Dr. Kaku: HURTLING THROUGH THE AIR AT UNIMAGINABLE SPEED
IN DEFIANCE OF GRAVITY.
CHANGING DIRECTION AT THE BLINK OF AN EYE
WITHOUT AN ENGINE OF ANY KIND.
IN THE FUTURE, THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY TO FLY.
I'M DR. MICHIO KAKU.
I'M A THEORETICAL PHYSICIST AND A SCIENCE-FICTION FAN.
JOIN ME AS I SHOW YOU HOW TO MAKE SCI-FI SCIENCE.
IMAGINE A VEHICLE THAT SEEMS TO FLOUT THE LAWS OF GRAVITY,
THAT COULD OUTRUN JET FIGHTERS AND HOVER SILENTLY IN MIDAIR.
AND, IF YOU FELT LIKE IT, COULD TAKE OFF INTO SPACE
AND HOP FROM PLANET TO PLANET ACROSS THE SOLAR SYSTEM.
FLYING SAUCERS ARE THE ULTIMATE SCIENCE-FICTION VEHICLE.
BUT WHY SHOULD THE ALIENS HAVE ALL THE FUN?
SCIENTISTS HAVE BEEN FASCINATED BY FLYING SAUCERS FOR DECADES,
BUT THEY'VE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO CONSTRUCT ONE THAT WORKS.
BUT NOTHING IN THE LAWS OF PHYSICS SAYS THEY'RE IMPOSSIBLE,
AND I'M GONNA SHOW YOU HOW TO BUILD ONE.
BEFORE I START DESIGNING,
I NEED TO WORK OUT EXACTLY WHAT MY FLYING SAUCER OUGHT TO DO.
WHO BETTER TO ASK THAN THE SCI-FI FANS?
[ HEAVY BREATHING, BUZZING ]
[ LIGHTSABERS CLASH ]
SOME FLYING SAUCERS KIND OF GO "WHO-O-O-O."
WHO-O-O-O.
WHOO-WHOO-WHOO-WHOO-WHOO-WHOO.
A FLYING SAUCER IS A SPACESHIP THAT LOOKS LIKE A DISK.
KIND OF HOVER ABOVE THE GROUND
AND WATCH ALL THE COWS AND PEOPLE BLOW.
BE ABLE TO MOVE IN ANY DIRECTION THAT IT WANTED TO MOVE IN.
DO THINGS THAT CONVENTIONAL AIRCRAFT IN OUR SOCIETY
WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO DO AT THIS POINT.
[ EERIE WARBLING ]
TO BE THE ULTIMATE FLYING SAUCER,
MY DESIGN HAS TO DO FOUR THINGS.
FIRST, IT SHOULD HAVE NO EXHAUST
OR ANY OBVIOUS MEANS OF PROPULSION.
SECOND, IT ABSOLUTELY HAS TO HOVER.
THIRD, IT SHOULD BE BIG ENOUGH TO CARRY A PASSENGER,
OR POSSIBLY A CREW.
AND LAST, IT HAS TO BE SAUCER-SHAPED.
ANY OTHER SHAPE JUST WOULDN'T BE SCIENCE FICTION.
FOR AT LEAST HALF A CENTURY, SCIENCE-FICTION AUTHORS,
COMIC-STRIP WRITERS, AND MOVIEMAKERS
HAVE LET THEIR IMAGINATIONS RUN WILD.
THEY HAVEN'T HAD TO CONCERN THEMSELVES
WITH REAL-WORLD AERODYNAMICS AT ALL.
IN FACT, THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF PROBLEMS
WITH THIS CLASSIC FLYING-SAUCER SHAPE.
FOR A START, THERE AREN'T ANY WINGS.
BIRDS AND AIRPLANES STAY IN THE AIR
THANKS TO A FORCE CALLED "LIFT."
THE SHAPE OF THEIR WINGS FORCES THE AIR ABOVE THEM
TO BE AT A LOWER PRESSURE THAN THE AIR BELOW,
AND THAT PRESSURE DIFFERENCE CREATES THE LIFT.
