Starship

This is more technology than science but we have to mention the fact that the US Patent Office just granted someone a patent on an anti-grav spaceship.

A cooled hollow superconductive shield is energized by an electromagnetic field resulting in the quantized vortices of lattice ions projecting a gravitomagnetic field that forms a spacetime curvature anomaly outside the space vehicle. The spacetime curvature imbalance, the spacetime curvature being the same as gravity, provides for the space vehicle’s propulsion. The space vehicle, surrounded by the spacetime anomaly, may move at a speed approaching the light-speed characteristic for the modified locale.

Watch this space for the announcement on venture funding! And see additional comment by Science Made Cool blogger Jim Cambias after the jump. (via Gizmodo)

Jime says: It scarcely needs pointing out that this is completely nuts. What are "lattice ions" and how do they create quantized vortices? What is a "gravitomagnetic field?" This is all pseudoscientific gibberish -- I'm a science fiction writer, so I know my pseudoscientific gibberish. What's unclear is whether it's crazy-person gibberish or con-man gibberish.

The patent office once required a working model for new inventions. It helped weed out the frauds and crackpots. I think it would be worth returning to that standard.

Comments

[Josh C]

Maybe a joke? The patent clerks feeling a bit feisty?