Warp-speed is subject of physics lecture
Star-Trek inspired idea of space travel on agenda at conference
Inspired by an episode of Star Trek, theoretical physicist Miguel Alcubierre figured out a way to travel faster than the speed of light — a concept thought to be impossible for 100 years.
“I came up with an idea about how to cheat (Einstein’s theory),” Alcubierre said. “A way to distort the geometry of space that in principle would allow you to travel faster than the speed of light.”
That was 20 years ago, and he hasn’t touched the research since.
“It wasn’t a major breakthrough,” Alcubierre said. “There’s a possibility, but we can’t actually do it at the moment. It’s not clear if it will ever be (possible).”
Still, said Alcubierre, “many things that science fiction predicted have turned out to be true.”
Alcubierre will speak more about our society’s interest in travelling faster than the speed of light, the theory of relativity and the size of the universe at a public lecture Monday. The lecture is free and is suitable for anyone interested in the topic.
“You don’t need to be a genius to understand it,” Alcubierre said.
The lecture kicks off Canada’s biggest physics conference, held in Edmonton for the first time since 1986.
More than 500 people, including researchers, professors and students, are expected to attend the weeklong Canadian Association of Physicists annual conference, where leading physicists will discuss topics such as nuclear dark matter detection and the South Pole IceCube experiment — burying sensors deep into the ice to detect subatomic particles.
“It’s the one opportunity to have everyone from the whole country, from coast to coast, come together and talk about what they have discovered and to exchange ideas,” said conference organizer and University of Alberta physics professor Carsten Krauss.
The conference will show off the University of Alberta’s new science building, which opened in 2011 and has allowed local physicists to contribute to national and international research. Krauss is also looking forward to showcasing Edmonton. “We want to show off the city a little bit,” Krauss said.
Alcubierre’s public lecture will take place at 7:30 p.m., Monday at the U of A’s Myer Horowitz Theatre. Tickets are free but seating is limited. Krauss recommends reserving a seat at www.ticketfly.com/event/867293.