>> > It will be THE source of energy once people stop
>> arguing about whether
>> > there is actually any zero point energy.
...

>> There must be - they use "Zero Point Modules" in
>> Stargate Atlantis!  :-)
>> Errr - just what *is* zero point energy?

> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero_point_energy

Read the above. Will lose most (certainly me) but is good.

Note mention of cosmological constant.
Einstein added a fudge factor to his original General TOR to make it 
work. The cosmological constant is essentially an arbitrarily assigned 
factor which makes his equations best match reality. [As reality is 
perceived to be other than before people play with the constant :-) ] 
Einstein subsequently deeply regretted introducing this constant, 
declared it to be his worst error ever, and spent the rest of his life 
trying to make things work without it. BUT one implication of there 
being a CC is that there should be vast quantities of energy in empty 
space which MAY be able to be harnessed.

The Casimir effect http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casimir_effect is a 
consequence of this. (Read it - much easier to understand and may give 
you ideas ;-) ). Crudely - if you take two metal plates and bring them 
VERY close to each other you exclude certain quantum variations in the 
space between the plates compared to the space outside it, with the 
effect that they are driven together with immense force.
All you have to do is
    1. work out how to harness this force
    2. Work out how to get the plates apart again :-)

Buzz Aldrin wrote a variably OK novel in which this effect powered a 
starship.



        RM




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