BUT DOES THAT MEAN I'M GONNA HAVE TO RESORT TO WINGS?
IT SEEMS THE ANSWER IS "NO."
THESE FLYING DISKS DON'T HAVE WINGS,
BUT THEY MUST BE PRODUCING LIFT
TO BE ABLE TO TRAVEL SUCH LONG DISTANCES.
TO MAKE MY SAUCER FLY,
I NEED TO UNCOVER THE SECRET OF FRISBEE FLIGHT.
AND I KNOW JUST THE MAN WHO CAN HELP ME.
PROFESSOR YIANNIS ANDRIOPOULOS IS AN EXPERT IN AERODYNAMICS.
I'M HOPING THAT HIS COMPUTER SOFTWARE
CAN ACTUALLY SHOW ME HOW A FRISBEE WORKS.
FIRST, WE NEED TO REPLICATE FLIGHT.
ALL WE NEED IS A FRISBEE, A SPINDLE,
AND AN AIRSTREAM MOVING AT 10 FEET PER SECOND.
THE RESULTS ARE ENCOURAGING.
NOW, THE BLUE AREA -- WHAT DOES THE BLUE AREA REPRESENT?
SURPRISINGLY,
THE DISK IS ACTING JUST LIKE THE WING OF AN AIRPLANE.
THE COLORS ON THE SCREEN
MARK OUT DIFFERENCES IN AIR PRESSURE
AROUND THE DISK.
BLUE ON THE TOP SURFACE WHERE PRESSURE IS LOW.
RED AND ORANGE
SHOW HIGH PRESSURE UNDERNEATH THE FRISBEE.
THIS PRESSURE DIFFERENCE
WILL KEEP MY FLYING SAUCER IN THE AIR.
BUT THAT'S NOT THE ONLY FEATURE OF A FRISBEE I'LL HAVE TO COPY.
IT TURNS OUT THAT SPINNING IS CRUCIAL
TO KEEPING THESE DISKS STABLE.
I'M GONNA MAKE MY FLYING SAUCER THE SHAPE OF A FRISBEE,
WITH A CONVEX OUTER SHELL AND A LIP BELOW.
AND THEN I'LL INSTALL A MOTOR THAT SPINS THE SHELL
AROUND 1,000 REVOLUTIONS PER MINUTE.
THAT SHOULD GIVE THE RIGHT AERODYNAMICS FOR STABLE FLIGHT.
THE SHAPE OF MY CRAFT IS PERFECT,
BUT I'M NOT FINISHED YET.
FRISBEES ONLY WORK WHEN THEY'RE MOVING.
TO HOVER, I'M GONNA NEED MUCH MORE THAN AERODYNAMICS.
GENERATIONS OF SCIENTISTS
HAVE DREAMED OF DESIGNING A FLYING SAUCER,
BUT I'M ON A MISSION TO BUILD ONE.
I STILL HAVE TO MASTER THE SECRET OF SILENT HOVERING,
AND I THINK MAGNETS COULD BE THE KEY.
DANGLING FROM THE TOP OF THIS CRANE
IS AN ENORMOUSLY POWERFUL MAGNET
WITH A FORCE THOUSANDS OF TIMES EARTH'S MAGNETIC FIELD.
AND YET, I CAN CONTROL IT WITH THE FLICK OF A SWITCH...
[ CLICK ]
...AND LIFT 28,000 POUNDS OF METAL.
FOR MY DESIGN, I'M INTERESTED IN MAGNETS
FOR MORE THAN JUST THEIR MUSCLE POWER.
MAGNETS GENERATE INVISIBLE MAGNETIC FIELDS,
WHICH FLOW BETWEEN TWO POLES.
OPPOSITE POLES ATTRACT EACH OTHER,
AND SIMILAR POLES REPEL.
USING TWO MAGNETIC POLES TO HOVER COULD WORK,
BUT IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO KEEP MY FLYING SAUCER STABLE.
I'VE GOT MY EYE ON A TECHNOLOGY THAT'S NOT ONLY MORE STABLE,
IT ONLY NEEDS ONE MAGNET TO WORK.
