"Warp drive" reportedly invented by physicist in garage

[CougarKing]

Why do I have a feeling the guy in this story might have made one too many visits to Vulcan, Alberta.  ;D

Yahoo News

Physicist builds Star Trek ‘Warp Drive’ in his garage
Nebraskan Star Trek fan claims he can already ‘warp space’ and move objects forward using array he has built in his garage

Rob Waugh – Thu, 1 Jan, 2015

A three-pound weight hanging in a frame shifts forward gently in an electrical field generated by a V-shaped motor array - and its creator claims this is the first step towards a real, working Star Trek Warp Drive.

David Pares of the University of Nebraska at Omaha claims that his low-power array (it uses just 100 watts, and is housed in his garage) “compresses the fabric of space.”

If true, it would be a gigantic leap forward for propulsion systems - and potentially the first step on Man’s journey to other star systems.

(...SNIPPED)

 

[Eye In The Sky]

And to think, he could have spent that time and effort on a *winning lottery-number predictor machine*.

 

[Tibbson]

I wouldn't bet the farm on it but then again, some pretty good inventions have come about through stranger circumstances.

 

[NapoV]

WARNING: THIS WARP DRIVE LEADS TO THE END OF CIVILIZATION!

I am from the year 2047 and have seen the chaos this infernal device has caused. I only escaped the doomed future after I developed a time machine in my shed.

 

[DeadLiftKid]

:rofl:

 

[Retired AF Guy]

Its all explained here at their website SPACE WARP Dynamics LLC.

 

[OldSolduer]

WARNING: THIS WARP DRIVE LEADS TO THE END OF CIVILIZATION!

I am from the year 2047 and have seen the chaos this infernal device has caused. I only escaped the doomed future after I developed a time machine in my shed.

No it doesn't. You're mistaken. Besides, why didn't you hunt this guy down and terminate him.....like the Terminator?

 

[George Wallace]

No it doesn't. You're mistaken. Besides, why didn't you hunt this guy down and terminate him.....like the Terminator?

Huh?

Don't you remember?  Such an attempt was made on Doctor Zefram Cochrane, but it was thwarted by Kirk and confederates.

 

[OldSolduer]

Huh?

Don't you remember?  Such an attempt was made on Doctor Zefram Cochrane, but it was thwarted by Kirk and confederates.

That was Cochrane who was successful. The Borg were stymied, and rightfully so.

 

[George Wallace]

The attempt on Cochrane's life was thwarted by Kirk and gang.  This allowed his successful test of his drive.

 

[Tibbson]

The plot of "Looper" keeps coming to mind too.  I know there are a few people I'd gladly go back and mess with if I could.  I wonder when they will have a working prototype.  :temptation:

 

[OldSolduer]

I think I just observed a red British telephone booth appear in Winnipeg......

 

[Kat Stevens]

Only need to worry if it's a blue police call box.

 

[MilEME09]

Only need to worry if it's a blue police call box.

I Dont know, a guy in line at the auto parts store was asking for a Flux Capacitor

 

[Kat Stevens]

Tough to find Delorean parts at NAPA these days.

 

[Tibbson]

Tough to find Delorean parts at NAPA these days.

True but you can order a Mr Fusion online at least.  http://gizmodo.com/drop-400-on-a-bttf-mr-fusion-and-never-pay-for-pluton-1636273068

 

[midget-boyd91]

Huh?

Don't you remember?  Such an attempt was made on Doctor Zefram Cochrane, but it was thwarted by Kirk and confederates.

No no.... Captain Picard and Cmdr Will Riker get credit for this one.  :facepalm:

 

[Pieman]

The concept has merit, however there are some pretty big red flags. The jump from the warp bubble generated by interacting radio waves, which they claim caused a compression in a laser beam. To the fractal patterns that are supposedly generating these warp bubbles as well. There is no information on how this step occurred, and there is no reference to a publication showing that this actually works and has been independently verified.. They go on to conduct a number of very questionable experiments using this fractal array as a warp drive. They jump the gun further by starting to build a flying machine with this unconfirmed method.

This is an example of greed getting in the way of the scientific method. They have formed a company and are keeping their findings to themselves rather than risk independent verification. The results they are seeing may be what they are expecting to see, but the cause is entirely different. Who knows. Personally, I think these guys are drinking too much coffee and are spending too much time agreeing among themselves.

 

[Good2Golf]

I'm sure they're getting the results they're getting, but concur that the result is likely through a mechanism other than time-space warp.  This reminds me of the Cold Fusion "success" announced years ago, turns out the results measured were actually less than the measurement error...