If E=mc2, then logically m=E/c2. If matter warps space time and warped space time is what we perceive as gravity, then there is the remote possibility that you can warp space time with energy alone. With m=E/c2, that means the energy would have to be almost unimaginable to be equal to the mass of the planet. It would have to be energy on a cosmic scale to be able to create a warp in space time that would be sufficient to counteract the mass of the Earth.

However, to my understanding, with enough energy, it would be possible. This is why Zero Point Energy is a possible key. And, yes, ZPE is a legitimate scientific theory (not yet proven to exist but theorized). If it does exist, it has the potential to supply enough energy to warp space time. If you can warp space time, you will have created what we perceive to be gravity. You would, in effect, have created “anti-gravity”. As a bi-product, you have also created a type of time machine. Quantum physics is weird stuff, huh?

Gravity, to my understanding, is an outdated concept in post Einstein era. But the word is still with us and therefore we are stuck with talking about “anti-gravity”. In reality, this would be creating a warp in the space time continuum. It’s just that you would create the warp without mass.

Unfortunately, that sounds just like a bad Star Trek TV show. Insert tin foil hat jokes here, please.

To my understanding, this is all theoretically possible. The only conspiracy would be that someone may have gone and figured it out and haven’t told anybody about it. If it has been done and it involves ZPE, it is possibly best if it isn’t revealed to the world. The ability to tap limitless energy could possibly be used as the ultimate weapon.

Insert Death Star references here, please.

All in all, it is good mental calisthenics. But don’t lose sleep over it. On that note, I am going to bed.

Ciao

Mark T.

Rarely have the dreams of pseudo-science been proven to be real. One must maintain perpetual skepticism of everything, and more so of that which there is NO basis for such as ZPMs, or other fantastical conspiracies about near perfect energy sources that have no basis in known science. Maybe it would be best for one to invest their time in investigating the respective oeuvres of Hawking, Sagan, Feynman, Capra, Kaku, Bak, etc. (just name name a very random few) rather than embrace the bs that the sci-fi channel puts on. Sure it’s entertainment, but that’s all it is. There are few outlets for science based sci-fi anymore, it’s all vested deeply in total quackery and should be labeled as fantasy.

John

While I just made an attempt at reason, you do tend to be…to state it lightly, close-minded and quick to judge based upon what seems to me (but of course what the hell do I know?) a rudimentary understanding of science and history and politics for that matter. Don’t get me wrong, I look to you and Stephens (Cringley) for great insight into that of which I am lacking knowledge of, tech and tech business. Beyond that, you tend to be in line with the attitude (and this post is no exception) of undoubting assurance in your gut feeling. As much as it pains me to come to the defense of pseudo-science (especially since I just condemned it), it does tend to hold water from time to time and the occasional tin foil hatted kook will be shown to be right. Though they tend to be able to include enormous amounts of data in support of their new tentative theory as scientists don’t like being told that much of what they think is wrong although they understand the necessity of it for the greater good. Many are petty bastards though and that bit holds back truth from being accepted.

On to the actual claims of McKinnon.

O.k. he’s probably a kook, but for the sake of my argument I’ll take his side. His claims seem plausible, but he has no proof. He was on a 56k modem and I can sympathize that he wasn’t able to view many pics due to bandwidth limitations. But why didn’t he save some of the most incriminating documents that he viewed? Well, maybe he was foolish, or maybe he was just trying to protect himself by limiting the data he’d store which could be used as evidence against him at a later date. Well, even playing devils advocate he’s a quack. However, the fact that the U.S. wants him so badly is a bit of proof which is spurious at best.

In defense of quacks in general

Many would have thought Szilard off had he not gained the backing of Einstein first. To think that a bit of mass (ultimately uranium) could be refined so that one neutron could be slammed into an atom which would then in turn send the neutrons circling it (4) flying at the speed of light to cascade throughout all nearby refined mass to unleash all that bit of energy, hey that’s E=mc² in action. But to have even applied an accepted theory in a grandiose applicable manner such as this made it seem like quackery. But in the end with 2 billion U.S. (about 50 billion today) the greatest scientific minds ever assembled made it happen at Los Alamos. Only .6 grams of refined uranium is what culminated in the Big Boy blast known at Hiroshima. Without Einstein, Szilard probably would have been an outcast, labeled a quack. So one should not be so quick to judge those with some proof, McKinnon, not so much on the proof though (or the credentials for that matter).

But to play devil’s advocate once again

“Anti-gravity” is a naive definition of a scientific fact. Now wait, I have not ventured into total quackery, please continue reading. At the terrestrial level, yes I guess it could be said that the theory could be called as such though it would be better described as a repulsion and attraction system instead. It comes down to density of matter, in that (to go along with McKinnon) a craft would have to have on board mass so dense that it would be much greater than the mass of the Earth. To do so while still holding to current scientific understanding one would have to be able to contain and wield a singularity (black hole) and manipulate it against the gravity of the Earth. This is so far beyond what is within the current scientific understanding, it boarders on insanity to think it within the grasp of mankind within millennia. Oh the government may have secrets galore, maybe they have evidence of intelligent extra-terrestrials, but I doubt it, just as I doubt this man’s claims. I don’t deem his claims entirely false, but I do ask for a shitload of evidence if he expects the scientific community to even look at them. The devil can’t even win this one as it is.

Poor guy hacked into NASA, DoD locations, and so on. Ran IP scanner looking for open systems with blank passwords.

Basically, what really happened is he proved there are a lot of stupid people out there, with 4+ year degrees, running computer networks. Same people don’t know what the fuck they’re doing. Same people are associated with powerful wealthy (see govt) people that don’t like to have their stupidity pointed out to them. Makes you feel all safe and cozy, ehh?

Oh, poor Gary. If only his name was “Rove”, “Kennedy”, or he had contributed to the POTUS re-election campaign…

The whole story of man made anti-gravity vehicles just gets more interesting all the time. It sure makes more sense than little green men. Again, I am taking it all with a huge helping of salt. I’m not buying any purple Nikes anytime soon.

I plan on watching this trial closely. I want to see how the Feds try to put this guy away to keep more people from hacking their systems. Until then, it is all just an interesting conspiracy theory / soap opera.

They said the same things about biodiesel. Now it’s so established that the world will not go into a Soylent Green scenario because diesel engines will just shift completely to biodiesel. CNN is reporting about pickups being adapted to run on filtered used vegetable oil for $800. Now all of us know what Bush does not want known: that cars do not have to depend on expensive, imported oil. Having Biodiesel around makes invading Iraq and Afghanistan for oil seem paranoid and greedy.

1) Anti-gravity (including levitation)
2) Perpetual motion machines
3) cold fusion
4) remote viewing

now I can add
5) zero point energy

although t may be related to number 2(above) the way I see it.

I watched the video interview with McKinnon. Fascinating interview. He wants a trial in England and he wants the U.S. to prove that he damaged U.S. Govt. computers. He claims he did no damage which, from his remarks, is likely to be true. A trial outside the U.S. is not likely to happen. It went from a possible 6 month community service rap in the U.K. to a likely 60 year jail term in the USA. This should get interesting.

He claims that he saw multiple other people hacking NASA’s computers at the same time he was in the system (interesting note – he was using a 56K modem connection). Sooner or later this stuff is going to leak out. Too bad Windows is so complex that not even the IT experts at NASA can lock it down.

He also claims to have seen video, in a java app, of a anti-gravity vehicle. He did not have the presence of mind to take a screen shot and the video was cut short when somebody on the other end noticed what was going on. This guy will likely go down as one of the world’s most famous hackers. Fascinating stuff!