Warp Speed Will Kill You

Perish the thought ... we have now learned that warp speed, introduced to America courtesy of the Star Trek television series, can kill.

There are many problems inherent in considering space travel at or near the speed of light. Those of us with physics or aerospace backgrounds are very likely aware of the benefits and challenges; we know that as you travel near the speed of light, you age more slowly because of time relativity; also your body grows more massive (!) and other interesting effects that derive from Einstein's theory of special relativity.

Nonetheless, I think we all lived in a fantasy that someday, perhaps not in our lifetimes, that space travel at "warp speed" would be possible. Maybe our children or grandchildren would experience and know it.

That hope has been dashed, at least based on a recent study. Dr. William Edelstein, a physicist at Johns Hopkins, showed a video of Captain Kirk of the Starship Enterprise announcing to the crew, "Warp speed, Scotty" at a recent conference. Then he turned to the audience and announced, "they're all dead."

Why? There is very little friction in space -- that's why such extraordinary speeds are even considered possible -- because there are only a couple of atoms of hydrogen per cm2. But the analysis by Edelstein revealed that, given the speeds and materials we have today from which to make a ship, most of the hydrogen atoms would pass right through the ship walls, providing a lethal dose of radiation. At 99% of the speed of light, the irradation dose would be fatal in less than a single second; at 99.999% of the speed of light, lethality would occur in milliseconds and the ship electronics would get fried. Edelstein also concluded that the radiation pressures are so considerable at warp speeds that there are no materials yet known to man that would shield the crew inside a ship.

Drat! Next thing you know, another hallowed adage will be disproven, "Beam me up, Scotty."

Point to consider: given this limitation, is it possible for other civilizations to have visited earth in the past?