| Sports |
The barrier of space and time
In part two of this article
RAPHAEL BONHART concludes that the barrier of space and time will
remain a riddle for mankind.
Do you think that in future, long distance-travel interplanetary
or interstellar communications will be possible in real-time for
us to converse?
It is not possible. For a start, it is impossible to converse with
anyone between the planets. This leaves us with the option of
broadcasting our information and waiting for a return broadcast.
The delay in waiting depends on a round trip for the signal as
two-way communication doubles any light distance between them.
A transmitted message from Earth, traveling at the speed of light,
will reach Mars after about 4 minutes and 20 seconds. Upon
receiving this message, an immediate return broadcast will take
the same time to reach Earth, totaling to almost 10 minutes after
the initial transmission.
In order to mimic Earth-bound communications how can we overcome
this space-time barrier through the vastness of space and time? It
seems that to overcome the barrier of space, time and even the
speed of light, instantaneousness is the only way out. This means
that we must devise a principle where we can communicate without
the factors of space and time so that our transmission of
information is instantaneous - not affected by space and time.
This will involve identifying a phenomenon that exists universally
that can be modulated (pulsed) in a way where the desired affect
is instant transmission of information. This phenomenon is likely
to be used as a medium for the transmission of information rather
than a carrier like radio waves. One of the phenomena that exist
universally is the vast expanse of empty space. Is space really an
empty void?
All bodies of matter in space have a force of gravity, the force
that attracts other things towards them. This force of gravity
bends space. You can imagine gravity being like a heavy ball on a
rubber sheet causing a slant on its surrounding surface. Anything
close by will fall towards it.
Gravity then is defined as a curvature in the fabric of space and
time.
It must be noted that gravity and the acceleration of free fall
are the result of the attractive force between a body and Earth.
Gravitation is used to describe the attractive force between all
bodies of matter in the universe and plays a major role in
organizing them into systems like our solar system and the
galaxies.
Far away from the sources of gravity, space and time are perfectly
flat. Approaching a massive body such as a star or a planet, you
are moving into increasing curved space-time.
The space-time fabric of the universe is intricately woven by the
orderly presence of matter in it, from curved space-time
(gravity), and then interlinked by gravitation. Disregarding any
violent activities by some body systems of matter for the moment,
we can say that the space-time fabric of the universe is stable
and in equilibrium.
Now imagine a non-spherical body is rotating. Since this body
doesn't have a symmetry about its axis of rotation, as the larger
part of it spins away with respect to any body of mass in the
universe, it causes the space-time fabric to stretch. Spinning
towards any body of mass compresses the fabric of space-time.
These ripples or patterns of strains are called gravitational
waves and are predicted to propagate with the speed of light.
However, conservative theorists doubt this speed saying that
gravitational waves probably travel instantly or at some other
speeds.
Being a subject that is more easily grasped intuitively, there is
a logical reason to believe these gravitational effects travel
faster than the speed of light, and the possibility of them
traveling instantly cannot be ruled out. We must remember that
space is like a rubber sheet and any variable strains caused by a
body of mass (source), should cause an instantaneous interaction
in the space-time fabric of other bodies in space.
Gravitational waves are very elusive to detect directly. I can
only give my opinion that they are non-electromagnetic and our
limited understanding on how to make a device that can produce and
detect them as two main reasons. In fact, the problem of the
generation and detection of gravitational waves in a laboratory is
at present somewhat academic. If that can be achieved, then it is
possible we can modulate gravitational waves to convey
information. In this digital age, we can use them directly as
digital pulses.
Do you think that we can eliminate the factors of space and time
in communications by modulating the very fabric of space and time?
We can only wait for future experiment to establish the actual
speed of these gravitational effects. Then we will know if we have
an exit out of this eternal barrier, at least in communications.
Whether it is communications or transportation, the barrier of
space and time will remain a riddle for mankind. Faster-than-light
travel cannot be an option. The speed of light is a fundamental
link between space and time and a universal limit, and if
violated, reality would be irrational at a very fundamental level.
Probably in future, a way out of the barrier of space and time
will be found. With that hope, I end this article with a quote
from Robert Goddard-Father of American Rocketry: "It is difficult
to say what is impossible. The dream of yesterday is the hope of
today and, the reality of tomorrow".
 
|