LOOK -- IT'S FLOATING.
FLOATING IN MIDAIR.
THIS TINY SILVER CUBE IS A PERMANENT MAGNET.
BUT THAT'S NOT ANOTHER MAGNET IT'S FLOATING ABOVE.
IT'S AN AMAZING MATERIAL CALLED A SUPERCONDUCTOR.
THIS SUPERCONDUCTOR IS MADE FROM A SPECIAL CERAMIC
WHICH, WHEN COOLED TO MINUS 321 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT,
HAS ALMOST NO RESISTANCE TO ELECTRICITY.
BUT IT'S ANOTHER EXTRAORDINARY PROPERTY OF SUPERCONDUCTORS
THAT'S MAKING THE CUBE FLOAT.
SUPERCONDUCTORS HAVE A STRANGE RELATIONSHIP
TO MAGNETIC FIELDS.
THEY REFUSE TO LET THEM THROUGH.
A SUPERCONDUCTOR EXPELS ALL MAGNETIC LINES OF FORCE,
SO THIS PERMANENT MAGNET, IN EFFECT,
IS FLOATING ON A CUSHION OF ITS OWN MAGNETIC FIELD,
GIVING THE ILLUSION OF ANTIGRAVITY.
THE MAGNET IS PERFECTLY STABLE
BECAUSE A TINY PART OF THE SUPERCONDUCTOR
CHANNELS THE MAGNETIC FIELDS,
GRIPPING ONTO THE CUBE'S OWN FIELD,
KEEPING IT IN POSITION
LIKE A BALLOON TETHERED TO THE GROUND.
USING SUPERCONDUCTORS, I SHOULD BE ABLE
TO GET MY SAUCER TO HOVER IN PERFECT SILENCE,
JUST LIKE THE ONES IN THE MOVIES.
FIRST, I NEED TO BUILD A TRACK
AND THEN SEED IT WITH SUPERCONDUCTORS...
THEN INSTALL A SERIES OF POWERFUL ELECTROMAGNETS
INTO MY SAUCER.
DROP IT ONTO THE TRACK,
AND IT LEVITATES ON A CUSHION OF ITS OWN MAGNETIC FIELD --
A BIT LIKE A MAGLEV TRAIN.
BY CHANGING THE STRENGTH OF THE MAGNETIC FIELD,
I CAN ADJUST THE SAUCER'S ALTITUDE.
NOW I'M REALLY FLYING.
KEEPING THE TRACK ULTRACOLD WOULD BE A CHALLENGE RIGHT NOW,
BUT I DON'T THINK IT'LL STAY THAT WAY FOR LONG.
SCORES OF PHYSICS DEPARTMENTS AROUND THE WORLD
ARE TRYING TO FIND A ROOM-TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTOR.
ONCE THEY FIND IT, PERHAPS DECADES FROM NOW,
IT'LL CREATE A SECOND INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION.
SUPERCONDUCTORS WILL GIVE US CHEAP ENERGY,
POWERING OUR HOMES AND FACTORIES
AT A FRACTION OF TODAY'S COST,
WITH NO POLLUTION OR CARBON DIOXIDE.
EFFICIENT, SILENT HOVER CARS WILL ZIP AROUND OUR CITIES.
PUT ON A SUPERCONDUCTING BELT,
AND YOU CAN FLY JUST LIKE SUPERMAN.
BUT FLYING SAUCERS SHOULD BE FREE
TO FLY WHEREVER THEY LIKE --
OVER ANY TERRAIN AND EVEN INTO OUTER SPACE.
SO FAR, MY DESIGN IS MORE LIKE A GLORIFIED TRAIN.
NO ONE'S GONNA FIND A CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH MY SAUCER
OUT OF THIS WORLD.
I NEED TO FIND A DIFFERENT WAY
TO GET MY DESIGN OFF THE GROUND.
ACCORDING TO SCIENCE FICTION,
THE FLYING SAUCER IS THE ALIEN VEHICLE OF CHOICE.
BUT I WANT TO BUILD ONE OF MY OWN.
