76 réponses à ce sujet

[Arcian]

1,614,720 Light years
 
That goes more in line with what we see in this picture and what we are told in Mass Effect: Retribution.

Actually, no. You're positing that the Reapers are situated at a distance equal to the entire diameter of the Milky Way times 16, and yet in the image you're using as evidence to support your hypothesis, the Milky Way is filling the screen. In order for the Milky Way to fill the screen like it does at a distance of 1.6 million light years, it has to be significantly larger than 100,000 light years in diameter.
 
So, how do we prove who is right?
 
Well, there is a space simulator called Space Engine which procedurally renders the entire universe in 1:1 scale. It's very useful to get a sense of just how retardedly large the universe is. I fired it up and targeted the Milky Way at a distance of 1.614 million light years (MLY), the same as in your calculations.
 


Let's compare that to your image:
 

 

Yeah, I think you've made a mistake somewhere.

[fizzypop]

Real in theory. Maybe not the way they do it but there is a way. We don't know for sure. Hell, we can discover something tomorrow that can disprove all we know about physics. Wed have to rewrite every textbook. In one thousand they'll be laughing at us. How primitive.

No really it isn't real even in theory because there is no element zero. Stop. There is no way. I have taken chemistry that includes anti-bonding and bonding. There is no way for eezo to actually function in reality. Something cannot increase or decrease the mass of space-time and provide travel. That's just not how it works. Positive or negative current being able to "jump start" this process is even more unbelievable as then you would have all the dark energy in the universe reacting decreasing and increasing mass at random times. Because the universe is filled with negatively and positively charged particles. STOP. No we will not disprove all of physics in one finding. That's not how it works. The majority of physics is reality and is not disprovable.

[The Dystopian Hound]

No really it isn't real even in theory because there is no element zero. Stop. There is no way. I have taken chemistry that includes anti-bonding and bonding. There is no way for eezo to actually function in reality. STOP. No we will not disprove all of physics in one finding. That's not how it works. The majority of physics is reality and is not disprovable.

Why you keep bringing up element zero? Is that what we're talking about? I thought we were talking about the science in science fiction. Let me go find michio kaku.

[ZipZap2000]

Really doesn't matter to me. As long as w get there. Obviously we are not in a reaper ship and we have stasis pods. We're good. Did not read all of that either.

So long as we get an explanation that says we flew X amount distance, using *insert magical engine* and got there in Y amount of time. For *insert reason for leaving*


I'm happy to leave this to the space flight junkies and lore heads.

[fizzypop]

Why you keep bringing up element zero? Is that what we're talking about? I thought we were talking about the science in science fiction. Let me go find michio kaku.

No we were talking about the ability for mass effect science to be real. It cannot be because its science is bad. Eezo is just the beginning of where its bad science comes from. They are terrible with biology too if you would like to hear about that.

[The Dystopian Hound]

They say travelling at light speed it will take us 2.54 million years. There has to be some wormhole or super relay. Maybe there is a portable relay on the ark.

[The Dystopian Hound]

No we were talking about the ability for mass effect science to be real. It cannot be because its science is bad. Eezo is just the beginning of where its bad science comes from. They are terrible with biology too if you would like to hear about that.

You don't know jack about what we may achieve in the next 1000 years. We're laughing at those people who use catapults. The people of the future be laughing at us soon. You dont have the answers. You'll be dead. And so will I. You're no scientist. There are possibilities. We haven't brought them to light because we don't have the technology. We already have rails guns, mass accelerators, Hayden collider, the reapers main gun the magnetohydrodynamic canon, DARPA is working on a weapon prototype. Obviously far from the one in mass effect. But why should you care, when they bring that kind of technology, we'll either be ashes or bones in the ground. Looking down from heaven. Or up from hell depending on life choices.

[Wheeljerk]

If we're using Reaper technology to get to Andromeda, shouldn't the Reapers already be in Andromeda?

[TheJediSaint]

If we're using Reaper technology to get to Andromeda, shouldn't the Reapers already be in Andromeda?

You're assuming there isn't something worse than Reapers already there.

[Wheeljerk]

You're assuming there isn't something worse than Reapers already there.

 

I'm assuming you're assuming I'm not assuming what you are assuming, but I'm assuming you're not assuming I'm not assuming all possible assumptions

[TheJediSaint]

I'm assuming you're assuming I'm not assuming what you are assuming, but I'm assuming you're not assuming I'm not assuming all possible assumptions

That's you, me, and a whole lot of asses right there.

[The Dystopian Hound]

If we're using Reaper technology to get to Andromeda, shouldn't the Reapers already be in Andromeda?

huh?

[Wheeljerk]

huh?

 If we're using Reaper technology to get to Andromeda, shouldn't the Reapers already be in Andromeda?

[prosthetic soul]

They found Matthew Maccanohey and had him pilot the ship.  There.  Now Neil De Grasse Tyson can sleep well knowing physics and the scientific method haven't been disturbed.

