I've always thought the launcher for the torpedoes worked similarly like a rail gun or the mass drivers used in the centarti battle cruisers in Babylon 5. The light ball was just for visual effects obviously. Light balls,heheh,Star Wreck.
@croutonthegreat Ya know... I grew up on star trek as a child. As an adult when I catch a re-run from time to time... I realize just how stupid and unjustly aristocratic star trek is. They used a lot of made up words to sound intelligent... which was accomplished on a child audience btw. And many of their "moral dilemmas" are truly no brainers. The show is written by our peers not higher forms of life. You know what else bugs me, no one ever farted on that show, I bet you Data farted to emulate
@profanityridden it's not about that though - it would be the same as with any space mission, even this steam/laser rocket (whoever runs it is responsible for it if it breaks)
They will not fund laser/water propelled rocketry cause it'll decrease or even erase fuel in the market. There are numerous free energy around us solar, wind, tidal, geothermal etc. but none of this are being funded because "they" want to control the world using oil/fuel. this free energy is not advertised, talked about etc. rather they give you MTVs, dramas etc. to keep you busy not to think. Blocking the internet because of free information! OMG ! Open your eyes people, we have the technology.
"Photon torpedoes are a standard ship-based weapon armed with an antimatter warhead." They are not energy weapons, "photon" torpedo is just a name, not a description, doesn't mean it fires photons at the target. It's a projectile weapon with a high-explosive warhead i.e., a missile. We already have nuclear missiles, photon torpedoes use matter/antimatter instead, so yeah, we can just "fire the photon torpedoes".
Dude your totally wrong, Pho taan invented the photaan torpedo, powered by bottled star, its very heavy though so the bottles are made out of heat resistant alumnimum, you stick one in a torpedo and load it up. He had a famous ancient relative name Wan inventor of Wan Taan soup
Dr. Kaku is just explaining the difficulties physics presents, he isn't explaining this is impossible.
Photons are the carrier force for the electromagnetic force. If we could expand the magnitude of the EM force inside a photon, then we might be able to build photon torpedoes.
I really do believe that if we did away with the monetary system and capitalism we could be a Type 1 Society. It's holding us back so why not get rid of it?
@Heinousography Several country are moving in that direction. Gaddafi are moving libya into a country where money is not needed. But see what happen to him.
@Heinousography Because the gathering of resources is a lot of hard work. Human beings aren't willing to do that work for nothing. Even if the luxuries and things that these people want are "free", currency gives the psychological benefit of having earned something. Another basic flaw in a system like you mentioned is distributing resources. Is someone who has a desk job entitled to the same benefits as someone who labors in a mine? It's not as simple as "everything is free now".
@Jimr90 How is that relevant? There are numerous types of rocket fuel with different densities, and admittedly kerosene and liquid hydrogen are less dense than water, what matters is the power per mass of the fuel, although water here isn't really fuel but a propellant. Given that the power is provided by lasers on the ground, the excitation of water could possibly produce pressures greater than those by traditional fuels of the same mass. I admit, I haven't done the calculations but have you?
@Jimr90 Depends on how far you can heat the water up with that laser, that determines the impulse you can get. The higher you can heat it, the greater the impulse and the less water "fuel" you have to carry. That's the whole trick behind an ion engine - accelerate ions of xenon gas using an electrical field to high speeds ("temperatures") and there, thrust. The hard part is creating a strong enough electrical field, that's why ion engines have such low thrust overall (but great impulse!).
@Dartyus "Why not have some sort of giant particle accelerator, but instead of a particle, it accelerates a Shuttle into orbit, like the Mass Drivers in Gundam Seed? It would be like building a roller-coaster that shot into the sky."
I believe THAT is a summary of YOUR idea. That idea however is absurd....No one would survive that Gs of that, or even close. You cant just launch it and hope it maintains momentum. You need thrust or pull throughout the launch....
@Vonlava you're "clearly missing" the point that I understand this, and also, this method will be capable of driving to speeds of up to half the speed of light, as I've read an article about this a while back. In case you're wondering, fuel can't get to that speed. They were thinking about having a one way trip in the science magazine I was reading.
@tttdub It would cost very little fuel to return from a space flight since there is almost no physical force halting you. Now would we want to land on- and return from a celestial body then would we have a problem. So in theory it is a viable alternative to send material, materiel, personnel, satellites etc. into space.
The word is "shit". Nah I'm just kidding the word is "crap". Nah I'm just kidding the word is "fuck". Nah I'm just kidding the word is "piss". Nah I'm just kidding the word is "anuses". Nah I'm just kidding the word is "cost".
@awelux Well of course the shuttle would have it's own engines to get through most of the atmosphere. As the video says, 90% of a shuttle's weight is fuel. I assume a large chunk of that fuel is used to get the shuttle in the air at lift-off, when the shuttle's thrust is at 0.
If the engines started propelling a shuttle while it's thrust is above 0, you would probably save quite a bit of fuel. You don't need the mass driver to get the object into orbit. Just to get it on it's merry way.
Did you actually take ANY time to research the meaning of "photon torpedoes" (in Roddenbery's Star Trek) before opening your big mouth to criticize what you never even bothered to read, Mr. Kaku?
