So sorry but the universe is not expanding!

[rrw4rusty]

I like bad boys.

 

 

 

Seriously, though, no I'm trying to say that if you want help with finding a plausible way to represent some non-scientific (or future-scientific or possible-scientific) phenomenon in a scientifically-plausible way for a plot, then you should say so.

 

And I was trying to say that I think you are the one who made assumptions (that we would assume the aliens know a lot), and not necessarily the people who saw the aliens...which is an attempt to explain why you didn't quite get what you expected to get.

 

Specifically, what you said here:

 

Is an assumption we automatically have... To assume otherwise is to fall into fallacious thinking, which is why we - scientists and science-minded people -- REALLY try to avoid it.

 

Is my point clearer? I'm trying.

 

Really, I see your point. So... ah.... you like bad boys do you... oh... so many 'come backs' come to mind... but I imagine you can see my point.

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So, were you planning on sharing the actual question you said you have?

 

You guys are so cool! Should I post it in this thread or a new thread? I have several questions... if not more.

 

My current sci-fi story is... WAY out there... in fact few if any sci-fi authors have gone where I've gone. For instance, scientists have gone the way of alchemists and medicine men... replaced by... ah, I hate to just give it away but it's cleaver as hell. What would you guess (I promise I already have this one).

 

Always I like to have scientific 'plausibility' where ever possible. For instance, in this story, to travel the vast distances you find in space, instead of going faster than light, I redefine time. Furthermore, I don't travel between stars nor even galaxies! This story spans galactic clusters (yep, I'd sure like to do away with the expanding universe!! But I think I'm stuck with it.)!

 

But I digress... I should be writing!

[mooeypoo]

You piqued my interest with this one specifically:

For instance, in this story, to travel the vast distances you find in space, instead of going faster than light, I redefine time.

May I ask how? It sounds totally unique, and yet.. not sure if it solves anything in terms of actually going places faster...

 

Furthermore, I don't travel between stars nor even galaxies! This story spans galactic clusters (yep, I'd sure like to do away with the expanding universe!! But I think I'm stuck with it.)!

...specifically these distances.

 

Maybe you should stick to standard stuff.. like the stargate...

 

But yeah, if you're going for scientific plausibility, this one's a hard one, specially in those distances. You might have to give up some of the plausibility for the sake of your story plot..

 

~moo

[Mr Skeptic]

Well there have been a few proposed methods to travel faster than light. What they all have in common is bending spacetime, so as to travel faster than light as a whole while not doing so locally. However, all of them also have serious problems. Pick one: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Faster-than-light_travel

 

If you only redefine time, wouldn't the result be that travel times are shorter but a whole lot of stuff happens at the planets in those "short" times? Traveling near the speed of light will result in relativistic time distortion, so that you experience time as passing slowly. However, that won't stop hundreds of years passing at your destination before you arrive. Is this what you are talking about?

[rrw4rusty]

You piqued my interest with this one specifically:

 

May I ask how? It sounds totally unique, and yet.. not sure if it solves anything in terms of actually going places faster...

 

 

...specifically these distances.

 

Maybe you should stick to standard stuff.. like the stargate...

 

But yeah, if you're going for scientific plausibility, this one's a hard one, specially in those distances. You might have to give up some of the plausibility for the sake of your story plot..

 

~moo

 

Disappointment looms, lol, by 'redefine time' I simply mean that we as humans (or aliens) find ways to look at time differently. We can't change the speed limit (violation of casualty) nor the distances involved but maybe we can learn to view time differently. No there's no going back.

 

First we somehow turn off the aging process. Second, we somehow find a way to build machines that will last hundreds of millions of years (nanotech) then, because the mind could not withstand consciousness over deep time periods, we build hibernation chambers that will preserve (and/or rejuvenate) us for just as long.

 

If we have the above then (if we ignore expansion for a moment) all we need to get from here to the great wall is an infinite power source (a singularity) -- a rejuvenating environment like Earth would also help. Time distortion will help the travelers but again, there's no going back -- a place, like a moment, passes and is simply gone.

 

I'm working on that expansion stuff. If there was a way to transport the expansion from in front of the ship to behind the ship perhaps using microscopic wormholes...

[A Tripolation]

Well, the only advice I can give, as an avid sci-fi reader (since I'm not an awesome physics student), is that make sure your cover art is AWESOME. People say they don't judge books by their cover...but they do. I sure as heck do. All the time.

[Mr Skeptic]

Yup, unless I've heard of the book before seeing it, I will definitely judge a book by it's cover (and title). There's just so many books now...

[Sisyphus]

That expression dates from the age of cloth bound books, where every cover was pretty much identical. Just saying.