h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

As long as the first thing they build when the technology is in place is the Millenium Falcon (the SW version, not the 60s aerial laser platform aircraft) they can take as long as they want. I assume they're sure it wasn't an effect caused by the momentum of the spinning thing interfering with the earth's rotation? Please describe these other things of which you speak, for they sound interesting indeed. Some years ago I heard that a Soviet gentleman had established a working principle by which some kind of plasma propulsion system could be constructed. Any info on this? hat's the reference for this thing in the literature?

I don't know if this is the plasma propulsion system you are thinking of, but there is a probe called 'Deep Space 1' (no, really) which has just had a (planned) close encounter with an asteroid (but failed to take any decent pictures). This uses a new propulsion system using plasma from Xenon gas and is also trialling some advanced AI software. http://www.nasa.gov should have all the details.

As for the gravity shieding stuff, the bloke who started it all is a chap called Podkletnov. I first heard about it in an article in New Scientist earlier this year (or may even have been late last year). There is a wealth of information including Podkletnov's original paper at http://www.gravity.org

Hope this helps.

Ta.

There's a lot of info about the anti-gravity experiments on the web (there's also a lot of odd stuff as well)

I believe that the results obtained in Finland were predictable by existing theory.

Some of the anti gravity claims on the web are probably a bit spurious -especially the ones where you have to send a cheque to get further details! My favourite is the wheel-less skate board, available for about 800 US dollars, but the small print states that the purchaser may have to do a certain amount of their own research to actually make it work!

In 'The Sirens of Titan' by the lovely Mr. Vonnegut, there's an office full of antigravity furniture. It can't be used as it slides all over the place when sat upon, unless done so without the introduction of a lateral force.

How are the magentically levitated frog experiments coming along? have they had any success with anything larger?