A photon torpedo's payload consists of matter and antimatter which are allowed to interact upon reaching intended target. Nothing contrary to physics here.
A name of technology in sci-fi doesn't always refer to process behind it. You forgot one of the first academic principles: STUDY YOUR SOURCES !
Why not have some sort of giant particle accelerator, but instead of a particle, it accelerates a Shuttle into orbit, like the Mass Drivers in Gundam Seed? It would be like building a roller-coaster that shot into the sky.
Maybe I'm missing something but the water rocket is a bad idea, surely? The water will weigh as much as the fuel would and you need a great big bastard of a laser on the ground. Both using flammable fuel and vaporising water work on the principle that as gas is produced (water vapour or exhaust gases) so a thrust is produced. The fuel is basically the same as water other than that it expands itself as it burns and needs no external energy input.
@Repu62ic ...How about the way usual landing crafts enter the Earth atmosphere? As in, orbiting the planet until pulled by gravity to the surface. And yes, it's highly calculated (also been done using nothing but brain and a wristwatch) so you don't crash into anything.
@Krigify You'd expect a spaceship crusing at nearly the speed of light to "wait for gravity" to pull it back the opposite direction ? Now that would be an interesting sight.
now if you use the laser to get of earth and say land on i dono moon again? how do you get to earth back? even if the G isnt that much there but still say if it were a planet ...?
@SuperCoolLemon No, they aren't the same thing. I'm just not sure if they can react with each other or not, considering we don't even really know what dark matter is.
@burninmunkeys Dark matter is, I believe, is made up of totally different particles than normal matter. Antimatter is made of the same "stuff" as matter, it just has an opposite charge.
@burninmunkeys but to more directly answer your question, I don't think anyone really knows what dark matter even is. But if antimatter can or can't interact with it, then the answer will be exactly the same for normal matter.
I just thought of something..What if they had a large amount of power (Wireless energy) and shot it in a straight line to there destination..And used some kind of Electromagnet that then shoots up and followed the energy beam.....Would that be possible..... I got that idea from the Railgun....
@chadbaker666999 A magnetic field can't really be focused like you propose as far as I know (coulumb's law)
A beam of light (like a laser) would send energy in a straight line, but even if there is a very high amplitude magnetic field locally, the different phases of the waves don't make a strong coherent magnetic field, as they cancel each other out.
rail guns are efficient because they accelerates the projectile gradually, by repelling it at every point along the rail
So instead of a rocket carrying rocket fuel it would carry water? I don't see how that would work. The rocket would still have to carry enough water to have evaporate into enough steam to propel the rocket a great distance.
So 'laser rockets' have been tested and work.. yet only reason they aren't used is because of non investment/interest ?? umm.. ok... so why don't users of traditional rockets 'become interested' and save billions ?
@Khorask It's the same reason why we use Uranium and Plutonium as a source of power, when a much cheaper and cleaner realistic alternative (Thorium) is readily available - someone spent a lot of money to be 'right' and they don't want to be proven wrong. Imagine buying an expensive, non-refundable plane ticket to fly across the world to buy something, then someone points out there's store down the block that sells the item - are you suddenly going to throw away the ticket?
@actracts no there are 3 main reasons why we don't use thorium:
1: it may be more abundant and by the economic law of supply and demand initially cheaper, but thoium-232 needs to undergo irridation and reprocessing before being used which makes it MORE expensive per kg than mining and enriching urainium
2: because it is lighter than uranium (232 comapred with 238) the energy gained is less therefore u need to use more the get same energy compared with U-238......
2:....therefore increasing the cost per kW of energy and also counteracting Some of its lower quality radiation with more frequency
3: It is very hard and expensive to gain weapon-grade waste from thorium reactors. This might not be a disadvantage to us but it is a disadvantage to all countries which allow nuclear power because hav you noticed that pretty much all countries with nuclear power have nuclear weapons.
Well the truth is that the use of Uranium and Plutonium is a really environmentally friendly way to create energy, but it's very unstable. The problem is that Uranium is scarce and it won't last forever.
What I understood in this is that you can make floating cars with lasers. You can make that awesome skateboard form back to the future it this way too :D Someone needs to make this happen.. Lets not forget the best thing, you can make humans fly!!!!!
I think he might be talking about creating a ground-based "geyser" of steam to propel the rocket? I don't know how they would keep the steam focused enough to be useful for propulsion above a few hundred feet though. I suppose for cargo transports they could build up so much pressure that it gave it escape velocity right at the start (if that's even possible), but that would convert a human crew to paste. You're right though, I don't think water is much lighter than rocket fuel.
@MBAustin13 No, I believe what he meant was that you would have a high energy laser on the earth's surface which would concentrate it's energy on a specified point of the spacecraft. This energy would then be used to heat (and therefore expand) a constant stream of water which is being released from a reservoir onboard the spacecraft.
@foobargorch But wouldn't you still need a high enough mass of water to propell the mass of the projectile? And you would need enough water for a constant supply of water/steam until you are out of the gravitational pull and friction of the atmosphere?
@porterejohn you need enough water, but the more powerful the laser is the less water you need ("enough" water is a function of the weight of the payload, amount of water, and strength of the laser).
in a conventional rocket the weight compounds: for each kg of payload you need x more fuel, and for that additional fuel you need a bit more fuel, etc etc. enough fuel is a function of just the payload and the type of fuel.
