have negative mass, however, this might not be a problem.  Hell, negative mass particles might always move at FTL speeds and can't be slowed below light speed.  Alternatively, a negative mass particle, as it approached light speed, might asymptotically suffer reductions in mass, making further acceleration to light speed and beyond it even easier.

I don't know.  It would sure as hell be interesting to find out though.

In other words, it would essentially act as an infinite mass supplier. It's more or less what I was describing earlier.

[Lady Olivia]

Phaedon wrote...

Last I heard, FTL travel was about spacetime shortcuts, not FTL velocities.

In ME, we have two means of getting around: 1) using the ship's FTL drive, to drive around planetary systems and star clusters, and 2) using the mass relays, for long-distance travel. Why would they call the ship's FTL drive "FTL" if it didn't move the ship faster-than-light?

[Phaedon]

Lady Olivia wrote...

Phaedon wrote...

Last I heard, FTL travel was about spacetime shortcuts, not FTL velocities.

In ME, we have two means of getting around: 1) using the ship's FTL drive, to drive around planetary systems and star clusters, and 2) using the mass relays, for long-distance travel. Why would they call the ship's FTL drive "FTL" if it didn't move the ship faster-than-light?

Because it is a mean of FTL travel? You may have heard of the Alcubierre drive, imagine something similar. http://en.wikipedia....lcubierre_drive

[Black Raptor]

Lady Olivia wrote...

Phaedon wrote...

Last I heard, FTL travel was about spacetime shortcuts, not FTL velocities.

In ME, we have two means of getting around: 1) using the ship's FTL drive, to drive around planetary systems and star clusters, and 2) using the mass relays, for long-distance travel. Why would they call the ship's FTL drive "FTL" if it didn't move the ship faster-than-light?

They travel faster than light relative to the rest of the galaxy, but at no point do they exceed the speed of light relative to the ship. 
That's how your question could be resolved, but it does seem like FTL in ME when not using relays is actual FTL as they are travelling faster than light. 

[Spartanburger]

@Lady Olivia:

When one is traveling at speed, there are alway two speeds. The externally perceived speed and the internally perceived speed.

From within the FTL bubble around a ship, it would appear that they are traveling slower than the speed of light. From outside of the bubble, it would appear as if the ship was traveling much faster than the speed of light, if the ship is even visible (which it isn't).

Applies to all speeds too, just the speeds were used to are far to slow for any difference to be perceived.


Also: the faster you go, the slower time is for the outside viewer. Its a very confusing but ( for me at least) intriguing science.

[Lady Olivia]

Phaedon wrote...

Lady Olivia wrote...

Phaedon wrote...

Last I heard, FTL travel was about spacetime shortcuts, not FTL velocities.

In ME, we have two means of getting around: 1) using the ship's FTL drive, to drive around planetary systems and star clusters, and 2) using the mass relays, for long-distance travel. Why would they call the ship's FTL drive "FTL" if it didn't move the ship faster-than-light?

Because it is a mean of FTL travel? You may have heard of the Alcubierre drive, imagine something similar. http://en.wikipedia....lcubierre_drive

From ME Wiki (that site reliable? they say it's all from codex):

"FTL, an abbreviation of faster-than-light, is a method of traveling faster than the speed of light which does not involve the use of mass relays."

Not much room for ambiguity there.

[Bearcut]

Alot of negative mass and infinite mass talks going on here,
Which leaves me wondering...

How would the escape velocity equation respond to the changing of mass without the changing of an objects radius? Seems to be if you started increasing an objects mass without changing its size, you would get to a point that would create a singularity. With an infinite negative mass, a negative singularity?

...my head...

[Spartanburger]

@Bearcut: yeah, if you increase the density of an object you'll eventually reach critical mass and create a black hole.
As for the negative singularity, some have theorized that there is such a thing like that called a 'white' hole, that basically is constantly spewing out matter and having a negative gravitational field. Such an object would not be able to hold together, as the anti-gravity would rip itself apart.
My belief is that a supermassive white hole exploded, causing the big bang.
Either that or it's plane theory. Or is it string theory?
May, I need to catch up on this science stuff.

[Bearcut]

Spartanburger wrote...

