January 17, 2024 8-10 PM

Event Type: Lecture and Stargazing
Title: Faster than Light Speed? The Physics of the Warp Drive
Lecturer: Elias Most
Position: Professor
Institution: Caltech
Abstract:
The vastness of space is so great that travel to the nearest star system requires tens of thousands of years using conventional rocket technology. However, the world of science fiction has many examples of ships capable of making this journey in hours or days by traveling at faster-than-light speeds. But are the "warp drives" necessary for achieving these speeds even compatible with the laws of physics as we know them? In this talk, I will discuss the physics of proposed warp drives in the context of Einstein’s equations of General Relativity. I will also comment on the intrinsic obstacles to creating such devices in practice.