@ProEvolutionDan Simply have some fuel :o, you don't have to remove all the fuel from your rocket just the enormous thrusters used to get it into space.
There is not a actual problem with solar sails. not in the way this video portrays it anyway, mainly because there is no friction in space. so basically, your solar sail will accelerate forever.
@arc175 most corporations think in terms of profit right now. they don't think in terms of investments. spending billions now to research it could end up saving them trillions in the future. ahhh but why spend the money?! it doesn't give me instant satisfaction! ugh.
Dude... if you are going to criticise, please be informed!
In Star Trek fiction they use antimatter warheads and reactors, Photon Torpedo is just a cool name, inspired by the light irradiated by the matter/antimatter explosion.
@Sage2000 I don't mean to be a jerk, but his point it still valid, a literal Photon Torpedo would not be able to do very much at all, he was only using star try as an example. If after all you just watched the only thing you took out of this was "this guy hasn't read the extended fiction of Star Trek", then I'd consider you something of a troll
@ClubSealing I am thinking he meant it in satire lol :D It takes even mildy dense ppl about a minute or less listening to Kaku to figure out he knows what the hell hes talking about and how bloody smart he really is :D The 'troll' comment sorta seals the satire thing for me at least.
I just dislike when someone tries to use other people writings (fiction or facts), distorting it, just to get to a bigger audience.
In my opinion Gene Rodenberry was an excelent writer, and desesves our respect (RIP).
Regarding the last part: I am sorry, but Mr. Kaku seems to be wrong about what a photon torpedo is (I know its SciFi, but he decided to talk about it). In Star Trek they use antimatter the same way we use radiactive materials today.
@Sage2000 to whom did you address this? Calling a brilliant man a troll for not comprehending the subtleties of science fiction terminology is pretty weak. He explained everything clearly, whether it's in Star Trek or not.
Well, he was answering a question proposed by this Serge fellow, which was "Can we have photon based engines?".
If you want to blame anyone, blame Serge for a stupid question. Even still, Star Trek is just a show; we have no way of knowing if any of the future technology proposed there actually works or if it will work the way they imagine it will. I mean, they move their ships around by bending space around it.
Comparing cost of water and fuel is apples and oranges.
rocket fuel serves a dual role (energy storage, propellant) in conventional rocket engines.
the energy density of rocket fuel is limited. the way a rocket works you need to carry it all with you: every bit of fuel burnt accelerates the rocket *AND* the remaining fuel = carrying lots of material.
in this design you don't need to accelerate the thing that is storing the energ, you only need some mass to use as a propellant.
Good idea!! Water is incredibly light. I mean, it's not like the entire notion of weight density is based off of how much a specific quantity of water weighs or anything like that. What? You mean it actually is?! I apologize, I must have been wrong. I guess water is pretty heavy after all. Silly me.
Actually if you look at the tech manual for tng, photon in photon torpedo doesn't have much to do with it, the torpedoes are accelerated magnetically using the launch tube and the payload is matter and antimatter that mix on impact. That I even remember this -.-. Second time Kaku disappointed me today, first an incorrect description of a dyson sphere and now photon torpedoes. Must have had a bad day when these were shot.
We cant fire them because they quit before we had a chance to..
MattyMcCritic 10 hours ago
Kickstarter campaign for laser rocket propulsion, let's go!
SUPERBURRITO 17 hours ago 3
I've always thought the launcher for the torpedoes worked similarly like a rail gun or the mass drivers used in the centarti battle cruisers in Babylon 5. The light ball was just for visual effects obviously. Light balls,heheh,Star Wreck.
TheWarbirdPhoenix 19 hours ago
This guy's killing my Star Trek buzz.
croutonthegreat 1 day ago
@croutonthegreat Ya know... I grew up on star trek as a child. As an adult when I catch a re-run from time to time... I realize just how stupid and unjustly aristocratic star trek is. They used a lot of made up words to sound intelligent... which was accomplished on a child audience btw. And many of their "moral dilemmas" are truly no brainers. The show is written by our peers not higher forms of life. You know what else bugs me, no one ever farted on that show, I bet you Data farted to emulate
ZerosInfinite 1 day ago
@profanityridden it's not about that though - it would be the same as with any space mission, even this steam/laser rocket (whoever runs it is responsible for it if it breaks)
Tatchell1 1 day ago
steam/laser powered cars :O
marlonbtx 1 day ago
What he's trying to say is damn the (photon) torpedoes, full speed ahead!
theflyguy4321 1 day ago
They will not fund laser/water propelled rocketry cause it'll decrease or even erase fuel in the market. There are numerous free energy around us solar, wind, tidal, geothermal etc. but none of this are being funded because "they" want to control the world using oil/fuel. this free energy is not advertised, talked about etc. rather they give you MTVs, dramas etc. to keep you busy not to think. Blocking the internet because of free information! OMG ! Open your eyes people, we have the technology.
shantibs10 1 day ago 3
How would the rocket make it back to earth?
Takashi577 1 day ago
@Takashi577 A lazer rocket would come back the same way any current space shuttle comes back: parachutes and a lot of heat-resistant panels.
silentprophet777 1 day ago
A Steam Powered rocket? Stephenson's Rocket?
