The Cannae Drive

[kamalktk]

Improbable Thruster Seems to Work by Violating Known Laws of Physics

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/next/space/improbable-thruster-seems-work-violating-known-laws-physics/

Every action creates an equal and opposite reaction. It’s perhaps the best known law of physics, and Guido Fetta thinks he’s found a way around it.
....
The NASA team, using a torsion pendulum, or a device that can measure minute forces, found that Fetta’s drive created 30-50 micronewtons’ worth of thrust. That’s not a lot of force—even one whole Newton is less than the weight you feel in your hand when you hold an iPhone—but according to the laws of classical physics, Fetta’s device shouldn’t have produced any at all.


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Sounds like a bunch of the usual free energy/violation of physical laws stuff, except here's NASA's actual presentation of it, mentioning it was producing this thrust when running a test specifically designed not to produce thrust. http://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20140006052

More research needed.

 

[markrkingston1]

Sounds like Star Trek's impulse engines in the face of it...

here's NASA's actual presentation of it, mentioning it was producing this thrust when running a test specifically designed not to produce thrust. http://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20140006052

Perhaps you just have to believe it will work...

 

[OneWingedBird]

If I'm not mistaken, what they're saying is that the control in their experiment also appeared to produce thrust, which is very suggestive of experimental error.

Also they might want to change the name before they try and sell it in the North East. :lol:

 

[Mythopoeika]

'She cannae take any more, Captain. She's gonna blow'.

That's probably why it's called the Cannae Drive. 8)

 

[eburacum]

That's probably why it's called the Cannae Drive. 8)

Actually that is one of the reasons; scientists do sometimes have a sense of humour.

This resonant drive has been tested in several forms, in China and in the US, always with small, but positive results. I'm still not convinced, but there is something interesting going on.

 

[Anome]

I heard John Baez's name come up in connection with some of the stories, and, sure enough, he has looked into it, and found it somewhat wanting.

His initial thoughts.
A more detailed analysis once he'd had a chance to look at the papers.

 

[Frideswide]

I read that several times as Joan Baez.....

 

[ramonmercado]

I read that several times as Joan Baez.....

What Drive did they use on Old Dixie?

 

[Anome]

I read that several times as Joan Baez.....

A cousin of his, I believe. Or so he used to claim back in the heady days of Usenet.

 

[wembley9]

If I'm not mistaken, what they're saying is that the control in their experiment also appeared to produce thrust, which is very suggestive of experimental error.

A lot of people read it like that, but that's not actually what happened - the real control (a resistive load) did not produce thrust, the 'null drive' which was a modified version of the Cannae drive did produce thrust (even though the inventor did not expect it to).

Note that Fortean Times had this story well before everyone else!