Advanced Concepts Team

I would be very very skeptic on this results and am actually ready to take bets that they are victims of something else than "new physics" ... some measurement error e.g.

Assuming that this system is feasible, and taking the results of Chinese team (Thrust of 720 mN http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2013-02/06/emdrive-and-cold-fusion), I wonder whether this would allow for some actual trajectory maneuvers (and to which degree). If so, can we simulate some possible trajectories, e.g. compare the current solutions to this one ? For example, Shawyer (original author) claims that this system would be capable of stabilizing ISS without need for refueling. Other article on the same topic: http://www.theverge.com/2014/8/1/5959637/nasa-cannae-drive-tests-have-promising-results

To be exact, the chinese reported 720mN and the americans found ~50microN. The first one I simply do not believe and the second one seems more credible, yet it has to be said that measuring such low thrust levels on a thrust-stand is very difficult and prone to measurement errors. @Krzys, the thrust level of 720mN is within the same range of other electric propulsion systems which are considered - and even used in some cases - for station keeping, also for the ISS actually (for which there are also ideas to use a high power system delivering several Newtons of thrust). Then on the idea, I do not rule out that an interaction between the EM waves and 'vacuum' could be possible, however if this would be true then this surely would be detectable in any particle accelerator as it would produce background events/noise. The energy densities involved and the conversion to thrust via some form of interaction with the vacuum surely could not provide thrusts in the range reported by the chinese, nor the americans. The laws of momentum conservation would still need to apply. Finally, 'quantum vacuum virtual plasma'.. really?

I was into this some time ago and found a documentary in which they performed an experiment on a guy. Long story short, it didn't work that good. He was semi-lucid all the time and his mental performance dropped. Perhaps it is possible to survive like this for months, but if your goal is to maximize your daily output, you will not gain extra work hours due to being 3/4 conscious most of the time. EDIT: Not related to the documentary I mentioned but some first hand stories: http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/co5t9/i_attempted_polyphasic_sleep_for_a_documentary_ama/c0tza1e

I also heard about it. At the moment, I am on some sort of bi-phasic sleep and I am not feeling more tired than with the monophasic one (while sleeping effectively less right now).

If it exists, there's an xkcd about it: http://xkcd.com/320/ Actually the schedule proposed there is quite useful if you're into this whole Friday / Saturday night thing..

I don't see why it wouldn't work if you manage to detach yourself from the cycardian input. As in never ever see sun and daylight :))

Now this is impressive