Students Calculate What Hyperspace Travel Would Actually Look Like

cylonlover writes "The two Star franchises (Wars and Trek) and countless science fiction movies have given generations of armchair space travelers an idea of what to expect when looking out the window of a spaceship that's traveling faster than the speed of light. But it appears these views are – if you'll excuse the pun – a bit warped. Four students from the University of Leicester have used Einstein's theory of Special Relativity to calculate what faster than light travel would actually look like to Han and Chewie at the controls of the Millennium Falcon. The fourth year physics students – Riley Connors, Katie Dexter, Joshua Argyle, and Cameron Scoular – say that the crew wouldn't see star lines (PDF) stretching out past the ship during the jump to hyperspace, but would actually see a central disc of bright light."

Bigfoot

[Overzeetop]

Big and hairy. Actually, a lot like your mom - but with better outdoor survival skills.

Re:Warp vs Hyperspace

[Iskender]

(I'll leave it to someone else to explain how traveling by Guild vessel works...)

Drugs. Lots and lots of drugs. You snort the line so fast you go right past c.

Yeah I know it sounds weird, but are *you* going to argue with Frank Herbert? I know I'm not!

Not even close

[xZoomerZx]

You wouldn't see anything at FTL speeds as even radio waves would come on as gamma radiation. If that doesn't kill you outright you can expect your clothes to no longer fit and your tan to turn a darker shade of green whereupon you smash the controls and die anyway.

I giving all she got captain and I don't get the l

[Joe_Dragon]

I giving all she got captain and I don't get the lines.

Emergency stop - never use!

[Universal Indicator]

After reaching ludicrous speed, everything turns to plaid.

what about the other star franchises

[Dan9999]

gate and my favorite ship troopers

Re:Warp vs Hyperspace

[Anonymous Coward]

It's lower case c, you pathetic excuse for a supposed Asperger's genius.

Re:Warp vs Hyperspace

[Cryacin]

Pfffft. Engineers.

Re:Emergency stop - never use!

[uvajed_ekil]

Please don't mix in ridiculous Space Balls bullshit, and pipe down while the adults are talking, you blasphemer! This is a SERIOUS conversation about Star Wars and Star Trek tech!

Re:Warp vs Hyperspace

[Samantha Wright]

Carbon. He's going carbon.

OR: we switched to a case-insensitive universe while you weren't looking. Something something no one ever got fired for buying Microsoft.

Re:Warp vs Hyperspace

[master5o1]

i Was quitE disappOInted thAT yOU didN't taKe advantage of the CASE INSENSTIVITY Of the uNIVerse wheN yoU posted THAT message.