TableWolfMusic 1 day ago
Wouldn't the space elevator be the ultimate way to reduce space travel costs from the Earth up into orbit?
Tatchell1 1 day ago
@Tatchell1 Who would be responsible if it broke?
profanityridden 1 day ago
Surely a laser rocket would require a large quantity of water too? Would it not just be replacing the rocket fuel's weight with the water's weight???
Tatchell1 1 day ago
We require some additional pylons!
Nacke3000 1 day ago
No, no, no, no, no, no, NO!
That will not work and would be illogical
To me, to me, TO MEEEEEEEE!
0fg4 1 day ago
this is why Star Wars is better.. they use Proton Torpedoes
Dogmeat1950 2 days ago
"Photon torpedoes are a standard ship-based weapon armed with an antimatter warhead." They are not energy weapons, "photon" torpedo is just a name, not a description, doesn't mean it fires photons at the target. It's a projectile weapon with a high-explosive warhead i.e., a missile. We already have nuclear missiles, photon torpedoes use matter/antimatter instead, so yeah, we can just "fire the photon torpedoes".
da5dent 2 days ago 3
So... when ever I play laser tag with my friends I can shout "Fire the photon torpedoes!!!" ?
chrism4n14 2 days ago
Anybody with a bit of money can time travel. Just fly fast enough and cross a time border so that you arrive before you depart. Simple.
ByteMeMarshan 3 days ago
A neutrino - powered rocket would be cool. We can travel faster than light.
Warning: Might even result in time travel.
narendran550 3 days ago in playlist Michio Kaku BigThink
...wow is this stupid.
1) You're still going to have to have a ton of water to vaporize. It's still fuel.
2) Have fun with the capital cost and power for the laser.
aluisious 3 days ago
@aluisious 1) water expands much more when changing phase to gas than the self fueled rocket, and 2) as he mentioned its also cheaper
meringu 3 days ago
One does not simply
Fire the photon torpedoes
xereeto 3 days ago 33
Dude your totally wrong, Pho taan invented the photaan torpedo, powered by bottled star, its very heavy though so the bottles are made out of heat resistant alumnimum, you stick one in a torpedo and load it up. He had a famous ancient relative name Wan inventor of Wan Taan soup
guitargold77 3 days ago
Dr. Kaku is just explaining the difficulties physics presents, he isn't explaining this is impossible.
Photons are the carrier force for the electromagnetic force. If we could expand the magnitude of the EM force inside a photon, then we might be able to build photon torpedoes.
adamx20 4 days ago
Because is one say "water powered", it'll be the same as someone who said "holocaust didn' happen".
lanunselat 4 days ago
I really do believe that if we did away with the monetary system and capitalism we could be a Type 1 Society. It's holding us back so why not get rid of it?
Heinousography 4 days ago
@Heinousography Several country are moving in that direction. Gaddafi are moving libya into a country where money is not needed. But see what happen to him.
lanunselat 4 days ago
@Heinousography Because the gathering of resources is a lot of hard work. Human beings aren't willing to do that work for nothing. Even if the luxuries and things that these people want are "free", currency gives the psychological benefit of having earned something. Another basic flaw in a system like you mentioned is distributing resources. Is someone who has a desk job entitled to the same benefits as someone who labors in a mine? It's not as simple as "everything is free now".
xmxmal 4 days ago
Photon torpedoes are filled with anti-matter, which emit photons when they annialate.
tableshore1 4 days ago
But a photon torpedo is a solid thing, it looks like a silver sausage :3
They put Spock inside one on Wrath of Kahn :3
leeham991 4 days ago
Steam powered space ships. Suddenly Galaxy Express 999 doesn't seem so far fetched.
Kamidake83 4 days ago
I’M A’ FIRIN’ MAH LAZER!!
zalastax 4 days ago
I'd prefer a space elevator made of carbon nanotubes or something, to get into orbit
Necaradan666 5 days ago
Steam powered rockets! It's the future man!
jonnydarkmusic 5 days ago 33
@jonnydarkmusic
cept the wieght of the water is more then rocket fuel
Jimr90 4 days ago
@Jimr90 How is that relevant? There are numerous types of rocket fuel with different densities, and admittedly kerosene and liquid hydrogen are less dense than water, what matters is the power per mass of the fuel, although water here isn't really fuel but a propellant. Given that the power is provided by lasers on the ground, the excitation of water could possibly produce pressures greater than those by traditional fuels of the same mass. I admit, I haven't done the calculations but have you?
jonnydarkmusic 4 days ago
@Jimr90 Depends on how far you can heat the water up with that laser, that determines the impulse you can get. The higher you can heat it, the greater the impulse and the less water "fuel" you have to carry. That's the whole trick behind an ion engine - accelerate ions of xenon gas using an electrical field to high speeds ("temperatures") and there, thrust. The hard part is creating a strong enough electrical field, that's why ion engines have such low thrust overall (but great impulse!).
totoritko 4 days ago
photons are too tiny in mass.
air molecules would do much better
SpicyHam 5 days ago
@Vonlava You saw my second comment, right?
Dartyus 5 days ago
@Vonlava If I was, I certainly wouldn't be writing a summary of my idea on a YouTube Comment.
