http://www.nasaspace...istic-em-drive/
So... NASA was testing an experimental ElectroMagnetic thrust engine that would be able to move in space without the need for fuel and detected something totally unexpected - a warp field.
For those not familiar with this staple of Star Trek and other sci-fi pieces, a warp field creates an area where time space can move much more quickly than be surrounding area. In science fiction, a warp field drive is used to travel around space at faster than light speeds by creating a field directly in front of the spaceship that surrounds it, while keeping the ship itself in "normal" space, thus allowing travel through space at faster than light speeds while not aging or producing gravitational force that would liquefy any passengers.
The most shocking thing about all of this is that the amount of energy to create this warp field (if it truly was created) was BAFFLINGLY low. Star Trek required fanciful energy sources like dilithium crystals to account for the huge amount of energy they assumed it would take. But this requires much less energy and can be generated in a lab with very little in the ways of industrial power structure. This means cheap, abundant FTL space flight COULD be on the horizon in our lifetimes!
***UPDATE***
The team has validated their findings, so this is no longer speculation. We have the technology to create a field that allows particles to move faster than the speed of light. We still do not completely understand the why's and how's of the field (this will likely cause a paradigm shift in physics), but the implications are staggering.
Not only do we have eventual FTL considerations, but the original purpose of the EM drive - thrust without fuel - has also been confirmed to be totally valid. This alone could solve countless energy problems, while not even touching on the countless ramifications of both space flight and theoretical time travel once FTL speeds are attained.
This is no joke. This is not a fluke. This could be one of the, if not THE, greatest discovery since the dawn of human history. Others will likely validate these results a thousand times if need be to confirm their validity, as done with all earth-shattering discoveries in physics, but NASA has come out with an official statement outting their credibility on the line with its authenticity. Meet this with about as much skepticism as would be natural for NASA to say they have discovered a new sun or asteroid belt - which is to say not much skepticism at all.
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