Will intergalactic travel ever be possible?

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I imagine that to travel across galaxies, we wouldn't travel in a linear fashion, the way that we do in a car. Instead, we would teleport. Of course, we would have to find out how to teleport.

I also liked the imagined theory of bending time and space, the way it was described in
"A Wrinkle in Time." I know that was a fictional book, but alot of what was considered science fiction in the past is now a reality today.
 
when approaching the speed of light time slows down so much that no generational ship would be needed, however by the time you finish your tour of the local group even earth would be long gone. However its currently seen as impossible to go that fast.
 
jameslasner said:
when approaching the speed of light time slows down so much that no generational ship would be needed, however by the time you finish your tour of the local group even earth would be long gone. However its currently seen as impossible to go that fast.
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if time stands still at the speed of light, then light itself must be
timeless, and if light is timeless then it can travel anywhere
in no time at all?
 
It may be possible,but I believe it is only in the distant future.If you want to experience intergalactic travel,the first thing you need to worry about is life extension-and THAT may not be too far away.
 
I don't think that "technology has its limits" at all. We are constantly accomplishing things that were once thought impossible.


I am not sure if intergalactic travel will happen, but it's possible; anything is possible.

I think the limitation/obstacles may lie more with the human body and what it can handle in terms of moving at such a speed to make intergalactic travel possible.
 
NetJaded said:
I don't think that "technology has its limits" at all. We are constantly accomplishing things that were once thought impossible.


I am not sure if intergalactic travel will happen, but it's possible; anything is possible.

I think the limitation/obstacles may lie more with the human body and what it can handle in terms of moving at such a speed to make intergalactic travel possible.
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I don't think technology has limits either.
Reminds about Ray Kurzweil's accelerating returns theory.He talks about the ultimate limit being when the universe becomes a brain/computer or something like that.
 
You still have to get round the light speed barrier. The rule says that no cause and effect relationship can be propogated at more than light speed. That definitely includes space ships!

Lots of ideas have been put forwards, from hyperspace to warping space/time, to wormholes, to diving through black holes. In every case, more detailed analysis has shown that the method will not work.

With the current state of knowledge, saying we will find a way amounts to a statement that we will find a magic wand that can do miracles. It is religious faith - not science.
 
Skeptical said:
With the current state of knowledge, saying we will find a way amounts to a statement that we will find a magic wand that can do miracles. It is religious faith - not science.
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It's faith but not religious faith, unless you want to un-split hairs and insist that all supernaturalism is religion.

And I'm not even sure that the prediction that one day we will find a way around a limitation which today appears insurmountable even qualifies as supernaturalism. Just exuberant optimism!
 
I say we build a better fission powered space ship than Russia, and see who can break the light speed barrier first:) Lets see if we can do it before the galactic alignment. I mean how hard could that be?
 
Will intergalactic travel ever be possible?
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Guys, have you spoken about Alcubierre drive? This and such methods to my mind will enable the mankind in far future (let's say within 1-2 centuries) to visit other galaxies :) if I was Physicist I would try to overcome some problems connected with this method (see section Difficulties in the relevant link in Wikipedia) ;)
 
NetJaded said:
I don't think that "technology has its limits" at all. We are constantly accomplishing things that were once thought impossible.
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Wow- what a novel thought.

I believe the only way Special Relativity is possible is through other dimensions, which I am not against, being in this string universe and all.

Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a hand held device that takes you to other civilizations?!!
 
The Alcubierre Drive requires, in theory, many times the total sum of energy contained by the entire universe. I am not holding my breath!
 
We don't know what we will achieve in the next million years or so.

Although doubtful, perhaps by then we will figure out a way to cure all known diseases and maybe even travel manned across interstellar or maybe even intergalactic distances. But right now we have other things to worry about, like not running out of food, water and building space.
 
Enoc said:
But right now we have other things to worry about, like not running out food . . . .
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There's no shortage of food on this planet. The underpopulated Western Hemisphere could grow enough food to feed the whole world ten times over. Even the United States is a net food exporter. (Ever wonder where your corn and corn oil comes from? We also export other grains, fruits, meat, fish and dairy products.) Most of California, for example, is either farmland or forest.

The problem is not food production, but food distribution. We send millions of tons of food to the Third World. But their despotic rulers intercept it, sell it on the black market, and use the money for hookers, champagne, exotic cars, French villas, and weapons to make war against the despotic ruler of the adjacent country.

Fortunately democracy and prosperity are steadily spreading across the globe.
. . . . water and building space.
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These are issues of population growth. The second derivative of population turned negative about 25 years ago (I've been saying 15 but I finally did the math), so population is expected to peak at less than 10 billion before the end of this century... and then start falling.
 
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