On The Concept Of Tractor Beams ...

[alex_greene]

Just spotted a scientific article discussing the possibility of "tractor beams" here.

 

[DFW]

Paid subscription needed to read it.

 

[alex_greene]

Yeah, sadly. I'll try and see what other information comes out into the public domain about this concept. It does sound intriguing.

 

[DFW]

Indeed. This is why I always say, writers think, "what if?" and real scientists say, "I wonder if I can". But, the writers exist 1st.

 

[Jame Rowe]

I would start Traveller tractor beams at TL 13-14, or maybe have repulsor beams then and have tractors at 15-16.

But that's for Traveller; maybe it's a good thing we're thinking about this now at TL 7/8.

 

[locarno24]

Basic physics principles should appear quite a few TLs early, though. So we might have no idea how to build an M-Drive, but you could explain the effect coming out of the box to a physicist and he'd nod.

I've seen similar papers discussing 'cloaking' effects (especially IR spectrum for some reason).

 

[steelbrok]

I've always felt that artificail gravity is essentially a short rangs tractor beam. what you need then is a way of scaling up the range and control of the field

 

[alex_greene]

Basic physics principles should appear quite a few TLs early, though. So we might have no idea how to build an M-Drive, but you could explain the effect coming out of the box to a physicist and he'd nod.

I've seen similar papers discussing 'cloaking' effects (especially IR spectrum for some reason).

IR spectrum cloaking would enable a soldier to get past IR sensors, heat sensors and thermographic imagers. The visual part, well that's just standard camouflage.

 

[locarno24]

I've always felt that artificail gravity is essentially a short rangs tractor beam. what you need then is a way of scaling up the range and control of the field

Mmmm...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xeelee_technology#StarbreakerStarbreaker Handguns[/url

 

[E.D.Quibell]

I would start Traveller tractor beams at TL 13-14, or maybe have repulsor beams then and have tractors at 15-16.

But that's for Traveller; maybe it's a good thing we're thinking about this now at TL 7/8.

Traveller already has them:

Repulsors TL10
Tractors TL16

Best Regards,

Ewan

 

[Jame Rowe]

Traveller already has them:

Repulsors TL10
Tractors TL16

Best Regards,

Ewan

Oh, I must have missed that. Thank you!

*Changes Tractors to being TL 13 for his own personal TU*