Dartyus 6 days ago
Comment removed
Vonlava 5 days ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@Dartyus "Why not have some sort of giant particle accelerator, but instead of a particle, it accelerates a Shuttle into orbit, like the Mass Drivers in Gundam Seed? It would be like building a roller-coaster that shot into the sky."
I believe THAT is a summary of YOUR idea. That idea however is absurd....No one would survive that Gs of that, or even close. You cant just launch it and hope it maintains momentum. You need thrust or pull throughout the launch....
Vonlava 5 days ago
The problem is that their's no way to get back either.
tttdub 6 days ago
@tttdub lol youd get back the same way. Shuttles dont come back using their initial fuel tanks anyways. they drop them after ascent.
Vonlava 6 days ago
@Vonlava No, because the lasers will still be on earth. The point is that they will still need conventional fuel.
tttdub 6 days ago
@tttdub yeah....but over 90% less of it. thats the point, which you are clearly missing..
Vonlava 5 days ago
@Vonlava you're "clearly missing" the point that I understand this, and also, this method will be capable of driving to speeds of up to half the speed of light, as I've read an article about this a while back. In case you're wondering, fuel can't get to that speed. They were thinking about having a one way trip in the science magazine I was reading.
tttdub 5 days ago
@tttdub It would cost very little fuel to return from a space flight since there is almost no physical force halting you. Now would we want to land on- and return from a celestial body then would we have a problem. So in theory it is a viable alternative to send material, materiel, personnel, satellites etc. into space.
wesside0yes 5 days ago
The word is "shit". Nah I'm just kidding the word is "crap". Nah I'm just kidding the word is "fuck". Nah I'm just kidding the word is "piss". Nah I'm just kidding the word is "anuses". Nah I'm just kidding the word is "cost".
Invisibrah 1 week ago
@awelux Well of course the shuttle would have it's own engines to get through most of the atmosphere. As the video says, 90% of a shuttle's weight is fuel. I assume a large chunk of that fuel is used to get the shuttle in the air at lift-off, when the shuttle's thrust is at 0.
If the engines started propelling a shuttle while it's thrust is above 0, you would probably save quite a bit of fuel. You don't need the mass driver to get the object into orbit. Just to get it on it's merry way.
Dartyus 1 week ago
Did you actually take ANY time to research the meaning of "photon torpedoes" (in Roddenbery's Star Trek) before opening your big mouth to criticize what you never even bothered to read, Mr. Kaku?
A photon torpedo's payload consists of matter and antimatter which are allowed to interact upon reaching intended target. Nothing contrary to physics here.
A name of technology in sci-fi doesn't always refer to process behind it. You forgot one of the first academic principles: STUDY YOUR SOURCES !
halucinati 1 week ago
@halucinati nerd. go watch star trek.
MrSkateFFS 6 days ago
@MrSkateFFS You're watching a video about Photon torpedoes.... I mean I agree with you but.... You're watching a vid on photon torpedoes.....
McJohnstable 2 days ago
@halucinati Must admit, I think he missed the point by a mile on this one.
petertr2000 6 days ago
@halucinati wow, you changed my life
Mudux 5 days ago
Why not have some sort of giant particle accelerator, but instead of a particle, it accelerates a Shuttle into orbit, like the Mass Drivers in Gundam Seed? It would be like building a roller-coaster that shot into the sky.
Dartyus 1 week ago
@Dartyus Calculate the launch velocity that you need to throw something up into orbit.
And then check if there is anything that doesn't disintegrate when it flies at these speeds through our atmosphere.
Bonus points for calculating the drag on the object and comparing that with the 3g a normal person can handle for a few minutes.
awelux 1 week ago
@Dartyus you cant be serious......
Vonlava 6 days ago
in the future there will be photons but not as we know it.
CrustyClaps 1 week ago
Michio Kaku is a piece of shit
sandwichtaster 1 week ago
@0SukMunky0 what's up with the 9 cents? o.o
uLtimaMusikA 1 week ago
Maybe I'm missing something but the water rocket is a bad idea, surely? The water will weigh as much as the fuel would and you need a great big bastard of a laser on the ground. Both using flammable fuel and vaporising water work on the principle that as gas is produced (water vapour or exhaust gases) so a thrust is produced. The fuel is basically the same as water other than that it expands itself as it burns and needs no external energy input.
Samjarrett1 1 week ago
Holy shit, it would cost me $4,739,402.09 to go into space...
0SukMunky0 1 week ago
@0SukMunky0 do it!
CrustyClaps 1 week ago
But water weight almost as much as fuel does.
drakonzebra 1 week ago
Dr Kaku takes on Star Trek... ...my childhood is ruined...
ChainReaction666 1 week ago
So Can the Bat signal be used as a Photon Torpedoes?
SaNToLoKo7 1 week ago
"photon" torpedos are really anti-matter torpedos. I think the "photon" part refers to the energy released on detonation.
Sahuagin 1 week ago
this made me lol
techmarine92 1 week ago
That means flash grenades are actually photon grenades. :)
5216l 1 week ago
so if something like your idea is proven why doesnt it exist in use
Talis116 1 week ago
I did not think he was going to say "cost".
AttemptingToBeBusy 1 week ago
PROTON TORPEDO, not photon torpedo
MrDaviecroket 1 week ago
@MrDaviecroket That might not be any better as protons are in every element in the periodic table.
