These models do however show that while it is indeed impossible to exceed the speed of light, in principle it might be possible to circumvent the problem by suitably "warping" spacetime itself. The most renowned theory, known as the Alcubierre drive, uses terminology in accord with Star Trek jargon: "warp factors" measure the warping of space-time, not the magnitude of actual velocity. In his book The Physics of Star Trek, Lawrence Krauss states that while it is possible to actually travel at a velocity greater than that of light via warp drive, huge amounts of negative energy are required to make it work. Gardiner developed a timetable for the development of the warp drive from analyses of history.[5] He concluded the realization of the warp drive might be achieved around the year 2180.
The following formula (Einstein field equation), based on general relativity, theoretically permits the travel of an object at a greater velocity than that of light, provided that space-time is curved.Hypothetically, if space-time is warped properly, the velocity of the traveling object does not technically exceed the speed of light, even though they appear to be moving faster than light to observers in normal space-time.
In 2007, physicist Richard Obousy proposed that a warp drive could be created by directly manipulating the extra dimensions of string theory.[7] His idea suggests the expansion of space-time is a consequence of the vacuum ground-state of higher dimensional graviton fluctuations. The vacuum energy equations can be expressed as:In this model, it is the radius of the extra dimensions that directly controls the expansion of space. Obousy suggests that it is superstrings that wrap around the extra dimensions and thusly keeping them compact, but that a sufficiently advanced civilization might influence a string and locally adjust the size of the extra dimension creating a controlled expansion and contraction of the space surrounding an interstellar craft. In July of 2008 it was reported that two Baylor University physicists have outlined how a faster-than-light engine could be created by manipulating the 11th dimension, a special theoretical construct of m-theory.
wikpedia.org
The Alcubierre metric, also known as the Alcubierre drive or Warp Drive, is a speculative mathematical model of a spacetime exhibiting features reminiscent of the fictional "warp drive" from Star Trek, which can travel "Faster-than-light" (although not in a local sense - see below).
In 1994, the Mexican physicist Miguel Alcubierre proposed a method of stretching space in a wave which would in theory cause the fabric of space ahead of a spacecraft to contract and the space behind it to expand.[1] The ship would ride this wave inside a region known as a warp bubble of flat space. Since the ship is not moving within this bubble, but carried along as the region itself moves, conventional relativistic effects such as time dilation do not apply in the way they would in the case of a ship moving at high velocity through flat spacetime. Also, this method of travel does not actually involve moving faster than light in a local sense, since a light beam within the bubble would still always move faster than the ship; it is only "faster than light" in the sense that, thanks to the contraction of the space in front of it, the ship could reach its destination faster than a light beam restricted to travelling outside the warp bubble. Thus, the Alcubierre drive does not contradict the conventional claim that relativity forbids a slower-than-light object to accelerate to faster-than-light speeds. However, there are no known methods to create such a warp bubble in a region that does not already contain one, or to leave the bubble once inside it, so the Alcubierre drive remains a theoretical concept at this time.
The Alcubierre warp field
wikipedia.org
There are many equations on this theory,but for interest of a general audience and space I will not post them here.
3.”Hyperdrive/Wormhole Tunneling”
“Hyperdrive” or more precisely “wormhole tunneling” is a very common form of travel in the sci-fi Universe. Hyperdrive is the slang term for either an extremely fast form of propulsion or a form of propulsion that allows a craft to enter a “sub or hyperspatial” realm. As is common real science has taken these terms from sci-fi for the real thing that is being researched. The principle behind a hyperdrive(this word is also much shorter than ‘wormhole tunneler’,lol) is that you can bend and curve space-time, since space-time itself is curved and mallable.The principle uses the postulation that two conjoined throats of black holes with a one way matter stream can be used to travel possibly infinite distance in a matter of minutes or seconds. In this way you are temporarily leaving our ‘real space’ and entering a ‘corridor’ in-between our space-time, commonly referred to as “subspace,hyperspace”,or a newer,more original term being used by the physics community;”space-time foam.”You can look at it like this:Instead of the shortest distance between point A and B being a straight line it is actually the conjoining of the two points by bending the space between them.This too will take an even more massive amount of energy than the warp drive but could result in much faster travel times. The technology required to even achieve this or what is even conceivable(engine and mechanics wise) is extreme at the least to comprehend, and at current is far off and needs major breakthroughs in physics(more so than the warp drive).The only schematic that has received any attention is a very, very massive star size device that still isn’t possible in the conceivable future unless there is a breakthrough. Some main theories are as follows:
Can we ever achieve speed faster than light? Yes, say contemporary physicists disagreeing with Einstein’s theory of relativity. Advanced alien civilizations are tunneling through with speed much faster than light all the time. The problem is skeptics question such happenings with old non-contemporary Physics.
In recent years, some physicists have conducted experiments in which faster-than-light (FTL) speeds were measured. On the other hand, Einstein's theory of special relativity gives light speed as the absolute speed limit for matter and information.
The Berkeley group gives a general overview of their research at physics.berkley.edu .
In one of the experiments, where a single photon tunneled through a barrier and its tunneling speed (not a signal speed!) was 1.7 times light speed, is described in Steinberg, A.M., Kwiat, P.G. & R.Y. Chiao 1993: "Measurement of the Single-Photon Tunneling Time" in Physical Review Letter 71, S. 708—711.
Scientists in recent days are finding that exceeding speed of light through wave propagation in a tunneling experiment is nothing new. The scientific think tanks are now confident that advanced alien civilizations are constantly speeding through the wormhole tunnels with speeds exceeding 100 times that of light.
That is how the intergalactic travel across 100 light years can take place in less than a day and may be in a few hours. Of course the wormholes themselves bend time and space. The tunnel speed of 100 times faster than light is fast speed when you consider that time and space is attached to each other as evident in our physical universe. But that speed is easy to achieve once you can detach time from space and learn to speed in space slightly above the speed of light. Fast forwarding detached time spatial creates the final magic – it provides the ultimate speed multiplier and one achieve the speed faster that 100 times that of light.
There is another trick to the whole thing. Extraterrestrial aliens of advanced order can utilize the wave propagation for linear transportation of an entity from the physical universe or the parallel universe through the wormhole. The biggest challenge for them is not the speed but keeping track of space and time spatial characteristics.
indiadaily.com
It was Austrian Ludwig Flamm who had realised that Schwarzschild's solution (called the Schwarzschild Metric) to Einstein's equations actually describes a wormhole connecting two regions of flat space-time; two universes, or two parts of the same universe. Lorentzian wormholes are essentially short cuts through space and time but they instantaneously close unless some form of negative energy can hold them open. It is possible to produce small amounts of negative energy in the laboratory by a principle known as the Casimir [12] effect. However this energy would not be enough to keep open a wormhole.
krioma.net
Continued.......
[edit on 4/29/2009 by jkrog08]
Still have to read indepth
but i've always thought quantum entanglement was a sure fire way to travel such vast distances.S&F 