LIKE THE ONES IN "INDEPENDENCE DAY,"
MY FLYING SAUCER HAS TO USE ADVANCED PROPULSION TO HOVER.
NO ROTOR BLADES OR BOOSTER ROCKETS ALLOWED.
IT HAS TO HAVE SOME EXOTIC POWER SOURCE.
IT SHOULD REQUIRE NO FORWARD MOMENTUM TO GET AIRBORNE.
I'VE ALREADY RULED OUT SUPERCONDUCTING HIGHWAYS,
BUT THERE'S ANOTHER SILENT TECHNOLOGY I HAVEN'T TRIED OUT,
AND THIS ONE REQUIRES LITTLE MORE
THAN A FEW FEET OF WIRE, SOME HOUSEHOLD GOODS,
AND ELECTRICITY -- LOTS OF IT.
[ ELECTRICITY CRACKLES ]
THIS IS A LIFTER.
WOW. THAT REALLY IS SOMETHING.
I'VE COME TO WATCH A GROUP OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS
GIVE IT A TEST FLIGHT.
IN ORDER FOR THIS TO WORK,
YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOME ATMOSPHERE
OR SOME PARTICLES TO ACCELERATE.
THE LIFTER LOOKS UNIMPRESSIVE --
JUST ALUMINUM FOIL, MATCHSTICKS,
AND A THIN COPPER WIRE.
BUT SWITCH ON THE POWER -- 30,000 VOLTS --
AND SOMETHING AMAZING HAPPENS.
THE VOLTAGE IS SO HIGH,
IT IONIZES THE SURROUNDING AIR MOLECULES,
SPLITTING OFF THEIR ELECTRONS
AND MAKING THEM POSITIVELY CHARGED.
[ ELECTRICITY CRACKLES ]
ONCE CHARGED, THE AIR IONS RUSH TO THE NEGATIVELY CHARGED FOIL,
AND WE HAVE LIFTOFF.
[ ELECTRICITY CRACKLING, EERIE WARBLING ]
THE PRINCIPLE IS SIMILAR TO A ROCKET.
INSTEAD OF CHEMICAL FUEL
PUSHING AGAINST THE AIR, THOUGH, IT'S A FLOOD OF IONS.
AND WITH A FEW TWEAKS,
I THINK IT COULD GET MY SAUCER OFF THE GROUND.
I LIKE THE WAY THE LIFTER HOVERS.
IT'S VERY MUCH LIKE A FLYING SAUCER.
IF I COULD SOMEHOW SCALE IT UP TO LIFT A PASSENGER,
I MIGHT BE ONTO SOMETHING.
TO LIFT ME INTO THE AIR,
I'D NEED TO MAKE THE DEVICE 2,000 TIMES LARGER,
ENCASE ITS FRAME IN A LIGHTWEIGHT TITANIUM SHELL,
AND IT'S JUST LIKE A FLYING SAUCER.
IT LOOKS THE PART, AND IT HOVERS.
ION LIFTERS ARE NOT WITHOUT THEIR FAULTS, THOUGH.
WHEN YOU DEAL WITH SUPERHIGH VOLTAGES,
THERE'S THE RISK OF ELECTRICAL ARCS.
THIS IS WHEN THE ELECTRICITY SHORT-CIRCUITS THROUGH THE AIR.
IT'S THE SAME PHENOMENON THAT WE SEE IN LIGHTNING.
AIR MOLECULES ARE SHATTERED
IN AN ARC OF SUPERHEATED PLASMA.
IT'S DANGEROUS, HOT, AND COULD FRY MY ONBOARD ELECTRONICS.
THE ION LIFTER COULD GIVE THE INITIAL BOOST
TO GET MY CRAFT OFF THE GROUND,
BUT IT WOULD BE FAR TOO DANGEROUS TO USE FOR LONG.
I'LL NEED TO USE ADVANCED INSULATION TO PROTECT THE CREW.
SO FAR, MY CRAFT IS THE RIGHT SHAPE FOR FLIGHT,
AND I COULD SET IT INTO A NEAR-SILENT HOVER.