Kalashboy762 1 week ago
"I prefer to use laser power in a different way." Oh sir, I love how you speak.
Nickodemusodurn 1 week ago
i love youtube
Chromebedazzeling 1 week ago
Comment removed
Chromebedazzeling 1 week ago
Science fiction writers were talking about laser launching systems decades ago.
Ansonidak 1 week ago
How does the ship come back to earth without fuel then ??
Repu62ic 1 week ago
@Repu62ic ...How about the way usual landing crafts enter the Earth atmosphere? As in, orbiting the planet until pulled by gravity to the surface. And yes, it's highly calculated (also been done using nothing but brain and a wristwatch) so you don't crash into anything.
Krigify 1 week ago
@Krigify You'd expect a spaceship crusing at nearly the speed of light to "wait for gravity" to pull it back the opposite direction ? Now that would be an interesting sight.
Repu62ic 1 week ago
actually in star trek a photon torpedo is an anti-matter warhead and creates a matter anti-matter reaction upon detonation.
Berelore 1 week ago
@Berelore Yeah I noticed that too, I was like, why is he talking about a propulsion system instead of a weapon...
Chenwong88 1 week ago
now if you use the laser to get of earth and say land on i dono moon again? how do you get to earth back? even if the G isnt that much there but still say if it were a planet ...?
mabr20 1 week ago
First steam engines, then steam cars, now steam rockets. I'm I the only one who finds that freakin' awesome!
ArtillicusII 1 week ago
Can dark matter react with anti matter?
burninmunkeys 2 weeks ago
@burninmunkeys I believe those are the same thing.
SuperCoolLemon 2 weeks ago
@SuperCoolLemon No, they aren't the same thing. I'm just not sure if they can react with each other or not, considering we don't even really know what dark matter is.
burninmunkeys 1 week ago
@SuperCoolLemon No... they aren't.
Fervorism 1 day ago
@burninmunkeys Dark matter is, I believe, is made up of totally different particles than normal matter. Antimatter is made of the same "stuff" as matter, it just has an opposite charge.
Fervorism 1 day ago
@burninmunkeys but to more directly answer your question, I don't think anyone really knows what dark matter even is. But if antimatter can or can't interact with it, then the answer will be exactly the same for normal matter.
Fervorism 1 day ago
Wow the steam power suggestion is excellent
yoyoyoy500 2 weeks ago
If I were trapped on an island, I would side with this guy in a heartbeat
chromepro1 2 weeks ago
so what is the ROI of this laser system since if it will reduce cost they should use it right?
Good for nature Good for space program Good for progress... Unless there is some catch to it :)
shintsu01 2 weeks ago
A steam rocket? Somehow that doesn't sound very futuristic
icosmini 2 weeks ago
@icosmini Correction, it's a steam rocket that uses LASERS!
ReverendWyrm 2 weeks ago
I just thought of something..What if they had a large amount of power (Wireless energy) and shot it in a straight line to there destination..And used some kind of Electromagnet that then shoots up and followed the energy beam.....Would that be possible..... I got that idea from the Railgun....
chadbaker666999 2 weeks ago
@chadbaker666999 A magnetic field can't really be focused like you propose as far as I know (coulumb's law)
A beam of light (like a laser) would send energy in a straight line, but even if there is a very high amplitude magnetic field locally, the different phases of the waves don't make a strong coherent magnetic field, as they cancel each other out.
rail guns are efficient because they accelerates the projectile gradually, by repelling it at every point along the rail
foobargorch 2 weeks ago
Are people here really arguing with Michio Kaku?
projectbaum 2 weeks ago
but then you'd still have to carry enough steam to propel you outta here.
vk45de 2 weeks ago
So instead of a rocket carrying rocket fuel it would carry water? I don't see how that would work. The rocket would still have to carry enough water to have evaporate into enough steam to propel the rocket a great distance.
Buckethead1221 2 weeks ago
"The fundamental problem of the space program is in 4 letters, it's a dirty word" lol was it bad of me to think it was f**k?
grizzlyfelix2 2 weeks ago
FIRE THE FLASHLIGHT!!!....... Somehow that doesn't sound as cool.
WebVManReturns 2 weeks ago 59
@WebVManReturns lol
Richy0326 2 weeks ago
the term that Roddenberry gave is a misnomer. A photon torpedo is actually an antimatter torpedo. I saw it in an episode once.
Devalis 2 weeks ago
Only atoms can push atoms well.
SpicyHam 2 weeks ago
"photons have very little momentum"
mart3323 2 weeks ago
Lightmass bomb! GO!
FloggingMoIIy 2 weeks ago
What is "Wacky Races" Cartoon?
gutlessrooster 2 weeks ago
So 'laser rockets' have been tested and work.. yet only reason they aren't used is because of non investment/interest ?? umm.. ok... so why don't users of traditional rockets 'become interested' and save billions ?