@Bearcut: yeah, if you increase the density of an object you'll eventually reach critical mass and create a black hole.
As for the negative singularity, some have theorized that there is such a thing like that called a 'white' hole, that basically is constantly spewing out matter and having a negative gravitational field. Such an object would not be able to hold together, as the anti-gravity would rip itself apart.
My belief is that a supermassive white hole exploded, causing the big bang.
Either that or it's plane theory. Or is it string theory?
May, I need to catch up on this science stuff.

I am a biologist by trade, so my physics never went past basic collegiate level. If I recall, relativity used to kick my ass. I understand the concept but my math never worked out : /

Modifié par Bearcut, 19 mai 2011 - 09:30 .

[theSteeeeeels]

if you made a train that travelled nearly at the speed of light (its impossible for a something with mass to travel at the actual speed), which went around the whole world. if you boarded the train and went in for 1 year, whe you come out 10 years would have past in the real world. so youve essentially travelled into the future. (my years ratio is off, i dont know the actual number)

also, whilst on the train, if you get up and walk, then in theory you would be travelling faster than the train, thus, travelling basically at the speed of light, due to your momentum, right? well apparently not. you would actually slow down in time because you have mass and thus it is impossible for you to travel at the speed of light, so whilst walking on the train you would be going even slower in time.

yea, i recently watched a stephen hawking documentary

[Black Raptor]

theSteeeeeels wrote...

if you made a train that travelled nearly at the speed of light (its impossible for a something with mass to travel at the actual speed), which went around the whole world. if you boarded the train and went in for 1 year, whe you come out 10 years would have past in the real world. so youve essentially travelled into the future. (my years ratio is off, i dont know the actual number)

also, whilst on the train, if you get up and walk, then in theory you would be travelling faster than the train, thus, travelling basically at the speed of light, due to your momentum, right? well apparently not. you would actually slow down in time because you have mass and thus it is impossible for you to travel at the speed of light, so whilst walking on the train you would be going even slower in time.

yea, i recently watched a stephen hawking documentary

Your year ratios would depend entirely on the speed of the train. 

[k8ee]

I love the CBC

[Kabanya101]

A lot of the technology in Mass Effect universe is much like our own, and just a bit more advanced then ours.

True, we don't have mental powers, or advanced space travel, or guns with almost infinite ammo, but there are multiple things in the Mass Effect series that reflects from our technology.

1) Omni tool- a computer system that is small and complex that allows for easy usage and multiple usages: similar to are smart phones, they are beginning to do everything, even hack firewalls in a professionals hand

2) Hard suits- Mass Effect has a system where there's multiple plating of armor and it has shields to it: today's military is beginning to create hard suits that help increase people's strength, though it may not have shields and be as compact as Mass Effect's hardsuits, but very similar to protection

3) Tactical cloak- in Mass Effect you are able to become invisible: American engineering has developed a projection image that creates an invisible tank, and even Japanese engineering is creating a cloak that reflects all colors of light, making the wearer "almost" invisible

There is some science fiction in Mass Effect, but in time, we will eventually reach new limits like those in Mass Effect

[Black Raptor]

Kabanya101 wrote...

A lot of the technology in Mass Effect universe is much like our own, and just a bit more advanced then ours.

True, we don't have mental powers, or advanced space travel, or guns with almost infinite ammo, but there are multiple things in the Mass Effect series that reflects from our technology.

1) Omni tool- a computer system that is small and complex that allows for easy usage and multiple usages: similar to are smart phones, they are beginning to do everything, even hack firewalls in a professionals hand

2) Hard suits- Mass Effect has a system where there's multiple plating of armor and it has shields to it: today's military is beginning to create hard suits that help increase people's strength, though it may not have shields and be as compact as Mass Effect's hardsuits, but very similar to protection

3) Tactical cloak- in Mass Effect you are able to become invisible: American engineering has developed a projection image that creates an invisible tank, and even Japanese engineering is creating a cloak that reflects all colors of light, making the wearer "almost" invisible

There is some science fiction in Mass Effect, but in time, we will eventually reach new limits like those in Mass Effect

A lot of ME technology is just the logical extension to existing tech. 