BUT I STILL HAVEN'T WORKED OUT A METHOD
FOR GOING ANYWHERE OTHER THAN UP.
[ ENGINE WHOOSHES ]
SIMPLY PUT, A FLYING SAUCER SHOULD GO PLACES.
BUT IN THE MOVIES,
PROPULSION SYSTEMS ARE UNLIKE ANYTHING WE HAVE TODAY.
THEY SHOOT THROUGH THE AIR WITHOUT THE AID OF PROPELLERS,
ROTOR BLADES, JET ENGINES, OR BOOSTER ROCKETS.
[ JET ENGINE WHOOSHES ]
MY SAUCER'S PROPULSION SYSTEM MUST BE TRULY SCI-FI,
AND MY INSPIRATION
COMES FROM A NATURAL FORCE OF SIMPLY ASTONISHING POWER.
I'VE GOT MY FLYING SAUCER AERODYNAMIC
AND HOVERING JUST OFF THE GROUND.
NOW I NEED TO GET IT MOVING.
IN SCIENCE FICTION,
FLYING SAUCERS GLIDE, HOVER, AND CHANGE DIRECTION AT WILL
WITHOUT ANY OBVIOUS MEANS OF PROPULSION.
[ AIR HISSING ]
I THINK THE ANSWER IS TO EXPLOIT
ONE OF THE EARTH'S GREATEST NATURAL RESOURCES --
ITS MAGNETIC FIELD.
THE EARTH'S MAGNETIC FIELD FLOWS FROM THE GEOGRAPHIC SOUTH POLE,
SPREADS OVER THE SURFACE,
AND THEN REJOINS THE EARTH AT THE GEOGRAPHIC NORTH POLE.
IF I COULD FIT MY SAUCER WITH POWERFUL MAGNETS,
THEY WOULD PROPEL IT ALONG EARTH'S MAGNETIC FIELD LINES
AS IF THEY WERE A SYSTEM OF NATURAL HIGHWAYS.
BUT IN PRACTICE, THIS WOULDN'T WORK.
EVERY MAGNET HAS TWO POLES.
ONE POLE WANTS TO FLY NORTH.
THE OTHER WANTS TO FLY SOUTH.
BECAUSE THE POLES ARE ATTACHED, THEY CANCEL EACH OTHER OUT.
MY FLYING SAUCER WOULD GO NOWHERE.
THERE IS A SOLUTION, AND IT'S PRETTY WILD.
THEORETICAL PHYSICS PREDICTS A BIZARRE PHENOMENON --
A MAGNET WITH ONLY ONE POLE -- A MONOPOLE.
IF I HAD A MONOPOLE IN MY HAND, A NORTH POLE,
IT WOULD IMMEDIATELY FLY OUT OF MY HANDS AND GO TO THE ARCTIC.
IN FACT, IT WOULD FLY RIGHT TO THE NORTH POLE.
IF I HAD A SOUTH-POLAR MONOPOLE,
IT WOULD THEN FLY OUT TO THE SOUTH POLE.
IF I HARNESS THE POWER OF MONOPOLES,
I COULD BUILD A PROPULSION SYSTEM THAT PROPELS MY SAUCER
NORTH AND SOUTH ACROSS THE EARTH'S SURFACE.
BUT GETTING MY HANDS ON EVEN A SINGLE MONOPOLE
COULD BE DIFFICULT.
THIS IS A CONVENTIONAL MAGNET,
MEANING THAT IT HAS A NORTH POLE ON ONE SIDE
AND A SOUTH POLE ON THE OTHER.
COMMON SENSE TELLS US
THAT IF I WERE TO SLICE THIS MAGNET IN HALF,
I SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEPARATE
THE NORTH POLE FROM THE SOUTH POLE, RIGHT?
BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT HAPPENS.
CUT A MAGNET IN HALF,
AND I END UP WITH TWO DIPOLE MAGNETS,
EACH WITH ITS OWN NORTH AND SOUTH POLE.
