Warp Factor 1.1
- Thread starter Gonz
- Start date
chcr
Too cute for words
To answer Bish's question with a question, is it a particle or a wave. Note that theory does allow for massless particles BTW.
Gato, yep, it is the "theory" of relativity. Within our ability to test it this part of it does seem to be correct, though. Time dilation has been proved, for instance.
Prof, good point about the gravity well. Actually, most knowledgeable science fiction authors understand that it would be necessary to get beyond the gravity well for any FTL or warp (stepping outside "real" space) drive to work. In fact, with a warp type drive (unlike Star Trek presents it) most of your travel time would be spent getting out of one gravity well and backing into the other.
Gato, yep, it is the "theory" of relativity. Within our ability to test it this part of it does seem to be correct, though. Time dilation has been proved, for instance.
Prof, good point about the gravity well. Actually, most knowledgeable science fiction authors understand that it would be necessary to get beyond the gravity well for any FTL or warp (stepping outside "real" space) drive to work. In fact, with a warp type drive (unlike Star Trek presents it) most of your travel time would be spent getting out of one gravity well and backing into the other.
chcr
Too cute for words
I have not yet. You have to "cop-out" at some point though, since there is no FTL drive. 
He's changing stuff from the earlier books? It's almost certain some physicist told him he was all wet then. That stuff has been pretty well defined since the "Known Space" stories started. Speaking of which, have you ever read any of the "organlegger" stories?
He's changing stuff from the earlier books? It's almost certain some physicist told him he was all wet then. That stuff has been pretty well defined since the "Known Space" stories started. Speaking of which, have you ever read any of the "organlegger" stories?
Professur
Well-Known Member
Never heard of them.
If you've read Known Space, you'll know the foreshadowing. Remember the ships bieng pirated by the scientist with the micro black hole (that had caused the Tunguska explosion). They'd discussed the possibility of ships being eaten in hyperspace. Well, a protector theorized, then photographed, dark matter, and a dark matter creature in hyperspace.
Dark matter had never actually been discovered because it only physically exists in hyperspace, although it's gravity effects real space. And it congregates within gravity wells. Than dark matter slows ships in hyperspace down enough that the dark matter creatures can catch and eat them. And noone had ever noticed this because of the blindspot. And protectors never developed hyperdrive.
And the puppeteers knew this all along, and never told anyone. Neither did the Outsiders.
If you've read Known Space, you'll know the foreshadowing. Remember the ships bieng pirated by the scientist with the micro black hole (that had caused the Tunguska explosion). They'd discussed the possibility of ships being eaten in hyperspace. Well, a protector theorized, then photographed, dark matter, and a dark matter creature in hyperspace.
Dark matter had never actually been discovered because it only physically exists in hyperspace, although it's gravity effects real space. And it congregates within gravity wells. Than dark matter slows ships in hyperspace down enough that the dark matter creatures can catch and eat them. And noone had ever noticed this because of the blindspot. And protectors never developed hyperdrive.
And the puppeteers knew this all along, and never told anyone. Neither did the Outsiders.
chcr
Too cute for words
The organlegger stories are Known Space stories too, they just predate the Man-Kzin meeting, the Outsiders trading us the hyperdrive and all that. You're not familiar with Gil the ARM? In fact, it's the discovery of boosterspice that makes organlegging moot. The Pak are a lot of fun to think about, but I think the Puppeteers are my favorite alien species in any story or group of stories I've ever read. I'm a big fan, I've even got a little video of a ringworld fly-by. Here's a link to where I got it, they've got some cool stuff.