# What if A Starship flew like Light?



## jjabrams55 (Mar 28, 2014)

We all know how impossible FTL or even light speed is, so I was thinking, what if the starship in a fictional work flew like light?

We know how light moves and it's properties. So taking that over to a starship won't be too hard.

                     P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }   _The properties of light are that light travels in straight lines, it can be bent and it is a form of energy. It also has the ability to be reflected. Light is a natural agent that inspires sight and makes things visible. Light also has zero mass._



 So the idea is to take the starship and fly it through a type of mass changer cylinder.


Simultaneously when it's mass is changed, it is shot forward by the cannon. That way all of the ship is moving at a uniform speed, light speed.


It's still visible, but not to ordinary observers, unless through a telescope at distant ranges.


With the properties of light, it now can be reflected by mirrors, and be absorbed as heat by non reflective objects. Flying through non reflective objects cools the atmosphere inside the ship. Too much and the entire ship will freeze solid, while continuing to fly at light speed. So flying through a planet would definitely kill your crew, but not because of the collision. Since you have zero mass, you can fly through things, but since you have the properties of light, you can also be absorbed, although only in the form of heat.






FTL would be achieved by pure technobabble. Likely hyperspace tunnels via hypergates. Of course, light speed would be necessary before you could even reach hyperspace.


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## adomol (Mar 28, 2014)

jjabrams55 said:


> We all know how impossible FTL or even light speed is, so I was thinking, what if the starship in a fictional work flew like light?
> 
> We know how light moves and it's properties. So taking that over to a starship won't be too hard.
> 
> ...



I say you get the ball rolling and send the guys over at the X-Prize an email!


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## Bick (Mar 30, 2014)

It seems to add a lot of risk for only a small percentage improvement in velocity relative to 'high percent of C' travel, which should be possible by simply accelerating for long enough.  Of course, there's a short story there for sure, perhaps you should get typing!  I like the idea, anyway.


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## chrispenycate (Mar 30, 2014)

The photon does not have zero mass, it has zero rest mass. As at light speed there is no duration, so you don't have to worry about heat build up.

The problem (apart from the total conversion of that much matter into energy, rather more energy than a nova) is that any diffraction, absorption, partial reflection, any modification of the light beam will lose energy (= mass) and information (= distortion of the vessel, and possibly much nastier effects on the passengers) 

Oh, and the beam of light would be powerful to vaporise any spaceship in its path, and quite possibly burn a hole through a planet.

Otherwise 'you're not getting me up in one'.


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## tinkerdan (Mar 31, 2014)

What you want to do is tap into the properties of a neutrino rather than worry about light, because presently they theorize that neutrino pass through normal matter unimpeded.

They also exhibit inexplicable properties and may or may not go faster than the speed of light.


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