CUT THESE IN HALF, AND I END UP WITH MORE DIPOLE MAGNETS.
I CAN CUT THIS HUNDREDS, THOUSANDS,
EVEN TRILLIONS OF TIMES.
EACH TIME, I GET DIPOLES, UNTIL I'M DOWN TO INDIVIDUAL ATOMS.
AND HEY, EVEN THE ATOM IS A DIPOLE.
SO, WHERE ON EARTH ARE WE GONNA FIND THESE ELUSIVE MONOPOLES?
THE ANSWER IS, WE REALLY DON'T KNOW -- YET.
THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS,
WE HAVE NOT YET SEEN ANY MAGNETIC MONOPOLES ANYWHERE.
PROFESSOR ALAN GUTH IS A COSMOLOGIST.
THE FACT NO ONE HAS SEEN A MONOPOLE DOESN'T FAZE HIM.
HE'S A WORLD EXPERT ON OUR UNIVERSE'S EXOTIC MATTER.
AND HIS CALCULATIONS SUGGEST THAT MONOPOLES ARE REAL.
THEY'RE OUT THERE, WAITING TO BE DISCOVERED.
I THINK IT'S VERY LIKELY THAT THEY, IN PRINCIPLE, DO EXIST,
AS A POSSIBLE KIND OF PARTICLE,
BUT HOW COMMON THEY ARE IS HARD TO KNOW.
THERE MIGHT NOT BE ANY IN THE VISIBLE UNIVERSE,
OR THERE MIGHT BE SOME NUMBER PER GALAXY.
IF GUTH'S RIGHT AND MONOPOLES EXIST,
SOMEWHERE IN THIS GALAXY OR THE NEXT, IN PRINCIPLE,
I CAN GO AND FIND THEM.
BUT MONOPOLES ARE DIFFICULT TO FIND.
I NEED TO CRISSCROSS THE GALAXY
WITH A GIGANTIC INTERSTELLAR TRAWLER,
DRAGGING A MASSIVE MAGNETIC FISHING NET THROUGH SPACE.
IN THEORY, MAGNETIC MONOPOLES WILL BE TRAPPED INSIDE THE NET,
AND I CAN GATHER ENOUGH TO USE.
IF I DO SUCCEED
IN CATCHING MONOPOLES WITH MY INTERGALACTIC TRAWLER,
THEN I NEED TO SOMEHOW APPLY THEM TO MY DESIGN.
I'LL DIVIDE THEM INTO "NORTHS" AND "SOUTHS" INSIDE MY SAUCER,
AND USING ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM,
I COULD BOOST THEIR RELATIVE STRENGTHS.
BOOST THE NORTH MONOPOLES,
AND THE SAUCER FLIES TO THE MAGNETIC SOUTH,
WHICH IS LOCATED AT THE GEOGRAPHIC NORTH POLE.
TURN UP THE SOUTH MONOPOLES,
AND MY SAUCER FLIES TO THE MAGNETIC NORTH POLE,
WHICH IS IN THE ANTARCTIC.
SO FAR, SO GOOD,
BUT MOVING EAST AND WEST IS GOING TO BE MORE DIFFICULT.
I THINK I COULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM BY ADDING A RUDDER
AND SYNCHRONIZING ITS MOVEMENT
WITH BOOSTS IN THE MONOPOLE STRENGTHS.
THE RUDDER WOULD USE THE FRICTION
PROVIDED BY THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE
TO MOVE MY SAUCER EAST AND WEST.
ENGAGE THE NORTH MONOPOLES
WITH THE RUDDER POINTING NORTHEAST,
AND THE SAUCER FLIES IN THAT DIRECTION.
ENGAGE THE SOUTH MONOPOLES
WITH THE RUDDER POINTING SOUTHEAST,
AND THE SAUCER FLIES SOUTHEAST.
REPEAT THIS PATTERN,
AND THE SAUCER ZIGZAGS LATERALLY THROUGH THE AIR.
IN SPACE, THERE'S NO ATMOSPHERE,
SO THE RUDDER WOULDN'T WORK.
