[OT] Zero-point energy (was Re: 3-phase (was: Re: CDC 9766 Drive and packs))

From: Eric Smith <eric_at_brouhaha.com>
Date: Fri Feb 5 19:35:06 1999

Dwight Elvey <elvey_at_hal.com> wrote:
> If we were, tomorrow, to find a new working principle of the
> universe that explained how we could violate the principle
> of conservation of energy that would allow taking
> advantage of Zero-point energy then I would say go for
> it.

So what you're telling us is that you've PROVEN that there is no
way to take advantage of zero-point energy without violating the principle
of conservation of matter and energy? Or are you just guessing?

Note also that many principles that used to be widely accepted as "truth"
have since fallen out of favor, because they were later found not to hold
under all conditions, e.g., Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation. And the
principle I mentioned previously that held that black holes couldn't emit
radiation. If you could somehow use that radiation, you would have a
seeming violation of the conservation of matter and energy. But it is only
a local violation, which is allowed. It isn't a real violation, because the
black hole is losing mass. Similarly, there may be a way to harness
zero-point energy that involves only a local violation of conservation.

> Without that new principle, talking about using
> this new source of energy is about as useful as worrying
> about the probability that all my atoms might suddenly
> move five feet to the left.

Sure. And I suppose there was no point to talking about the possibility of
heavier-than-air craft flying before all the laws of aerodynamics were
understood, either. And presumably there was no point to talking about
the possiblity of communicating over thousands of miles in real time
before Quantum Electrodynamics was fully understood.
Received on Fri Feb 05 1999 - 19:35:06 GMT