Re: (Tears) Destinies, October-December 1979 edited by Jim Baen

On Apr 15, 2025, Tony Nance wrote
(in article <vtmcn8$deq2$1@dont-email.me>):

On 4/6/25 9:20 AM, James Nicoll wrote:

Destinies, October-December 1979 (Destinies, volume 5) edited by Jim Baen
>
Another foray into a short-lived Disco-era science fiction magazine.
>
https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/memories-of-a-different-life

>
Re:
"I’d mock SF readers of old for their Dean Drive enthusiasm except, as
the EmDrive nonsense showed, the belief that the universe can be tricked
into providing a free lunch is evergreen."
>
In case you are unaware, a newer "contender" can be found by searching
on "charles buhler propellantless propulsion".
>
From one article of many[1]:
>
"...
As the EmDrive faded into scientific history, a new contender emerged,
led by Charles Buhler, a former NASA scientist. Buhler’s work at the
Kennedy Space Center’s Electrostatics and Surface Physics Laboratory
laid the foundation for his current endeavors. Now, as a co-founder of
Exodus Propulsion Technologies, he claims to have developed a drive
powered by a “New Force” that operates outside the known laws of physics.
>
This innovative drive is said to generate a sustainable force through
electric fields alone, allowing for center-of-mass translation without
the expulsion of mass. Such a discovery, if verified, would
fundamentally alter our understanding of physics and open up new
possibilities for propulsion technology. However, Buhler acknowledges
that independent verification is crucial to confirm these groundbreaking
claims.
..."
>
Tony
>
[1]
https://www.sustainability-times.com/in-depth/this-engineer-says-hes-found-a-w
ay-this-anti-gravity-propulsion-system-could-rewrite-every-rule-of-physics-and
-space-travel/

Heh. There is currently an Italian kook roaming the deep, dark, depths of
talk.origins yapping about his reactionless drive and ranting about how
Really Bad rockets are. Note that his version of a reactionless drive can
also be set up as a perpetual motion machine. He went so far as to state that
he could generate 100+ kW. He shut up about that when I pointed out that the
typical Cessna engine produces rather more than that. Yes, he was going to
Mars in an underpowered Cessna.

I’ve asked him to let everyone know when he can lift one kilo one meter at
a net acceleration of one meter per second per second. He keeps ranting, but
has not produced any support for his rants. Such a pity.

Those interested in reactionless drive rants may visit t.o and look for posts
by E.Laureti or pnn calmagorod. M’man was first detected in Nov 2019, and
last seen (so far) in March 2025. He hasn’t lifted a kilo yet. Have fun.