by Jesse Marcel
However, NASA has some out-of-the-box ideas about breaking the theoretical light-speed limit of special relativity, which states that any object with mass cannot exceed or even approach the speed of light. Although massive objects have to obey this rule, space itself is not limited to the speed of light, and can expand at any arbitrary pace, with no limit. The Alcubierre drive, named after its creator, Mexican physicist Miguel Alcubierre, who proposed the idea in a 1994 issue of the journal of Classical and Quantum Gravity, demonstrates this possibility In the Alcubierre drive, the space ahead of a spacecraft is compressed, while the space behind it is expanded. As a result, the space in which the craft is contained is pulled from ahead and pushed from behind. To an outside observer, the person in the craft would be traveling faster than light, but in the passenger's capsule of space, he or she would feel no acceleration forces. For all practical purposes, he or she would be sitting still, while the immediate environment would be traveling at a speed that is-at least in theory-limitless. Because the craft embedded in this capsule of space is not subject to acceleration forces, its occupants would not be violently thrashed about during high-speed maneuvering. The catch is, contracting space in the front would take a huge amount of positive energy, and expanding space in the back would require an equal amount of negative energy. The technology for generating such immense levels of energy-not to mention proving even the existence of the phenomenon-does not currently exist on Earth, but might be possible within the realm of quantum physics, which civilizations on other worlds may well have already harnessed.
The following is a diagram of the distortion of space-time produced by the Alcubierre space drive.
Space-time warped by the Alcubierre drive.
One analogy of this capsule of space carrying its passenger faster than the surrounding space-time continuum is the moving sidewalk in an airline terminal. Visualize the moving sidewalk as the capsule with its passenger, and the fixed floor as the surrounding space-time. The moving sidewalk adds its forward speed to the passenger walking on it, so, to the passenger, he or she is walking at a normal speed, but still passes people walking on the fixed floor.
Another technology currently being researched by NASA is the Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR). VASIMR is a plasma-based propulsion system that uses an electric power source to ionize fuel, converting it to plasma. Electric fields heat and accelerate the plasma, while the magnetic fields focus the stream of plasma as it is ejected from the engine. This creates thrust for the spacecraft, which can be controlled much like the rocket-propelled engines we currently use. The VASIMR can be fueled by hydrogen, which is the most plentiful element in the universe, thus eliminating the need to carry the tremendous amount of fuel required for a prolonged trip. The required electric power could be provided by a nuclear generator, or by photovoltaic (solar) panels for trips that are relatively close to the sun. Although VASIMR is still being researched, and is years away from practical application, it has already shown enough promise during tests on Earth for scientists to be hopeful. However, the VASIMR engine would still only be capable of attaining speeds much slower than the speed of light, rendering it useful only for travel within our own solar system.
NASA is also investigating a type of warp drive that may be closer than we might think. Rather than carrying the fuel necessary for space travel, theoretically, it may be possible to tap space itself for the energy source. This so-called zerro point energy field theoretically contains energy greater than nuclear density. The proof of principle has been established tapping this energy (in other words, the idea has been proven mathematically valid), so all it takes now is the engineering (this would be a step beyond the matter-antimatter engines of the starship Enterprrise). As we lalow from the theory of special relativity, no massive particle can travel faster than the speed of light, no matter how much energy you have. As previously discussed, space itself is not constrained by this law. But empty space is not empty. It consists of a field called the false vacuum, which is filled with energetic particles that pop in and out of a fleeting existence. There is experimental evidence that these particles exist along with an incredible amount of energy called the zero point energy. With that said, there is proof of principle that there is a fundamental relationship between time, gravity, and inertia. If you can alter one, you can alter the other, and experiments indicate that indeed time, gravity, and inertia can be altered. That would provide another way for faster-than-light travel to be, at least theoretically, possible. At this time we don't have the engineering to put it into practice, but again, the proof of principle is at hand.
If we are already thinking along these lines, it does not take much of a leap of faith that others who are farther along technologically have developed the engineering, put it into practice, and made space travel a reality. (I get a kick out of reading these all-lunowing statements from less imaginative scientists that interstellar travel is impossible because we can't do it. The conclusion is that because interstellar travel is impossible, none of these UFO sightings can be interstellar spacecraft.)
Yet another technology that has not been tested, but shows some promise, is Robert W. Bussard's "Ramjet." Very simply, the Bussard engine is composed of a large sail to collect hydrogen atoms, which it then feeds to a nuclear reactor. The resulting nuclear explosions would provide incredible levels of thrust, allowing the vehicle to gradually accelerate to near-light speeds. The craft would putt-putt across space, with each successive putt increasing its speed exponentially. There are, however, drawbacks to this technology: Chief among obstacles to even testing the design is the Outer Space Treaty, which entered into force on October 10, 1967. This treaty, onto which virtually all industrialized countries signed, prohibits the detonation of potentially harmful nuclear explosions in space. Because the Bussard engine in operation is literally a constant chain of nuclear explosions, we are severely limited in our ability to even test it, much less apply the technology to our space travel aspirations.
