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blizzardboy
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Nerf Herder
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posted May 01, 2015 07:54 PM |
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EM Drives
NASA researchers have made progress on a new way to power a spaceship that could eventually enable fast travel to the outer reaches of our solar system. The research findings fly in the face of our understanding up until now of physics. Indeed, the results, which have now been seen similarly in several studies, appear to contradict Newton’s third law of physics.
The propulsion system, known as the EmDrive, was conceived around the turn of the millennium by a British engineer named Roger Shawyer. The EmDrive is an electromagnetic propulsion drive that purports to generate thrust by bouncing microwaves in a closed container. By the principles of classical physics, this ought to be impossible because of the law of conservation of momentum: every action has an equal and opposite reaction. For example, a fuel-powered rocket builds momentum by shooting propellant out its back, which pushes it forward. (You’ll experience the same effect if you try to throw a ball on roller skates.) But the EmDrive seems to generate momentum out of thin air.
Shawyer’s initial results were deservedly met with extreme skepticism—after all, what he said he’d found should have been impossible. But in 2010, Chinese researchers reported that they had generated thrust from an EmDrive, and in 2014, a NASA propulsion lab known as NASA Eagleworks found the same. Still, none of these experiments were conducted in a vacuum, which made them more prone to error and therefore not conclusive.
But now, a researcher with NASA Eagleworks has reported that the group has been able to generate thrust from an EmDrive in a vacuum. That’s a big piece of evidence in favor of this research’s validity, and an indicator that it could one day be possible to build spaceships that use the drives.
And what if we can? Well, the EmDrives would theoretically allow spaceships to accelerate to much higher speeds, shrinking the vastness of space enough to make interplanetary exploration feasible. For example, as Eagleworks research lead Harold White and Kent Joosten write in a 2014 paper on human space exploration (pdf), spaceships outfitted with EmDrives and onboard nuclear power instead of jet fuel could take passengers to Mars in 75 days, or to the Saturnian moon of Titan in nine months. That’s a quick jaunt compared with current spacecraft, which now take nine months to get to Mars, and three to six years to reach Saturn.
http://qz.com/395232/nasa-is-working-on-a-super-fast-spaceship-technology-that-defies-the-laws-of-physics/
The article title is a bit trollish though. If the drive ends up working, then by textbook definition, it isn't defying the laws of physics  "Defying the laws of physics" is a misnomer.
The implications are quite stimulating however. I eagerly look forward to tasseling and riding my microwave oven to work. HAW! TAKE US TO THE MOON GIRL! *cracks whip*
$60,000 luxury car got nothing on my pimped wagon. You better respect.
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"Folks, I don't trust children. They're here to replace us."
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husham123
Famous Hero
Yes
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posted May 01, 2015 08:14 PM |
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Well, NASA does nice job, as always. I know it sounds too much like it was spelled by a kid, but, I don't want to hear about extraterestrial life.
BTW, nice explanation up there 
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What the darn-diddily-doodily did you just say about me, you little witcharooney? I’ll have you know I graduated top of my class at Springfield Bible College, and I’ve been involved in numerous secret
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blizzardboy
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Nerf Herder
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posted May 01, 2015 08:15 PM |
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husham123 said:
BTW, nice explanation up there
Thank you very much. I wrote it myself. Probably should get a QP.
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"Folks, I don't trust children. They're here to replace us."
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husham123
Famous Hero
Yes
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posted May 01, 2015 08:27 PM |
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Yes, you do. I will ask a moderator, it is really interesting. Are you sure you are not a reporter ? 
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What the darn-diddily-doodily did you just say about me, you little witcharooney? I’ll have you know I graduated top of my class at Springfield Bible College, and I’ve been involved in numerous secret
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Salamandre
Admirable
Omnipresent Hero
Wog refugee
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posted May 01, 2015 08:33 PM |
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Careful here, usually any thread takes 2 husham posts to automatically be directed to VW.
And that would be a shame; is awsom post! I also understood nothyng except that ricains again think they can.
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Era II mods and utilities
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husham123
Famous Hero
Yes
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posted May 01, 2015 08:38 PM |
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Are you sure you didn't mean Harry ?
Homewer, let's stick to the subject, it is a OSM thread. 
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What the darn-diddily-doodily did you just say about me, you little witcharooney? I’ll have you know I graduated top of my class at Springfield Bible College, and I’ve been involved in numerous secret
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Stevie
Responsible
Undefeatable Hero
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posted May 01, 2015 08:50 PM |
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blizzardboy
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Nerf Herder
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posted May 01, 2015 09:09 PM |
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Salamandre said:
Careful here, usually any thread takes 2 husham posts to automatically be directed to VW. .
I'll just ride my microwave back to the OSM.
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"Folks, I don't trust children. They're here to replace us."
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Tsar-Ivor
Promising
Legendary Hero
Scourge of God
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posted May 01, 2015 09:28 PM |
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Can't help but feel that you would yield a far more substantial amount of kinetic energy by strapping electrodes to hamsters on the wheel.
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"No laughs were had. There is only shame and sadness." Jenny
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