Free Republic

Warp drive is one of the many futuristic ideas proposed in Star Trek, allowing for faster-than-light travel across the galaxy. Einstein's Theory of Relativity prevents anything from moving faster than light. In 1994, a theoretical physicist proposed a workaround: creating a bubble within space-time that would twist distances, allowing anything within the bubble to travel long distances. Many think it makes theoretical sense, but is practically unworkable. An undergrad at the University of Alabama wants to restart the conversation, and he's focused on how much energy such a bubble would need. Star Trek's science fiction has been intermingled with...

Last week, I watched ''Wag the Dog,'' the 1997 Barry Levinson film about a Hollywood producer who is hired to create a television war to cover up a domestic crisis. The first call he makes is to a character played by Willie Nelson. Every war needs a theme song after all, even a fake war, and so Willie flies out to California and walks around the swimming pool, strumming his guitar and riffing on words like ''America'' and ''proud'' and ''free.'' Country music is not providing the soundtrack to American life on an average day, unless you count the crossovers,...