We are on the doorstep of becoming a spacefaring civilization. We have made giant strides in exploring our backyard with planetary probes of our own. We are on the verge of finding life on other planets, such as Mars, and have sent sophisticated probes that roam its surface, studying its interesting geology and weather patterns. Some of our probes are destined to travel out of our system and actually head into interstellar space, such as Pioneer 10, which was launched in March of 1972. The last signal received from it was January 22, 2003; it is thought that its radio-isotope thermal generator finally went dead, shutting its transmitter off. It is headed in the general direction of Aldebaran, in the constellation Taurus, some 82 light-years away, and it should get there in about 2 million years. It bears a gold plaque that gives any intelligent civilization information about us, even though we may he long gone by the time they find it. This plaque was designed by Frank Drake and Carl Sagan.
Pioneer 10 heading out into interstellar space.
The message carried on Pioneer 10.
Secrecy
Why does our government (and other world governments) not tell the truth about UFOs? Why all the secrecy? I think that the people of Earth deserve to know the true nature of what is really out there. I have pondered this question for years, as have many others-most of whom are more knowledgeable than I in these matters. To answer the why of UFO secrecy, I can only guess: Is it because the powers that be feel they have to protect us from ourselves? In other words, can we really stand to know the ultimate truth of the nature of some UFOs, that they represent an advanced civilization studying us? It would be rather unnerving to discover that we are not in control of our skies, and that we are like ants in a colony whose activities are being studied. Our feelings of superiority were already stripped when our planet was displaced from being the center of the solar system to a minor planet orbiting an ordinary star in the outskirts of a galaxy that is only one of innumerable galaxies in the universe.
NASA has conducted a survey
of what would happen if the news of our descent into mediocrity was made known by the fact that we were being visited by an advanced civilization. The surprising result is that most people would accept this without undue alarm. The only people who would really be disturbed by this are the religious fundamentalists who feel God created only us.
My thoughts on the rigid secrecy range through a number of reasons. It may be that most government people have no control over the issue of UFOs. Steven Schiff, a New Mexico Congressman from 1989 to 1998, as well as other lawmakers, have tried and failed to crack the veil of secrecy. Government studies such as Project Bluebook and Project Grudge concluded that there was nothing of value in pursuing the investigation of reported UFO sightings, and Dr. J. Allen Hyneck, who ran the Bluebook inquiry, was a total debunker, who gave explanations such as "swamp gas" when he was attached to Bluebook. Once he was no longer a member of the team, however, he started to change his opinion of the UFO phenomena, and was open to the reality that at least some of these sightings may represent exotic phenomena such as extraterrestrial spacecraft.
One would think that since the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) was passed, information on UFO activity would be much more accessible. Yeah, right! As UFO researchers such as Stanton Friedman soon found out, you may get reams of pages after a suitably long wait, but these pages are basically useless, because they are mostly blacked out. This of course means that there are some details in these UFO sightings about which someone doesn't want the general public to know. This purposeful withholding of information is prime evidence that there is something going on that must be kept from the public domain. If the government says these reports are either hoaxes or just confused people, then why is it necessary to withhold information? That leaves two possibilities: Either these really are extraterrestrial craft that we must be protected from knowing about, or they are highly classified military aircraft. I don't believe all the sightings could be of highly classified military aircraft; there is no doubt in my mind that some of these sightings are from exotic craft, such as those from another civilization.
Apparently the powers that be feel that we common folic don't need to know about it. It is disturbing to think that the reason why the full story of UFOs isn't disclosed is that the truth is something we truly don't want to know, and that we are being kept in blissful ignorance for a good reason. President Reagan made a statement at an address at the United Nations in which he suggested that the whole world would suddenly become united should there be a threat from without, even going so far as to wonder whether an alien force was already among us. Did President Reagan know of a possible extraterrestrial threat, his statement a gentle reminder and tacit admission that we are not alone? One wonders what will happen when overt, undeniable contact occurs. But, as I implied earlier, the fact that we are still here suggests that any alien species observing us is of a benign character.
The Odds on Life
You have to ask why there is life in this universe. Was it created by a Creator, or is it just a result of a series of unlikely events? One could ask, is there just one universe? Or are there a multitude of universes, the so-called multiverse? Either way, just by the odds, I believe there have to be many other civilizations out there. It has been said that if we are the only life, then there is a lot of wasted space. My personal feeling is that we and the universe were created by a Creator. The universe had to be incredibly fine-tuned for life to exist, and I for one don't believe that all that extra space is wasted. Putting the UFO phenomena aside, at this moment, planet Earth is the only site where life is recognized to exist by traditional science. Sadly, until traditional science accepts the reality that events such as Roswell were indeed extraterrestrial craft, humanity will have to accept the presence of intelligent life elsewhere on faith. I have to confess that, had I not seen the debris from that craft on our kitchen floor, I would look at the UFO phenomena with a bit of skepticism. Again, leaving UFO events aside, there are compelling arguments to suggest that we are not alone. Most astrophysicists would agree that there is a high probability of not only life, but intelloent life existing elsewhere, just based on the laws of physics and chance. There are 1022 stars in the visible universe, a number that equates to the number of sand grains on Earth. No matter how unlikely the possibility of life on any given star, there are so many chances for life to exist on a multitude of planets. This means that there is nothing special about this planet, its location in the galaxy, or even our galaxy's place in the universe.