I'd just like to take issue with your last point though. If you are wearing something that reflects all wavelengths of light, wouldn't that just make you incredibly shiney? To be invisible, you'd want to make sure that no light was reflected back to the person you didn't want to have see you. Stealth bombers are designed to not reflect radio waves back. 

[Kabanya101]

Black Raptor wrote...

Kabanya101 wrote...

A lot of the technology in Mass Effect universe is much like our own, and just a bit more advanced then ours.

True, we don't have mental powers, or advanced space travel, or guns with almost infinite ammo, but there are multiple things in the Mass Effect series that reflects from our technology.

1) Omni tool- a computer system that is small and complex that allows for easy usage and multiple usages: similar to are smart phones, they are beginning to do everything, even hack firewalls in a professionals hand

2) Hard suits- Mass Effect has a system where there's multiple plating of armor and it has shields to it: today's military is beginning to create hard suits that help increase people's strength, though it may not have shields and be as compact as Mass Effect's hardsuits, but very similar to protection

3) Tactical cloak- in Mass Effect you are able to become invisible: American engineering has developed a projection image that creates an invisible tank, and even Japanese engineering is creating a cloak that reflects all colors of light, making the wearer "almost" invisible

There is some science fiction in Mass Effect, but in time, we will eventually reach new limits like those in Mass Effect

A lot of ME technology is just the logical extension to existing tech. 

I'd just like to take issue with your last point though. If you are wearing something that reflects all wavelengths of light, wouldn't that just make you incredibly shiney? To be invisible, you'd want to make sure that no light was reflected back to the person you didn't want to have see you. Stealth bombers are designed to not reflect radio waves back. 

The last point was something I seen on Modern Marvels and learned in physic class last week. Reflecting the light is like the white light coming towards the Earth. The molecules in the atmosphere reflect all light, but more violet and blue because of their longer wavelengths. We don't see violet very well, so we see blue hues in the sky when the sunlight is overhead.

So to answer your question, you would be reflecting all light in all directions, so you wouldn't be seen. To be "shiny" or bright, you would have to reflect white light, which you can't unless your in space, out of the atmosphere. On Earth, you are reflecting various amounts of colors of light. Try to think of the cloak as a filter, where it only lets the color of the filter pass through, but the cloak does the opposite of the filter, and instead of absorbing the other colors of light, they are reflected off, but in all directions to reduce glare or light.
OR..
You can use refraction, and bend the light around you to give the appearance of no image. But that's something completely different.

[Black Raptor]

We see things because light is reflected off them. The colour is the "opposite" of the wavelengths it's best at absorbing. If something reflects everything it looks white, if it reflects nothing, its black.
Neither are invisible. To be invisible you'd have to refract light around you, or let it pass straight through you.

[Chuvvy]

We've known this for awhile. Now all we need to do is figure out how the hell gravity works.

[Black Raptor]

Slidell505 wrote...

We've known this for awhile. Now all we need to do is figure out how the hell gravity works.

Control of gravity in ME is really underused. All they do is make spaceships easier to walk around. Gravity has the potential to destroy stars. 

[Lady Olivia]

Black Raptor wrote...

Slidell505 wrote...

We've known this for awhile. Now all we need to do is figure out how the hell gravity works.

Control of gravity in ME is really underused. All they do is make spaceships easier to walk around. Gravity has the potential to destroy stars. 

Say that again when we find out what's happening to Haestrom's sun.

[vader da slayer]

jamesp81 wrote...

Dark energy isn't one specific type of energy. It's basically a catch all phrase for all the energy in the universe that is inferred to exist by mathematics, but that we haven't been able to yet observe directly. Same for dark matter.

This and

Black Raptor wrote...

I'm pretty sure most of the "science" in Mass Effect relies on the concept of mass effect. Dark energy was simply taken for granted.

Discovery of element 0 on the other hand...

this.

Like James said (slightly rewording) its termed "Dark" for the simple fact that we cant phyiscally see it but thanks to science and math know its there. And if you think about it (and anyone whose taken chemistry, even at a highschool level, and knows what the Conservation of Mass is) both Element 0 and ME fields are completely impossible.

[TommyH]

I found a wormhole in my garden!