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Ask HN: What do you do with the user guide of the universe?

2 points by KenographerPrim 20 days ago · 15 comments · 1 min read


Lets say you have the user guide for the physics of the universe. You can solve all physics problems, no exceptions. What do you do with it?

CM30 20 days ago

Use it to figure out faster than light travel and efficient space transport. The economic benefits of being able to quickly move resources between Earth and space would be immense, and open a lot of new opportunities.

yepyoukno 20 days ago

Easy,

- true controlled fusion, harvest the gamma potential right off the reactor

- master intense electromagnetism, useful for all sorts of things

- accelerate masses towards the speed of light, as ballast propulsion

- build a city sized craft that flies and hovers in the sky like bricks don’t.

  • KenographerPrimOP 20 days ago

    So, basically you would be a vilain then?

    • fragmede 20 days ago

      Why is that where you go?

      • KenographerPrimOP 20 days ago

        Not sure, the city sized craft hovering in the sky maybe. The tone sounded not serious as well. And because I haven't seen any physics claims per se I went for the humorous tone. Did I make a mistake? What would be your answer to the OG question?

        • yepyoukno 20 days ago

          What do you mean no physics claim?

          Fusion, we are currently 100 years away from “true” fusion power. Notably, capturing the gamma potential is far beyond our means. In the sun the gamma release bounces around for approximately ONE MILLION YEARS, ricocheting through a wall of gas 50,000 Earth thick before emerging as the soft glow of sunlight we see. Notably, at the very core that plasmoidal gas is 13 x the density of lead, moving towards the density of water before it reaches the surface.

          And then there is the acceleration of counterweights towards the speed of light. Acceleration of 1kg to 99% of the speed of light gives us 7kg of relativistic mass. So careful pulse width modulated acceleration of counterweights of a fraction of the base “craft” mass would make the craft fall up! You would need to manipulate intensive electromagnetic fields to do this safely.

          • KenographerPrimOP 20 days ago

            Oh, so you were serious then.

            Well, the user guide for the physics of the universe might be powerful and speculative, it still doesn't allow wrong physics anyway.

            Your relativistic counterweight doesn't work. Relativistic mass increase is internal to the system. Conservation of momentum doesn't care how fast your counterweights spin. You still need to eject mass.

            You have unlimited range with that open question, I'm sure you can find correct amazing physics to suggest :)

            • yepyoukno 20 days ago

              You’re wrong!

              Lorentz field displacement is another example.

              You merely need an extraordinary amount of potential, hence the true fusion and optimal gamma collection!

        • fragmede 20 days ago

          Yeah, but why did you go to villains? Lex Luthor is a fictional character that doesn't exist.

          • KenographerPrimOP 20 days ago

            The user guide for the physics of the universe is fictional as well. Did I miss something? What is happening here?

        • pmdulaney 20 days ago

          Upvote for kindly attempting to de-escalate. But the olive branch was rebuffed.

lostmsu 20 days ago

Read it and go from there

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