A Spacecraft that Twists Space

The concept of faster-than-light travel has existed and is common in the realm of science fiction for decades now. However, the idea of wrap drives interstellar journeys has captured the imagination of many, especially in the series called Star Trek. Which of these ideas and concepts were more than just fiction and imagination? It seems like the new development of science theory is slowly becoming a subject of interest.

Twisting space to travel faster than light is the idea behind the warp drive

Science fiction is often associated with warp drives, which have the potential to accelerate spacecraft faster than the speed of light. The prospect of twisting or bending space-time to enable faster-than-light travel without violating the fundamental principles of physics lies at the heart of the warp drive concept. A warp drive would presumably compress space in front of the vehicle and expand it behind, producing a kind of bubble.

This bubble would enable the ship to travel great distances swiftly rather than speeding it to the speed of light. The space surrounding the spacecraft would move, enabling it to travel farther than the speed of light, rather than the spacecraft itself moving through space at an impossibly rapid rate. Miguel Alcubierre, a physicist laid this foundation in 1994 and spoke about the mathematical model for a warp drive.     READ MORE...

Space-Time Distortions

Observing time distortions could show whether Einstein's theory of general relativity accounts for the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy.

Scientists could soon test Einstein's theory of general relativity by measuring the distortion of time.


According to new research published June 22 in the journal Nature Astronomy, the newly proposed method turns the edge of space and time into a vast cosmic lab to investigate if general relativity can account for dark matter  -  a mysterious, invisible form of matter that can only be inferred by its gravitational influence on the universe's visible matter and energy -  as well as the accelerating expansion of the universe due to dark energy. The method is ready to be tested on future surveys of the deep universe, according to the study authors.

General relativity states that gravity is the result of mass warping the fabric of space and time, which Einstein lumped into a four-dimensional entity called space-time. According to relativity, time passes more slowly close to a massive object than it does in a mass-less vacuum. This change in the passing of time is called time distortion.

Since its introduction in 1915, general relativity has been tested extensively and has become our best description of gravity on tremendous scales. But scientists aren't yet sure if it can explain invisible dark matter and dark energy, which together account for around 95% of the energy and matter in the universe.  READ MORE...