An international team of physicists behind several revolutionary warp propulsion concepts, the first of which required no exotic materials, says recent unprecedented advances in physics and propulsion have launched world powers into a 21st century space race. century, worthy of the Cold War, to build space. the world’s first working warp engine.
“We have a space race brewing,” said Gianni Martie, founder of the association. Applied physics (AP) and co-author of two upcoming research papers on warp engines, in an email to The debriefing. “There is still a ton to discover and invent, but now we have the next steps, which we didn’t have before.
Comprised of more than 30 physicists and scientists in related disciplines, the AP team has gained a considerable reputation in the distortion theory community for its highly regarded, peer-reviewed papers on many concepts of distortion transmission . One of these concepts recently reported by The debriefing attracted a lot of attention, inspiring many researchers and scientists to declare the team’s “constant velocity warp drive model” as the first practical and viable warp drive concept ever proposed.
The AP team also created Warp Factory, a set of development and simulation tools that allow other researchers in this nascent field to evaluate the physics of their own models, which can greatly improve the quality and viability of the model.
In an effort to better understand the history of warp theory, the scientific viability of the most current concepts of warp propulsion, what the media still gets wrong about this category of research, and what the next ones might look like stages of this potential space race, The debriefing contacted the Applied Physics team, resulting in an exchange that suggests the futuristic science familiar to viewers of Star Trek maybe closer than you think.
THE DEBRIEF: Will humans ever build a working warp engine?
APPLIED PHYSICS: The laws of physics definitely allow for functional subluminal warp drives, but not superluminal warp drives. Although our constant-velocity warp solution is a promising step, many engineering and materials science challenges lie ahead, making the timeline uncertain but ultimately dependent on humanity, not physics.
TD: Warp Drive research recently celebrated 30 years since Mexican theoretical physicist Miguel Alcubierre proposed the original metric. Has significant progress been made since this first design?
AP: Yes, significant progress has been made. Models from the early 90s required non-existent exotic material, which essentially sidelined the science. Work in the 1990s and 2000s reduced the amount of exotic matter needed, but the models remained relatively unchanged and therefore always remained non-physical. Only recently, in 2021, new classes of warp engines have appeared, resulting in the first physical warp solution, meaning it does not use exotic matter.
TD: Will hardware advancements be required along the way, or do the basic materials needed to upgrade to a working warp engine already exist?
AP: Yes, advances in materials science are needed. We need more than plastic and aluminum to build a warp engine. We are talking about ultra-high density fluid materials. The good news is that our physics solution does not require exotic matter, which means it could be composed of particles that already exist in our universe. However, reaching these extreme densities will require further progress.
TD: You’ve said before that the warp research community is currently very small. Have you observed any trends in the literature that indicate this is changing?
AP: Yes, interest has increased in recent years. More and more researchers are devoting time to warp field mechanics, indicating a positive trend in the growth of the community. Other articles are being written on the subject. More importantly, warp drives are once again considered serious science.
TD: After your well-received study on a viable warp drive was abandoned this year, have you heard from researchers expressing new interest in exploring this work?
AP: Yes, many researchers from around the world have contacted us, expressing interest in contributing to the development of our Warp Factory code and supporting warp engine research. We have received hundreds of applications for the Warp Grant and are currently narrowing down the list of applicants.
TD: What is Warp Factory and how can it help researchers in this field?
AP: Warp Factory is an open source digital relativity tool for designing new warp spacetimes. Most research into warp engines to date has been done analytically, which often limits exploration and can take months to analyze even simple solutions. Using Warp Factory, this analysis can be completed in minutes while also providing 2D and 3D visualizations. In fact, the use of Warp Factory was essential to our discovery of the physical warp solution, as it was achieved using a primarily digital approach. By providing this tool, we envision creative distortion research being community-driven in the future.
TD: While warp-capable vehicles can act as a powerful deterrent in global conflicts, how do you envision warp technology reshaping defense strategies and geopolitical dynamics?
AP: Since it’s so early, there’s still a lot we don’t understand about warp engines to fully grasp their geopolitical impact. Could they have military applications? Maybe, yes, but until we can build them we won’t know. At this point, we should focus on developing our understanding of what is possible in the field of warp mechanics. There is a lot of research to be done now that the domain is physical, so this is definitely the first step. If we ever succeed in achieving “micro-warp” propulsion in the laboratory, it would certainly result in significant defense spending, as no nation can ignore a new means of propulsion. However, we hope the search remains civil. It would be quite shameful to achieve such technical feats just to throw stones at breakneck speed when technology can be used to boost GDP and explore new frontiers.
TD: How will a “Warp Drive Space Race” affect education in the United States?
AP: Just like during the last space race, we expect to see a big increase in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) jobs. This is already happening today, as we see countries like China and India setting space records, making it clear that the United States has competition. And the competition is good; we need the commute, an excuse to get up in the morning. The American and Russian economies benefited greatly from the first space race. Demand for skilled professionals in fields such as advanced engineering, condensed matter physics, and warp field mechanics is set to skyrocket, creating millions of new high-quality STEM jobs. This technological renaissance is fostering innovation, driving economic growth, and placing these nations at the forefront of the next great leap forward in human civilization.
TD: What does applied physics do next in its research on distortion?
AP: Applied Physics continues to explore new types of warp engines, which we hope to share with the community soon. We are currently investigating the unique ways that warp engines accelerate and evolve over time compared to traditional propulsion methods.
TD: Have we entered the Warp Age? If so, has a Warp Drive Space race already begun?
AP: From a theoretical perspective, humanity has taken small steps toward the Warp Age, and recent efforts show that we can make progress in this area. As for a new space race, not yet, but interest is growing. China published articles on the Warp shortly after our article appeared, and it has invested heavily in space.
TD: In the Cold War space race of the 20th century, many consider the USSR’s launch of Sputnik in 1957 as the landmark event that set things in motion. What could the Sputnik moment look like in the Warp Drive space race?
AP: The “Sputnik moment” for warp drives would be the first successful demonstration of warp motion, sparking investment and interest similar to that of the initial space race. This will likely be a miniature “micro-chain” laboratory prototype.
TD: If the U.S. government authorized a Manhattan-style budget for warp drive research, what might the first steps in that effort look like?
AP: It’s only a matter of time before warp drives become part of defense spending, as science has proven. The first steps would be to create a cutting-edge research center, attract top scientists and focus on solving key theoretical and technical challenges. Since warp field mechanics represents a new physical science, there is a lot of low-hanging fruit and a lot to discover, as the floodgates are freshly opened. This would be the second official government funding of warp drive technology, with Eagleworks Laboratories having been established by NASA in 2012.
TD: Finally, what final message, if any, would you like to convey to those hoping to see a working warp drive become a reality?
AP: The dawn of the Warp Age marks a pivotal moment in human history, presenting both unprecedented opportunities and significant challenges. As we cross this new frontier, the balance between innovation and responsibility will be crucial to shaping a future that harnesses the benefits of warp technology while ensuring a stable and peaceful world.
Christopher Plain is a science fiction and fantasy novelist and senior science editor at The Debrief. Follow and connect with him on X, check out his books at plainfiction.com or email him directly at christopher@thedebrief.org.