[The Dystopian Hound]

If we're using Reaper technology to get to Andromeda, shouldn't the Reapers already be in Andromeda?

Yeah I heard you the first time.

[Wheeljerk]

Yeah I heard you the first time.

huh?

[AlanC9]

You don't know jack about what we may achieve in the next 1000 years. We're laughing at those people who use catapults. The people of the future be laughing at us soon. You dont have the answers. You'll be dead. And so will I. You're no scientist. There are possibilities. We haven't brought them to light because we don't have the technology. We already have rails guns, mass accelerators, Hayden collider, the reapers main gun the magnetohydrodynamic canon, DARPA is working on a weapon prototype. Obviously far from the one in mass effect. But why should you care, when they bring that kind of technology, we'll either be ashes or bones in the ground. Looking down from heaven. Or up from hell depending on life choices.

But none of this means that the mass effect, as it works in the game, is anything more than ludicrous pseudoscience.

Having said that, who the hell cares? Anyone who's bothered by this sort of thing shouldn't be here anymore.

[Iakus]

If we're using Reaper technology to get to Andromeda, shouldn't the Reapers already be in Andromeda?

There you go with that whole "thinking" again

[The Dystopian Hound]

I'm a jerk

I can see that.

[Teabaggin Krogan]

While I appreciate the effort that went behind this, there are a few serious holes in your explanation. Most importantly, you have used Newtonian mechanics and equation of motion to a situation where it isn't applicable in the slightest. 

 

For one these equations are only valid for bodies moving a low speeds relative to light. And we're travelling at speeds faster than light speed, which is impossible in reality as of everything we know now but we'll overlook that since its sci fi. Mass effect drives also change the mass and acceleration of the bodies which would be against the basic assumptions of Newton's laws of motion.

Spoiler

The actual equations that can be applied here would be much more complex, for example the Newtonian approximation of momentum for objects travelling at low speeds compared to light is ; P = mv/ square root [1-(v/c)^2], and AFAIK that wouldn't even be applicable here.

 

Secondly, the reapers and our location in the Milky way are at two different frames of reference and therefore the time difference between the two observers need not be the same nor may they perceive time in the same way. 

 

Also about the reapers approaching milky way pic, that was cinematic footage designed to look ominous and cool. Making actual estimates based on that disregarding the many unknown variables would at best be summed up as pseudo science. 

 

Mass effect has always been too vague with its science to interest me in its mechanics not to mention the generous sprinkling of space magic over everything. But I did enjoy reading this and I like the effort you took here so, thank you for that. 

[Cyonan]

As interesting as the wall of math is, 400 years was merely noted as "not a bad guess" rather than being actually confirmed as the number.

 

but I suspect, like many things with Mass Effect, it'll be one of those things that works better if you don't stop to think about it for too long =P

[Mikael_Sebastia]

I commend your effort and  thanks for the infodump about FTL travel in the ME lore. But as Arcian, capn233 and many others have pointed out, your calculations don't really have a leg to stand on (the uncertainty on the time, and the astronomically huge vagueness on the distance, render using your equation almost useless for determining Reaper capabilities accurately).  

 

I wouldn't feel too bad though, since I doubt there even is an accurate answer for us or anybody to figure out.  I see no reason for Bioware to really have decided and determinate the exact distance or even approximate one of how far the Reapers were in the dark space. Neither their exact max speed or any other similar specifics.  These are vague atm because they probably are vague for developers themselves as well.  

 

If I was ever to create a villainous unicorn, which seems to violate known physical laws (probably on purpose and in bad faith), I wouldn't really need to know exactly how fast it can run or how much hay it needs to eat to utilize it in a game or story. Some vagueness would be preferable actually, as it would make it more threatening and mysterious, and it would leave me more elbowroom to use it in a way I deem fit. However, if I ever decided on those details, I wouldn't really see much point in hiding those answers in a safe, but at the same time leave players some foggy clues to solve.

 

[Addictress]

I don't know why we need all this complex math when we know Andromeda is 2.5 million light years away and standard FTL ships in ME travel at a rate of 12-15 light years a day (30 with reaper tech).

Just divide with three numbers?

[FKA_Servo]

No we were talking about the ability for mass effect science to be real. It cannot be because its science is bad. Eezo is just the beginning of where its bad science comes from. They are terrible with biology too if you would like to hear about that.

Cut the kid some slack. All he's saying is that if something that can never happen happens, then literally anything else can happen. It's entirely plausible that DARPA will engineer a button that reverses gravity in the very near future, because eventually we'll have the technology.

If nothing else, this meets the standard of most logic here on the BSN.

[PinkysBrain]

I'd just use the default cop out, worm hole. It avoids the whole "if humans can do it why can't reapers" thing because it's some random fluke.

 

Have them find an alien artifact near the galaxy core black hole with a description of a set of wavelengths and signals ... they construct a receiver and pick up a signal from Andromeda. Someone millions of years ago theorized that it could function as a worm hole, send a probe through and that probe's signals were still returning to the milky way.