BUT I THINK THE PRESENCE
OF SO MANY MORE MAGNETIC FIELDS THAN ON EARTH
WOULD GIVE ME MORE OPTIONS.
IT MIGHT BE DECADES OR EVEN A CENTURY
BEFORE THIS SAUCER FLIES, BUT WE WILL DO IT ONE DAY.
TIME TO UNVEIL IT TO THE SCI-FI-LOVING PUBLIC.
[ APPLAUSE ]
TODAY, I PRESENT TO YOU THE PERSONAL FLYING SAUCER.
NOW, SOME PEOPLE HAVE CLAIMED TO HAVE SEEN A UFO.
WELL, WE'RE GONNA GO ONE STEP FARTHER.
THE WORLD'S FIRST FLYING SAUCER IS READY FOR TAKEOFF.
THE OUTER SHELL SPINS AT 1,000 REVOLUTIONS A MINUTE.
THIS KEEPS MY CRAFT STABLE.
THE BODY HUMS WITH ELECTRICITY AS ITS ION ENGINE POWERS UP.
PRESS THE BUTTON, AND A MILLION VOLTS SURGE THROUGH THE SYSTEM.
WE HAVE ION THRUSTERS.
WE HAVE AN ELECTRIC FIELD
WHICH SHOOTS IONS IN THE DOWNWARD DIRECTION.
THAT GIVES YOU A HOVERING THRUST UPWARD.
MY CRAFT LIFTS OFF
AND FLOATS ON A CUSHION OF TRILLIONS OF ELECTRONS.
NOW, IT'S TIME TO GIVE MY FLYING SAUCER FORWARD MOMENTUM.
WE KNOW THAT MONOPOLES COULD BE THE KEY TO A FLYING SAUCER.
THE PILOT PLOTS A COURSE
AND ACTIVATES THE SAUCER'S MONOPOLE PROPULSION SYSTEM.
THERE'S NO ROCKET EXHAUST.
THERE'S NO BLAST. THERE'S NO EXPLOSION.
IT WOULD BE SILENT.
THE PILOT CHANGES COURSE EASTWARDS.
THE RUDDER STEERS THE SAUCER
AS NORTH AND SOUTH MONOPOLES PULSE ALTERNATELY.
WE ZIGZAG THROUGH THE AIR.
AND THIS FLYING SAUCER DESIGN WILL EVEN TAKE YOU
RIGHT OUTSIDE THE EARTH'S GRAVITATIONAL FIELD.
WHEREVER THERE IS A MAGNETIC FIELD THROUGHOUT THE GALAXY,
THIS DESIGN ALLOWS YOU TO SURF --
SURF ALONG THE MAGNETIC FIELD LINES --
GIVING YOU ALL THE QUALITIES YOU WANT
IN A PERSONAL FLYING SAUCER.
TIME TO TAKE IT TO THE FINAL FRONTIER.
PULLING THE STICK BACK,
THE PILOT AIMS THE SAUCER TOWARDS THE STARS.
[ APPLAUSE ]
BUT WHAT DO THE FANS MAKE OF IT?
BEST PART OF A FLYING SAUCER IS -- WELL, FIRST OF ALL,
YOU'RE HOVERING SILENTLY IN STEALTH MODE,
AND IF SOMEONE SPOTS YOU, YOU CAN JUST ZOOM.
COULD I MAKE A FLYING SAUCER?
NOT A FAN OF DRIVING CARS, BUT I WOULD --
I PROBABLY WOULD DO GOOD IN A FLYING SAUCER.
IF I HAD A FLYING SAUCER, I WOULDN'T KNOW HOW TO PARK IT.
I CAN BARELY GET INTO A RECTANGULAR SPACE
WITH A RECTANGULAR CAR.
I COULD ZIGZAG OFF TO OTHER PLANETS
USING THE MAGNET RADIATION OF THE SUN.
THAT WOULD BE REALLY COOL.
SO, I WOULD GO EVERYWHERE.
I WOULD TRAVEL ALL OVER THE WORLD.
[ Laughing ] MY OWN PERSONAL FLYING SAUCER.