"...The scientist has a certain attitude toward nature. He is preoccupied with the discovery of law -and having discover it- he holds it sacred. The inventor too must discover law, but this is not his goal. He has his mind set on something he wants to achieve (to fly for example, or to communicate without wires) so he must both, learn the law and apply it, which involves a turnabout, a change of direction. The law is essentially restrictive, it limits the possible; but when it is stated objectively, we may find that it can be turned about and will, through its very certainty, provide the means by which our end can be achieved"...Arthur Young in "The Reflexive Universe". Here is a good example:
From NASA Glenn Research Center, from the proposals for experiments and theoretical work in Breakthrough Propulsion Physics. Please note that this project was “selected after a two-stage peer review process. In the first stage, 50 specialists from academia, government and industry scored the 60 proposals received. In the second stage, government reviewers selected a variety of approaches from the top ranking proposals.”
Quote from Project Summary:
”Quantum Electrodynamics or QED, the theory describing the interaction of light with matter, is probably the best verified theory in physics. It has made predictions of electronic and atomic properties that have been verified to 1 part in 100 billion. The high accuracy of QED requires that it take into account the interaction between matter and the vacuum fluctuations of the electromagnetic field in empty space. These fluctuations arise since the electromagnetic field is not a classical field, but is quantized. The lowest state is not a field of zero strength, but a field that fluctuates about zero. QED makes some startling predictions about the importance of quantum fluctuations of the electromagnetic field in empty space. It predicts a near infinite vacuum energy density. (To read more details about these ideas, read the introduction in AIAA Joint Propulsion Conference paper Measurement of Repulsive Quantum Vacuum Forces.) Quantum fluctuations have been linked to particle mass, to spontaneous emission, to the speed of light, and to the topology of the universe. The presence of surfaces changes the energy density in the vacuum fluctuations. The ability to alter these parameters could be of significant benefit to BPP objectives. We will perform a theoretical investigation of the use of surfaces and cavity structures in order to alter vacuum energy.
The variations in vacuum energy produced by surfaces can also result in vacuum forces, such as the recently verified Casimir force between two parallel conducting plates. Very few other geometrical structures have been investigated, and our understanding of the role of surfaces in altering vacuum energy and generating vacuum forces is very rudimentary. For rectangular cavities, forces are predicted on the walls that may be inward, outward or zero depending on the ratios of the sides. Such forces may be of use in operating MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) devices, including resonant cavities. We propose to model and build a MEMS cavity structure, to verify the QED prediction of repulsive forces, and to study the properties of these cavities and the energy balance in a static and in a vibrating mode. When we have gained a greater understanding of cavities and vibrating structures, a second generation MEMS structure will be designed, modeled, fabricated and tested.
We will investigate the possibility of fluctuation driven engines that operate between two regions of different energy density, in a similar manner to which heat engines operate at different temperature. Two types of engines will be considered: one in which one set of surfaces moves relative to another, akin to an electric motor, and a second type in which a working fluid, perhaps consisting of atoms or electrons, passes between the two regions of different vacuum energy. In all theoretical and experimental work, care will be taken to understand energy balance requirements and conservation laws, and to determine what is possible and what is not. The electromagnetic field is a conservative field, so net energy cannot be extracted in a closed cycle. QED computations will be used as the guide.
This effort will answer many of the basic questions about the role of vacuum fluctuations, and lay a solid foundation of knowledge about vacuum energy, vacuum stress and how to control them using surfaces and what their limitations are. Researchers will be able to build upon this knowledge to build more complex ideas and structures involving vacuum fluctuations.
The program represents a unique collaborative effort involving strong QED theorists, experts in propulsion, gravitation, and other relevant technologies, coupled with highly qualified and experienced developers of MEMS devices. Prof. Maclay, an experienced researcher who is trained in QED and Casimir phenomena, and who has worked for over 15 years in microfabrication technology and experimental measurements, is uniquely qualified to lead this effort. The effort will answer questions about the energy in the vacuum and if and how we might be able to utilize it in the BPP mission. “
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