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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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Veritasium in 40 years
Why 40 why not now
That’s the look many have and or copy in that field.
Already losing my hair and have planned on going for this look myself. How I know haha now you’ll be primmed to see it too
Did they just added fake applauds? That was cringe.
Cool use of “solar wind” besides casting beautiful comet tails.
Its not propelled by solar wind.
JayblesTO understand, using phased laser, similar in concept in using photons for momentum conversion instead of energy source…
Lets hope other worlds are figuring out ways to move away from us at the speed of light as well. If we land on a good planet its game over for many of its species and habitats, sooner or later.
I wonder if they are vegan and gluten free.
How would an object propelled in such a way slow down?
It can’t with the way he’s describing it. Look up Isaac Arthur he’s got an actual understanding of how to do this. It’s a bit technical at times be he simplifies a lot of it. I’ll post where you should start below this comment
https://youtu.be/Wol8EU6Rtbk
Would slowing down take as much energy as reaching the speeds in the first place?
@Oliver Aemmer well since you’re going to mass the same since the laser isn’t on board the craft, yes.
To make this doable you need to develop a stellaser basically using to big mirrors close to the sun that bounces light back and forth similar to a ruby rod. Except the medium you’re using is the ionized corona of the sun. Then you got the power to do something like this. Once you’re near you destination you use small probes that laser push each other to slow down and set up one at your destination to slow you down.
Great idea, but here is a problem for you.. You reach the planet or celestial body, How do you slow from 25%the speed of light to do any kind of science??
Not to mention the 4 year wait to receive any data..
The atmosphere of the planet would slow it down. You could also slingshot it around another massive object and get it into orbit with the planet.
Answer to the Fermi Paradox… as soon as a species is sufficiently advanced that they started shooting random high powered lasers into space, their stellar neighbours turn up to shut down this obnoxious behaviour 🙂
cool stuff
An array the size of a city to propel something the size of my hand? How is this viable?
The cost of the array would be enormous but you would be able to launch thousands, hundreds per day, of basically mini satellites at incredibly high speeds in a few minutes.
My question is how do you get back?
Once you go there, you never go back
The answer is teased in Pacific Rim.
We don’t possess yet the technology that will allow interstellar travel but we have access to portals available here on earth for centuries.
My dad’s farts.
The problem is we still use a lot of fossil fuel to power our lamps/lasers.
“Laughter is timeless, imagination has no age and dreams are forever.
They stole this from me…
Why do we want to reach the stars? There is enough on this planet to take care of first
Keep going