FTL Travel

James Wynn · 20 Nov 2002, 20:56 · from urth-v0211.mbox · original

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From: "James Wynn" <crushtv at HotPOP.com>
Subject: RE: (urth) FTL Travel
Date: Wed, 20 Nov 2002 14:56:11 -0600
Message-ID: <urth-v0211-2205 at digest.urth.net>
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Jerry Friedman (J.F.) persists:
I think [Crush's explanation] was [misleading].  I had the impression that
people who didn't know
physics were gathering that FTL means time going backwards, either
visiting your past or "watching the movie in reverse".  There's no
reason to expect that, though I guess if FTL turns out to be possible,
that could be what happens.

(Also, the "simple mathematics", taking the Lorentz factor literally
with a speed greater than c, gives you imaginary time--with a square
root of -1--not negative time.  Whatever either of those would mean.)

Crush concedes:
Well, if you say that that 90 years of popular scientific articles and
Nova/Discovery Channel documentaries are whacked in asserting that FTL speed
is a likely method of backward time travel (presuming FTL travel is not an
absurdity), then I'm in no position to dispute it. I capitulate to your
evident exceeding technical expertise (I had to take college algebra twice).

J.F, coyly self-effaced:
>>>Remember Kypris explaining possession to Silk?<<<

And I'm not even pretty.

Crush toasts:
I don't know about that. You have lovely posts.
<J.F. socks Crush in the eye>

--=20

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