Theory

[dcolyer]

This letter is intended to Steven Hawkings - but he is too important to listen right now - so I will let you fine people judge me.

My idea allows instantaneous communication between any distance in the universe.

One rule must be maintained for my idea to work:

The two points at which communication is sent and/or recieved must be stationary (That means Earth or any planet cannot be used because they move).


My idea is to use a pole.








This pole would be as long as you wanted it to be - it would be straight. It would be strong.

This pole would extend from 2 points in space: ie Point A and Point B:

The line shown between Point A & B represents the pole. The arrows show the direction of movement.

To enable communication the pole would only need to be moved a tiny distance - perhaps in some sort of representative rythem - like morse code. 2 short pushes plus one long push = A etc.



One criticism would be that "the atoms in the pole would't move fast enough -I say nay, if the pole is a solid pole then the atoms will ALL move together. I will demonstrate:

The rectangles represent a cross-sectional, side-on view of a pole. The red dots represent atoms.


As can be seen - whether the molecules make up a pole as long as a carrot, or as long as a planet - all the molecules will move together.


the likelyhood of an asteroid or comet hitting the pole is extremely remote - most people forget how vast and empty space actually is.

To make 2-way communication efficient it would be required that 2 poles be built side-by-side - meaning each 'place' had an independent transmitter.


Thanks for listening. I think this is quite a profound idea.

The world now knows how our great great grandchildren will speak to each other.

 

[Magister]

lol0r

 

[Mr.Clark]

How long to repair it when a comet hits the pole?

 

[Gilly]

How long to repair it when a comet hits the pole?

Given the distances and the impact on such a slender thing, you're talking replacing it every time it has an impact on it, not repairing.

I wonder what the required tensile strength of such a pole would be.

 

[Mr.Clark]

Given the distances and the impact on such a slender thing, you're talking replacing it every time it has an impact on it, not repairing.

If the pole is so long that it spans the vast distances required for interstellar communication, where would you keep the spares?

 

[[TR]SweetSpotOz]

How would you stop it melting on the way past the sun?

 

[ArmyofHarmony]

It takes the time given by the speed of sound and distance of rod for the other end to react. When you push something it compresses, and continues compressing until the whole thing has moved, so it will still take ages to communicate that way. What you're saying is that it will travel at the speed of light or something...

 

[Gilly]

If the pole is so long that it spans the vast distances required for interstellar communication, where would you keep the spares?

Local black hole I guess.

 

[Helium_Junkie]

But if space is expanding, then how do you "anchor" the pole at two ever-stationary points?

 

[dcolyer]

look - it's not going to be hit by comets - and to be honest - any comet or asteroird would be spotted decades in advance.


The amount of material needed would be vast - but remember only a finite of material is needed which means it is impractical but possible.


Also consider this: the pole could be split up into many poles - ie imagine the the pole was split in the middle - and a 10,000 mile gap was there.

you could just attach radio transmitter/recievers to each end in the gap allowing instantaneous communication between the 2 sides.

There would then be another 'pole pushing machine' - which would have to push only half the mass of the original.

you could do this 50 times, 60 times - make it a collection of hundreds of smaller poles.

 

[ArmyofHarmony]

I don't think he was being serious by saying we should use giant poles, he was just giving a theorhetical example of how it could be done.

 

[Zip]

Is this like the theory based on those metal balls you get in doctors offices?

 

[Conscript]

But if space is expanding, then how do you "anchor" the pole at two ever-stationary points?

Skyhooks.

 

[dcolyer]

But if space is expanding, then how do you "anchor" the pole at two ever-stationary points?

the amount of drift in the grand slowness of space could be negated by micro boosters. the micro booster couold be powerd my nuclear reactors that would last millenea (since micro boosters require little power).

 

[Slinwagh]

There are about 4000 Poles where I live, plenty of spares. Problem solved.

 

[Gilly]

look - it's not going to be hit by comets - and to be honest - any comet or asteroird would be spotted decades in advance.

If it isn't going to be hit by them why would you need to spot them decades in advance, and how do you keep a weather eye on the horizon for every single bit of space debris along the entire length of such a pole?

The amount of material needed would be vast - but remember only a finite of material is needed which means it is impractical but possible.

How many are you having? Is this a single pole? Are you envisaging stretching galaxies?

Also consider this: the pole could be split up into many poles - ie imagine the the pole was split in the middle - and a 10,000 mile gap was there.

you could just attach radio transmitter/recievers to each end in the gap allowing instantaneous communication between the 2 sides.

There would then be another 'pole pushing machine' - which would have to push only half the mass of the original.

you could do this 50 times, 60 times - make it a collection of hundreds of smaller poles.

So what you're saying is you'd have relay stations?

Rendering the poles redundant...

I don't think he was being serious by saying we should use giant poles, he was just giving a theorhetical example of how it could be done.

How else would you do it? The guy was saying you use poles for instant communication as a solid object will all move at the same time. Now, not only would it be impossible to move such an object at either end due to the mass of it and the force required, but you'd be unable to anchor it, manufacture it or find a material strong enough for it.

 

[Six6siX]

look - it's not going to be hit by comets - and to be honest - any comet or asteroird would be spotted decades in advance.


The amount of material needed would be vast - but remember only a finite of material is needed which means it is impractical but possible.


Also consider this: the pole could be split up into many poles - ie imagine the the pole was split in the middle - and a 10,000 mile gap was there.

you could just attach radio transmitter/recievers to each end in the gap allowing instantaneous communication between the 2 sides.

There would then be another 'pole pushing machine' - which would have to push only half the mass of the original.

you could do this 50 times, 60 times - make it a collection of hundreds of smaller poles.

Or, you know...do it all by radio communication in the first place?

 

[Conscript]

Or, you know...do it all by radio communication in the first place?

The whole point was to eliminate the delay of radio communication.

 

[Gilly]

The whole point was to eliminate the delay of radio communication.

Which he's failed at by using relay stations.

 

[ArmyofHarmony]

I was about to post the same thing Six,

theres no reason to use poles, lol...


and having multiple poles would be even worse than just a single one

There's more delay in poles than radio waves!