RE: SPS/Pulsars

For Pseudo-FTl communication you can use FTL couriers to get to the
system, then beam the communication across to the next courier who then
jumps to the next system (a la Pony Express.)  I believe that Niven used
this method in "The Mote in God's Eye" series.	This has the downside
that you can only use it in areas where you have a good courier network
setup.	Communication to the out of the way places would still be
intermittent or take a long time.

--Binhan

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tim Gray [mailto:tgray@adacplastics.com]
> Sent: Monday, February 25, 2002 10:17 AM
> To: gzg-l@csua.berkeley.edu
> Subject: Re: SPS/Pulsars
> 
> 
> I pulled the idea from the ONE book I read from the Honor Harrington
> series by and author named *mumbles something*.
> 
> If you really want beacons in your universe, the underlying "fabric"
> doesn't have to be gravity... it can be anything, really.
> 
>   
> 
> On Mon, 2002-02-25 at 12:00, Randy W. Wolfmeyer wrote:
> > 
> > On 25 Feb 2002, Flak Magnet wrote:
> > 
> > > Then there's the concept of gravitic propagation being 
> instantaneous
> > > that could be used for FTL transmission:
> > >
> > > The theory being something along the lines of gravitic 
> fields being like
> > > a fabric, if you tug on one thread, all the other threads react
> > > instantly.  If you say that it really works that way in 
> _your_ universe,
> > > then setting up a beacon with a medium power would be as 
> "simple" as a
> > > purposely mis-aligned gravitic drive (set to remain 
> stationary) pulsing
> > > with specifically-timed bursts to make it unique.  Very 
> much like the
> > > lights used to navigate lakes by boats and to denote 
> towers to aircraft.
> > >
> > > --Flak
> > >
> > 
> > As a grad student in General Relativity, I can say with 
> near certainty
> > that gravitational effects propagate at the speed of light. 
>  At least in
> > the universe as we currently know it.  However, if you 
> assume FTL jump
> > drives, a misaligned jump drive might generate the same 
> type of signal
> > that could propagate FTL.  But even then the concept of 
> instantaneous
> > transmission is going to depend on relativistic frame (how fast the
> > observer is moving relative to the source), not to mention 
> the frequency
> > of the signal.
> > 
> > Please note that I do accept that you can setup thing in 
> whatever way you
> > want in your own fictional universe.
> > 
> > Randy Wolfmeyer