Our own galaxy of 200 to 400 billion stars (which would equate to the number of salt grains it would take to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool) has innumerable solar systems. The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has determined that planetary systems that at one time were considered to be very rare are now known to be commonplace. The HST has visualized protoplanetary discs around stars where planetary systems are still in their embryonic or cocoon stage. Maybe just a small fraction of these will go on to develop Earth-like planets with life, but the sheer numbers dictate that there must be many, many such planets that are the abodes of intelligent, spacefaring civilizations. As it turns out, the stars that have the same spectral features as our sun are the ones most likely to have an accompanying retinue of planets.
So far we have found at least 130 extra-solar planets through a variety of means. No true Earth-like planet has yet been found, but our instruments are not quite at the sensitivity to discover Earth lookalikes. Once we find another Earth-like planet, studies can be made of its atmosphere to determine if its gasses contain water vapor, oxygen, and nitrogen. If these are found, life is almost a certainty, especially if there is a trace of methane present. Methane is a biological marker, and its presence would be difficult to explain in the absence of life. Methane has been detected in the Martian atmosphere, which is a very strong clue that life similar to ours is present. Because methane is a gas that degrades, it would be completely gone in 300 years, unless it is continually replaced by volcanic activity, cometary collisions, or biologic activity. Because there is no known volcanic activity or recent cometary collisions on Mars, current biologic activity would almost certainly have to be present.
In 1984, a meteorite named ALH 84001 was found in the Allan Hills region of Antarctica that apparently came to Earth about 13,000 years ago. After study, it was determined that it indeed did come from Mars, and was probably knocked off the surface by a meteorite impact. Gasses contained in the meteorite were consistent with the atmospheric gasses known to be on Mars. Further study revealed some remarkable findings: There were abundant amounts of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that can be produced by organic activity. It is known that some PAHs found in meteorites can be from inorganic activity, but the type found in the Martian meteorite was consistent with the type produced by biology In conjunction with the PAHs there were also unusual minerals found. They were carbonate globules about 50 microns across, with cores containing manganese, rings of iron carbonate and sulfides, along with magnetite and pyrorhite. These all bear strong resemblances to mineral alterations identical to those produced by primitive Earth bacteria. The pattern found in the magnetite was identical to the pattern produced by Earth bacteria, so finding all of this in such a small area makes a nonbiological origin unlikely. The most startling of all findings was made by a highresolution electron microscope. It found what appear to be almost certainly fossilized bacteria. These are very small, and would be classified as nanobes. Taking all of these findings together makes a biological origin most likely. In other words, "if it looks like a skunk and smells like a skunk, then it is probably a skunk." Taking the Occam's razor concept that if you have a variety of solutions to a problem, the simplest explanation is the most likely one, that would be biology.
The Mars meteorite thought to contain fossilized bacteria.
Our sun is a third-generation star, which means that two previous generations of stars went through their life cycles, with us being the beneficiary of their ashes. Some 13.7 bil
lion years ago our universe was born in the "big bang," which produced clouds primarily made of hydrogen and helium with a trace of other elements such as deuterium. These clouds of deuterium and helium provided fuel for the first-generation stars, which went through their life cycles to produce heavier elements in a supernova explosion. It took one more generation of stars to produce the elements of which our solar system is made. If it happened here, it most assuredly happened elsewhere, and perhaps much sooner, so those civilizations would be older and wiser. Even a span of a few thousand years would put them vastly ahead with their technology
I was fortunate enough recently to hear Dr. Edgar Mitchell of Apollo 14, the sixth man to walk on the moon, give a talk for the Paradigm Research Group, an organization dedicated to the disclosure of UFO secrets from various governmental agencies. In that talk, he spoke of his forebears settling in Texas after getting there in a covered wagon. A hundred years later, Ed was walking on the face of the moon. If we can do that in a hundred years, what would a thousand years do for us? Unfortunately, with our advances in science and space technology, we have also had advances in weapons technology. We can now thoroughly annihilate ourselves, and have come breathtakingly close to doing so in the last several decades. Perhaps some promising civilizations have done exactly that, and have extinguished themselves. I speculate that some of our space cousins have taken an increased interest in us because of our self-destructive tendencies, and may be taking bets to see if we survive to join the intergalactic club of space-faring civilizations. If we continue on our current rate of technological advancement for the next several hundred years, we will be well on our way to the stars.
