Re: Faster Than Light Travel

>>
>> IIRC (it was a LONG time ago that I read them), Brian Stableford's
"Hooded
>> Swan" series was pretty unique in that it had at least three
different
>> types of FTL drive in use in the same setting! All I can remember is
that
>> one of them was called the P-Shifter (probability shifter), I think
the
>> other two were more like the usual Hyperspace/Warp types; I just
mention
>> this because it is a very unusual idea to have different races using
>> TOTALLY different FTL methods in the same book....
>>
>> Jon (GZG)
>>
>
>Check out Vernor Vinge "A Fire on the Deep".  In this there are 3
>different areas of the galaxy broken into the transcendent, the
>beyond, and the slowness.  In each area the way actual technologies
>work are different.  In the slowness for instance you can't travel
>faster thal light.  In the transcend just about anything is possible.
>Dependant on which area you're civilisation is in you can be more or
>less technologically advanced.  The only problem is that high tech
>stuff doesn't work in the lower areas of space.  Therefore no
>transcend techs in the slowness etc.  This creates some interesting
>possibilities.  Its a book thats well worth a read.

I remember reading an article in Scientific American by a Russian
cosmologist who theorized that the universe was fractal in nature,
with certain stable zones where the laws of physics were constant
(but not the same everywhere), and zones of instability where physics
was a bit odd, and "baby universes" were being formed all the time
from these instable zones. I remember he had some nice computer diagrams
illustrating his theory. Unfortunately I lent my copy out to someone
who never returned it and now I forget who I lent it to (I think I have
lost way too many books this way)!

Anyway, I don't remember any evidence supporting his theory (other than
his computer models) but it was very interesting nonetheless. Could
provide some very interesting FT scenarios where fleets from different
stable zones battle it out.

>-----------------------------
>Niall Gilsenan,
>Dublin Institute of Technology,
>College of Catering and Tourism,
>Cathal Brugha St, Dublin 1,
>Ireland.