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by Tondoteottotote on February 9th, 2005

Tondoteottotote

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What kinds of physical and engineering challenges will have to be overcome before energy shields (or force fields) can be invented?

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  • by zeropointburn on April 23rd, 2005

    zeropointburn

    A force field specifically for blocking matter is readily conceivable. In fact, it's been documented. (This has not yet been corroborated, nor has it been treated scientifically...) In August 1980, at a 3M plant in South Carolina, a curious phenomenon was discovered. This plant processed large amounts of polypropylene film. On the factory floor, a continuous feed of plastic film 21 feet in width proceeded at 10 miles per hour over a series of rollers, before being cut into narrower rolls. This film passed along the floor, then up and over a walkway, then back down. Workers reported unusual events within the 'tent' formed by the archway. David Swenson of 3M Electrical Specialties Division in Austin, Texas was called in to investigate.
    What he discovered was that under the right conditions, this 'tent' produced a physically impenetrable wall in it's center. The effect was verified the next day by the plant manager. For some reason, this phenomenon was treated as a problem, which was solved readily.
    See: http://www.esdjournal.com/articles/final/final.htm
    A possible explanation has been provided by Peter Thomsen, listed near the bottom of the above link. He suggests that the field is the result of a charge sheath vortex. Basically, two ions of the same charge will repel each other, unless they are moving in parallel. (Van der Waal's force) The configuration as stated provided a steady stream of ionized air, rotating due to friction from the plastic sheet. As charged air from the belt began to rotate, ions which were rotating near each other synchronised and condensed. The net result was a highly-charged rotating sheet of very dense air, quite capable of preventing a person from walking through it.
    Since this 'wall' held a very high static charge, and certainly produced a magnetic field, it may also slow or stop the passage of charged particles. Unfortunately, it would have little or no effect on radiation and electromagnetic waves.

    Stopping photons (electromagnetic energy) would require altering a local field, essentially changing the nature of reality within a contained space. Gravitational distortions have an effect on photons. High concentrations of energy exert a gravitational field as though they had mass equal to their energy. Conceiveably, enough energy could be concentrated to produce a gravitational field strong enough to deflect even gamma rays. To be practical, this would require warm superconductors with exceptionally high storage efficiency.
    In addition, the US military is using a new method of defending against projectiles. It's not the kind of "Star Trek" field we're hoping for, but it works... Basically, you build two layers of armor separated by a dielectric. The layers carry strong opposite charges. When a projectile hits the outer layer, it acquires a charge. If it penetrates into the dielectric, the second layer shorts out through it into the outer layer. The net result is that the projectile is vaporized by intense electrical discharge. So, in some ways, that already is a destructive force field.
    Until we know how to directly manipulate any field, it's hard to know what problems will arise. NASA's Breakthrough Propulsion group is working on the problem even now, as are many hopeful physics students and researchers. The impact on our lives would be stupendous, and the challenges will go far beyond the engineering level. Fortunately, humans are pretty smart. When we put our collective minds to something, we do not fail.

    Comments

    • Way cool! Can I get a tour of this factory?

      HungryGuy

      by HungryGuy on October 21st, 2005

    • Yeah, your electrons curve one way and protons the other - you end up bumping into yourself!

      Leezee

      by Leezee on December 28th, 2005

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