I just realized we won't be able to go at the speed of light.

[SunJumper]

In actual fact, antimatter is equally as stable as regular matter, it is only when the two meet (which, since on Earth, matter is everywhere), that things go boom. I\'m not even sure if we can distinguish between matter and antimatter unless we let them meet...

[Awaras]

In actual fact, antimatter is equally as stable as regular matter, it is only when the two meet (which, since on Earth, matter is everywhere), that things go boom. I\'m not even sure if we can distinguish between matter and antimatter unless we let them meet...

Actually, a few days ago I read an article which talked about analyzing the behavior of antimatter. The researchers claimed that they discovered a small difference in the decay times of matter and antimatter particles - Antimatter particles seem to decay faster then matter. For the life of me I can\'t remember where I read it. Tried googling it now, but failed to find it. Maybe someone else can dig up a link?

[pizzaoverhead]

Heck, even a bad program just rolls to zero and counts up again, it\'d have to be massively borked to start going backwards.

Programs won\'t start going backwards, but it won\'t roll over to zero either! Signed integers (natural numbers with + or -) on computers save the sign as part of the number. If you add one to the highest number that the integer can hold, you\'ll get integer overflow and it\'ll roll over into the lowest number it can hold. You can try it out in your computer\'s calculator.

If you\'re on Windows 7, start the calculator and switch it to programmer mode. Enter 9,223,372,036,854,775,807 and add one to it. The answer comes out as -9,223,372,036,854,775,808.

[notalex]

I wonder why noone has mentioned particle entanglement? Surely its a field that could be promising to the ftl travel.

[LukeTim]

Programs won\'t start going backwards, but it won\'t roll over to zero either! Signed integers (natural numbers with + or -) on computers save the sign as part of the number. If you add one to the highest number that the integer can hold, you\'ll get integer overflow and it\'ll roll over into the lowest number it can hold. You can try it out in your computer\'s calculator.

If you\'re on Windows 7, start the calculator and switch it to programmer mode. Enter 9,223,372,036,854,775,807 and add one to it. The answer comes out as -9,223,372,036,854,775,808.

Well, that depends upon whether you\'re treating your integer as signed or unsigned, doesn\'t it? If it is unsigned, it will roll over from 18,... whatever the max value of a 64-bit int is, to zero... if it is signed it will do as you say.

Unless you\'re using Java... in which everything is signed. GOD DAMMIT I HATE JAVA.

[RedDwarfIV]

I think I saw a TV program where they explained it.

There is less antimatter than matter, so the Universe didn\'t annihilate itself.

However, quite how having positive energy and negative energy come together to produce a lot of positive energy probably isn\'t how a matter/anti-matter explosion works.

[Jaydee]

Would be cool if we could go over the speed of light, we would go back in time

[Endeavour]

If you\'re on Windows 7, start the calculator and switch it to programmer mode. Enter 9,223,372,036,854,775,807 and add one to it. The answer comes out as -9,223,372,036,854,775,808.

Holy cow it works!

[Endeavour]

I think I saw a TV program where they explained it.

There is less antimatter than matter, so the Universe didn\'t annihilate itself.

However, quite how having positive energy and negative energy come together to produce a lot of positive energy probably isn\'t how a matter/anti-matter explosion works.

I saw a show that said that also. I think I remember Stephen Hawking explaining it.