Khorask 2 weeks ago
@Khorask It's the same reason why we use Uranium and Plutonium as a source of power, when a much cheaper and cleaner realistic alternative (Thorium) is readily available - someone spent a lot of money to be 'right' and they don't want to be proven wrong. Imagine buying an expensive, non-refundable plane ticket to fly across the world to buy something, then someone points out there's store down the block that sells the item - are you suddenly going to throw away the ticket?
actracts 2 weeks ago 33
@actracts no there are 3 main reasons why we don't use thorium:
1: it may be more abundant and by the economic law of supply and demand initially cheaper, but thoium-232 needs to undergo irridation and reprocessing before being used which makes it MORE expensive per kg than mining and enriching urainium
2: because it is lighter than uranium (232 comapred with 238) the energy gained is less therefore u need to use more the get same energy compared with U-238......
handofthepimp 1 week ago
@actracts
2:....therefore increasing the cost per kW of energy and also counteracting Some of its lower quality radiation with more frequency
3: It is very hard and expensive to gain weapon-grade waste from thorium reactors. This might not be a disadvantage to us but it is a disadvantage to all countries which allow nuclear power because hav you noticed that pretty much all countries with nuclear power have nuclear weapons.
handofthepimp 1 week ago
@actracts
Well the truth is that the use of Uranium and Plutonium is a really environmentally friendly way to create energy, but it's very unstable. The problem is that Uranium is scarce and it won't last forever.
Behemoth2334 1 week ago
0:53 -That's what she said!
....Wait
KarlJoelsen 2 weeks ago
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KarlJoelsen 2 weeks ago
so why don't they boil the water in a water heater on board the spaceship and bite their nails like that bear in "Wacky Races"?
VJsubstanceJ 2 weeks ago
@VJsubstanceJ because then the power source for the heating needs to fly up (which makes the rocket heavier).
with lasers the power source can stay on the ground.
foobargorch 2 weeks ago
So... what does this make a lightsaber?
Tridecalogism 2 weeks ago
@Tridecalogism A Lightsaber would probably be some form of contained plasma beam, it's called a lightsaber simply beacuse it radiates light.
RAYNE0912 2 weeks ago
@RAYNE0912 - So it's not a torch? I always figured it was a beam of light.
Tridecalogism 2 weeks ago
What I understood in this is that you can make floating cars with lasers. You can make that awesome skateboard form back to the future it this way too :D Someone needs to make this happen.. Lets not forget the best thing, you can make humans fly!!!!!
m221z 2 weeks ago
now i know why photon torpedo's make a pew pew sound...
oguitarplaying 2 weeks ago
Michio Kaku : President 2012
sagargdeshpande 2 weeks ago
I have an apple computer
IS IT RED AND A FOOD
NO
IS A PHOTON TORPEDO
JUST LIGHT
NO
trolls gunna troll
brianawesome100 2 weeks ago
Photon torpedos are anti-matter warheads.. not light.. silly scientist taking everything literally
KarinMikazuki 2 weeks ago
Why use laser when u can use sunlight?
thereaper10001 2 weeks ago
When he said, "I like using lasers for a different purpose."
I half expected him to say, "Playing with my cat."
PYates77 2 weeks ago
How much water would you need onboard the projectile? Would it weigh significantly less than traditional fuel?
porterejohn 2 weeks ago
@porterejohn
I think he might be talking about creating a ground-based "geyser" of steam to propel the rocket? I don't know how they would keep the steam focused enough to be useful for propulsion above a few hundred feet though. I suppose for cargo transports they could build up so much pressure that it gave it escape velocity right at the start (if that's even possible), but that would convert a human crew to paste. You're right though, I don't think water is much lighter than rocket fuel.
MBAustin13 2 weeks ago
@MBAustin13 No, I believe what he meant was that you would have a high energy laser on the earth's surface which would concentrate it's energy on a specified point of the spacecraft. This energy would then be used to heat (and therefore expand) a constant stream of water which is being released from a reservoir onboard the spacecraft.
porterejohn 2 weeks ago
@porterejohn if the laser is very powerful, not much water at all.
the advantage is that the laser can be extremely powerful (= heavy), because it doesn't go into space with the rocket.
foobargorch 2 weeks ago
@foobargorch But wouldn't you still need a high enough mass of water to propell the mass of the projectile? And you would need enough water for a constant supply of water/steam until you are out of the gravitational pull and friction of the atmosphere?
porterejohn 1 week ago
@porterejohn you need enough water, but the more powerful the laser is the less water you need ("enough" water is a function of the weight of the payload, amount of water, and strength of the laser).
in a conventional rocket the weight compounds: for each kg of payload you need x more fuel, and for that additional fuel you need a bit more fuel, etc etc. enough fuel is a function of just the payload and the type of fuel.
foobargorch 1 week ago
This is quite possibly a stupid question but how do you get the rocket back to Earth?
ProEvolutionDan 2 weeks ago
@ProEvolutionDan Simply have some fuel :o, you don't have to remove all the fuel from your rocket just the enormous thrusters used to get it into space.
emeargueihtam 2 weeks ago
Ooooooo! you said cost! :x
craZAX42 2 weeks ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Logic and practical information do not seem to apply here. Logic cannot explain why, we only know that we must pursue photon torpedoes.
harkinhank 2 weeks ago
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harkinhank 2 weeks ago
wat if an alien shoots your water tank?
gokuudo 2 weeks ago
I thought the photon torpedo was a weapon not an engine.
vygotsky17 3 weeks ago
This has been flagged as spam show
There is not a actual problem with solar sails. not in the way this video portrays it anyway, mainly because there is no friction in space. so basically, your solar sail will accelerate forever.
scrumsiparacetamol 3 weeks ago
in time, actually reaching a fraction ofthe speed of light. all you need is time.
scrumsiparacetamol 3 weeks ago
killing people with lights..... CUTTING PEOPLE WITH LASERS!!!!!
