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Could we exit our solar system, and enter another? Astrophysicist Philip Lubin discusses the awesome potential of using lasers to propel small spacecraft, enabling humanity’s first interstellar missions. Learn how this transformative technology could help us reach Proxima Centauri, the nearest star to our own — and fundamentally alter our understanding of the universe along the way.
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HaZZarD
October 22, 2020 at 2:13 pm
Yes
Let’s Go
aristochat3
October 22, 2020 at 2:36 pm
Wanting to go to the stars is fascist.
aristochat3
October 22, 2020 at 2:37 pm
But does this help lgtb and trans Rights?
Pablo Escobar
October 22, 2020 at 5:59 pm
It certainly helps more than any current or soon to be president ever has or even will do tbh
Plug in
October 22, 2020 at 5:01 pm
Nothing Start with N an end with G ~
Pablo Escobar
October 22, 2020 at 5:57 pm
Nothing
Pablo Escobar
October 22, 2020 at 5:55 pm
Nice idea Phil 😄. I love the idea of solar sails for long distance space travel.
Is the laser array mobile or built in some sort of gyroscopic housing?, given the earth’s spin wouldn’t we be only able to fire the beam within fairly short windows (relativistic in terms of distance required for substantial space travel) maybe weather conditions/cloud coverage could hinder it also.
Machiel van Dijk
October 22, 2020 at 7:05 pm
interesting but don’t know
Paweł Zieliński
October 22, 2020 at 7:54 pm
This is truth about aliens. They are humans from future:
Wol747
October 22, 2020 at 8:22 pm
Since you can’t slow the unit down you have to develop instruments that work at a substantial fraction of C in the few seconds they have passing a planet!
Mateo Tolić
October 22, 2020 at 8:24 pm
Why does he sound so bored with this exciting Future? Did he bore himself?
Peter Clark
October 22, 2020 at 8:38 pm
In Cosmic timescales Earth is a temporary refuge. We are duty-bound to get off before we have no choice. That is, if H. sapiens is worth preserving. BTW Reproduction flies in the face of Entropy futilely giving it the ‘bird’. We could disappear without record and the Universe will sublimely carry on; an incidental creature made from the same processes that created Pulsars, the Kuyper belt and everything else.
Unfortunately we aren’t yet smart enough to debunk Relativity (Maths attempt to be regarded a Science – it’s not, its just a useful abstract tool). IOW Science has yet to acquire the gravity/gravitas to defend itself from Nerd/Geek interruptions… cont’d in comments
Lisa Love Ministries
October 22, 2020 at 11:31 pm
Seek Gods personal fellowship with God through Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Northern85Star
October 23, 2020 at 12:29 am
20 years to get there, 5 years to get any information about it. Need better technology.
Miri Nannestad
October 23, 2020 at 3:12 am
I know that no one really cares, but I just wanted to remind everyone that Jesus loves you. So much. And He wants you to love Him back. He is the way, the truth, and the light, and my life has completely turned around.
Dennis Tucker
October 23, 2020 at 1:26 pm
Possible? Maybe. Practical? Not so much.
Steven Hineman
October 23, 2020 at 4:52 pm
Tommy Chong really cleans up nice.
early access
October 23, 2020 at 4:56 pm
Can’t you shoot the spacecraft like a bullet , in the direction of the star
Jack Jones
October 24, 2020 at 1:46 pm
The problem with that is that will only travel as fast as a bullet could initially travel, to reach near lightspeeds you need constant acceleration, which is why phased arrays and solar sails can accomplish this.
The problem with using fuel to accelerate it the same way is that fuel required would be exponentially higher and more expensive as the more fuel you add, the more fuel is needed to lift that fuel from earth, so it is not as efficient.
Yim B
October 23, 2020 at 7:19 pm
So the spacecraft reaches 25% the speed of light. It’s a good thing the Alpha Centaurians are working on building a big catcher’s mitt with extra padding at their end.
Micha El
October 23, 2020 at 9:35 pm
How would such a (tiny) probe be able to find life on another planet? Moving at relativistic speed it will not be able to brake at the destination system or even only to decrease its speed significantly. So it could only get a short glimpse while bolting through the system. And how it would be able to send its findings back to us? Where does the energy come from to drive a sender powerful enough, even for a short flash?
The Freshest
October 24, 2020 at 1:34 am
How do you slow down and stop? some kinda gravity assist maybe
Coach - Daniel A.
October 24, 2020 at 6:19 am
If I cant catch up to my future, how then a universe speeding away from me… “The Carrot Paridox” or “my own singularity”. When I was a kid I attempted “Astral Projection” went and left out into the universe, didnt find anyone. Other than demonic spiritual entities. I repented and live happily ever after awaiting for my Lord and savior, creator of the universe that I look upon every day and thank Him for it. He created just for us and still no one out there, except for those entities of light (traveling beyond the speed of light. Hint: fallen angels) confusing mankind.
Terry Wheelock
October 24, 2020 at 10:28 am
Never gonna happen due to the logistics of the human civilization ……. ok maybe in a thousand years ……. if we all agree and start right now! NEVER GONNA HAPPEN!
HarryGuit
October 24, 2020 at 5:50 pm
Speed of light is not enough. You‘d have to spend some 4 years to reach the next star!
World Shaper
October 24, 2020 at 11:47 pm
Prof. Lubin we need to get to aproximus Centaury in one week.
If we work on it we can find a way to travel 18,000,000 Kilometers per second. Not 300,000 km per second.
Kevin Fisher
October 25, 2020 at 9:06 pm
Very interesting. Three questions come to mind;
1. Would there be any benefit in placing the phased array at the top of a tall building (like the Burj Khalifa) would this create any measurable reduction in atmospheric interference or are we planning to use frequencies unhindered by air.
2. I assume there would be no possibility of a) stopping or slowing down when we get there or b) course correction mid flight. Which leads me to question 3.
3.How precise would the targeting have to be? I assume if you’re off by a few arc seconds initially that error would multiply enormously over many light years.
Harvey Holloway
October 25, 2020 at 11:46 pm
I see one problem with this. I have no idea how to slow the craft down at the other end. This will work if you are interested in a fly by only. I can not see it being use able for transport ships, etc???