Transporters
These are used to instantaneously 'beam' objects from one location to another, in shows like Star Trek and Stargate. In theory, this would require a computer system capable of mapping each individual atom in an object, in sequence, fast enough to make a copy before the structure of that object changes ie from heat, air currents, and in the case of living things, ageing. It would then require the object to be destroyed, and the atomic dust fired off to another location, at which point another computer would rebuild the atoms from scratch, reforming the object.
Obviously the computing power required for even small objects would be absurdly beyond our capabilities, and the machine to break down and rebuild atomic structures from the ground up is well beyond our capabilities. Firing the atomic dust beam also creates a problem, since it has to be able to pass though walls etc or else you could only beam between two separate regions of a vacuum or low density gas. This may potentially be solved by the concept of quantum tunnelling, which in simple terms means the following: In Quantum theory, Sum over Histories states that a particle follows every possible path between two points, and thus it has no set value for its momentum or position, but rather an infinite range of possibilities which all have differing probabilities, nine of which can be zero. So when you fire a beam of particles at an impenetrable barrier, logic dictates that the barrier stops them, seeing as how its impenetrable. But quantum tunnelling predicts that some make it through since the probability that they're on the other side can't be zero. Its a fascinating subject, which might just hold the key to teleportation.
The alternative to all this mumbo jumbo is simply not to transport the atoms. Afterall, there are plenty of free atoms lying around, why not just use those to rebuild the object at the destination site? The answer is mainly philosophical. Questions arise as to whether the new construct can be called the same object, even though it structurally identical. In the case of human transport, issues of rebuilding 'the soul' also come into play.
Verdict: Unlikely to ever be possible
While the idea of a spaceship with gravity seems logical, the reality is, the idea came about due to restrictions with film effects and budgets. Creating a zero gravity effect requires filming inside a high altitude aircraft sharply descending, and even then, the descent only gives you a few minutes without gravity. The film Apollo 13 required thousands of these descents to film. So more to the point: is artificial gravity actually possible? The short answer is, 'it depends'.
Our understanding of the laws of gravity may be good, but its mechanisms remain elusive. The graviton is the boson responsible for generating the force in question, but that hasn't seemed to help us a lot. I read about an experiment several years ago involving metallic plates, which allegedly reduced mass readings by 2%, and even caused a column of cigar smoke to rise. Ive heard nothing since on the subject.
The most realistic version of this concept I've seen, was on the space station show Babylon 5. Rather than some magic, unexplained device, it showed large rotating components as the answer. The space station was essentially like a giant centrifuge, designed such that there was a giant rotating drum, the inner surface of which served as a habitat. Calculations have shown the viability of such a system, with the inner surface so large that the curve becomes barely discernible to humans on the surface, whilst the centripetal force is strong enough to mimic gravity. The major physics problem left to overcome is inertia, but there's a more fundamental issue: construction. A component this large and complex is far far beyond our current capabilities.
Verdict: Artificial gravity in its truest sense will probably elude us, but alternatives to mimic it may one day be viable.
Lets start with the first one. Androids are basically entirely made of robotic machinery, arranged in a somewhat humanoid form. Sometimes these are helpers, sometimes soldiers, and they come in a variety of shapes and sizes from Lost in Space to Forbidden Planet to I, Robot.
Our current level of technology in the field of robotics is frankly astounding. We can make robots these days with incredible speed and balance. Even so, we have a long way to go. The innervated,muscular nature of the human body provides a very large range of diverse, complex and intricate movements, which is difficult to replicate robotically. Diversity is the main problem, as robots can often mimic some elements of the human body, but not all. Key current problems include a sufficient power supply, durability/life span, and especially circuitry limitations. The human nervous system allows for very intricate muscle movements, but the equivalent robotic circuitry encounters problems. As the circuits get smaller, certain electro-physical effects start to come into play. The only way to circumvent them is with even smaller computers, working at the atomic level, which is still some way off. The research is there, and computing power is growing exponentially, so its only a matter of time.
Now to Cyborgs. Unlike androids, which are entirely robotic, cyborgs are part robot, part organic flesh. One thing limiting this field of study is psychological, since the thought of us as humans built over robotic skeletons, is distinctly unpalatable. Blending robotic technology with muscle and nerve tissue is tricky business, but there have recently been great advances in organic computing, and myoelectric prosthetics are commonplace these days.
Verdict: Highly likely in the future
To be continued...
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