The Warp Drive in invented tomorrow. What happens next?

[ZetaX]

You made the claim. You prove it. You claim an object at near-light speed would go right through the atmosphere? Prove it. Show me a bullet that came in at 0.99999999c. What you're probably not aware of is this: friction varies as the SQUARE of velocity. Don't take my word for it; Wikipedia it.

Your "show me a bullet that came in" is ridiculous. We are talking about a hypothetical scenario where exactly that is happening. Which you tried to counter using real life asteroids (which have ridiculously less impuls per mass than that bullet) as examples of stuff not penetrating the atmosphere.

And well, yeah, "friction". As if that is an adequate model for that. Just model it as there being a masisve object of air density. Fits it much better. You are trying to apply reasoning to cases they are not made for.

Don't misstate what I said. It won't go right through. It turns into a plasmatic ball (droplet¿ cone¿ whatever the shape will be) of fury and that will hit you. Maybe it has lost 1% of its energy by then, which is totally not relevant.

Also, take a look at this: https://what-if.xkcd.com/1/ and note that the bullet has way more 9s (and I can add more if required).

I don't have to provide calculations. Gregrox wrote the original post (well, actually, he UPDATED the original post, and it's pretty easy for people to not see the update). Gregrox is God. What Gregrox says is law. And he says the warp drive he described in the OP can't be used as a weapon within Earth's gravity well. Your entire line of argument for warp weapons (or, rather, EVERYBODY'S line of argument for warp weapons) is dead.

Camacha is not actually using that. He accelerates it outside to whatever he wants, similiar to what I would use it for. Your "counterargument" is completely missing that point. We don't need that pesky little earth for anything else than a shooting target.

[GeneralVeers]

Your "show me a bullet that came in" is ridiculous. We are talking about a hypothetical scenario where exactly that is happening.

Exactly. Hypothetical.

Which you tried to counter using real life

Exactly. Real life.

And well, yeah, "friction". As if that is an adequate model for that.

There is. It's right here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parasitic_drag#Skin_friction

Note what the web site says: friction varies as the SQUARE of the velocity. Double the velocity and you QUADRUPLE the drag force. An extremely fast object will encounter an extremely extreme amount of drag, slow down extremely extremely fast, encounter an extremely extreme amount of heat, and vaporize extremely extremely fast. And the resulting ball of plasmatic fury will also disperse extremely extremely fast.

Camacha is not actually using that. He accelerates it outside to whatever he wants, similiar to what I would use it for.

And as I've already pointed out more than once, there is no significant tactical advantage over other weapons platforms. That's my position, I explained my reasoning behind it, I disagree with the counterarguments by both of you (for reasons which I also explained). End of comma splice.

The results from Gregrox's warp drive can be guessed at, with a high degree of accuracy, by simply reviewing real-world history. "Ultimate" weapons have been invented many times. "Unstoppable" and "invulnerable" weapons have been invented many times. And every time, the word "ultimate" or "unstoppable" or "invulnerable" turned out to be wrong. There's no evidence this trend is going to change.

New economic frontiers? Same deal. The entities already at the front of the pack have always been in the best position to make buck off new inventions.

The only sure thing is the new knowledge we'll gain from finally being able to explore the stars and visit other planets. Mining minerals? Meeting aliens? Not likely. Actually SEEING other planets up close? Awesome multiplied by sweet.

[Whirligig Girl]

Gregrox is God. What Gregrox says is law.

I quite like that idea.

I'd like to note that if relative velocity stays the same after warp, kinetic weapons are possible, just quite a few orders of magnitude less powerful. You'd launch from Mercury and hit Earth with Mercurian orbital speed. probably a good 10-30 times more powerful than Earth orbit kinetic bombs like Rods from Gods. Nowhere near as much power as relativistic bombs, and it likely wouldn't be economical.

Edited August 4, 2015 by GregroxMun

[Vanamonde]

Thread closed for, take your pick, really. Getting way the heck off-topic, personal attacks, politics on the forum, etc.