InnuendoXP 3 weeks ago
The human species will die on Earth. End of oil here we goooooooo!
EliteDoomer 3 weeks ago
Steam? Oh...
but in space, no one can hear you Steam
dommyshan 3 weeks ago 19
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scrumsiparacetamol 3 weeks ago
So in star trek its just called a photon torpedo because it twinkles in the night of space?
TekLok 3 weeks ago
Yeah, I don't think this will happen soon. It's not profitable to the corporations
arc175 3 weeks ago
@arc175 most corporations think in terms of profit right now. they don't think in terms of investments. spending billions now to research it could end up saving them trillions in the future. ahhh but why spend the money?! it doesn't give me instant satisfaction! ugh.
TheForlornDreams 3 weeks ago
Dude... if you are going to criticise, please be informed!
In Star Trek fiction they use antimatter warheads and reactors, Photon Torpedo is just a cool name, inspired by the light irradiated by the matter/antimatter explosion.
Please stop being such a troll.
Sage2000 3 weeks ago 27
@Sage2000 I don't mean to be a jerk, but his point it still valid, a literal Photon Torpedo would not be able to do very much at all, he was only using star try as an example. If after all you just watched the only thing you took out of this was "this guy hasn't read the extended fiction of Star Trek", then I'd consider you something of a troll
MetalGearAdam 3 weeks ago
Comment removed
Ethan117100 3 weeks ago
@Sage2000 I think you're missing the whole point of this video.
Which is not a giant rant about how Star Trek is wrong, it's about how photon energy is not completely plausible.
Calling Michio Kaku uninformed is like calling Bill O'Reilly a liberal.
ClubSealing 2 weeks ago
@ClubSealing I am thinking he meant it in satire lol :D It takes even mildy dense ppl about a minute or less listening to Kaku to figure out he knows what the hell hes talking about and how bloody smart he really is :D The 'troll' comment sorta seals the satire thing for me at least.
shkotay 2 weeks ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@ClubSealing
Clubsealing, I see your point.
I just dislike when someone tries to use other people writings (fiction or facts), distorting it, just to get to a bigger audience.
In my opinion Gene Rodenberry was an excelent writer, and desesves our respect (RIP).
Regarding the last part: I am sorry, but Mr. Kaku seems to be wrong about what a photon torpedo is (I know its SciFi, but he decided to talk about it). In Star Trek they use antimatter the same way we use radiactive materials today.
Sage2000 2 weeks ago
@Sage2000 *In Start Trek science :)
johnnymitnick 2 weeks ago
@Sage2000 to whom did you address this? Calling a brilliant man a troll for not comprehending the subtleties of science fiction terminology is pretty weak. He explained everything clearly, whether it's in Star Trek or not.
pcdsgh 2 weeks ago
@pcdsgh its a joke dude is sarcastic his reply is sooo absurd and ridiculous that is funny
GnlMachoman 2 weeks ago
@GnlMachoman absurd insults are very common. derp
pcdsgh 2 weeks ago
@Sage2000
Well, he was answering a question proposed by this Serge fellow, which was "Can we have photon based engines?".
If you want to blame anyone, blame Serge for a stupid question. Even still, Star Trek is just a show; we have no way of knowing if any of the future technology proposed there actually works or if it will work the way they imagine it will. I mean, they move their ships around by bending space around it.
Einargizz 2 weeks ago
Comparing cost of water and fuel is apples and oranges.
rocket fuel serves a dual role (energy storage, propellant) in conventional rocket engines.
the energy density of rocket fuel is limited. the way a rocket works you need to carry it all with you: every bit of fuel burnt accelerates the rocket *AND* the remaining fuel = carrying lots of material.
in this design you don't need to accelerate the thing that is storing the energ, you only need some mass to use as a propellant.
foobargorch 3 weeks ago
Good idea!! Water is incredibly light. I mean, it's not like the entire notion of weight density is based off of how much a specific quantity of water weighs or anything like that. What? You mean it actually is?! I apologize, I must have been wrong. I guess water is pretty heavy after all. Silly me.
Keslen10 3 weeks ago
Diamonds!
+
Pb
+
Uranium
+
Saints
OneSuperLlama 3 weeks ago
Actually if you look at the tech manual for tng, photon in photon torpedo doesn't have much to do with it, the torpedoes are accelerated magnetically using the launch tube and the payload is matter and antimatter that mix on impact. That I even remember this -.-. Second time Kaku disappointed me today, first an incorrect description of a dyson sphere and now photon torpedoes. Must have had a bad day when these were shot.
InnSewerAnts 3 weeks ago
@InnSewerAnts I was going to say what you said, but you beat me to it. My gawd, i;m a fricking nerd
gelinrefira 3 weeks ago
I would fund that totally
TimelessPiano 3 weeks ago
unless you can kill people with it no ones going to fund it
qazz11q 3 weeks ago