Pat Flannery wrote:
Quantum effects screw it up:
http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/arxiv/23292/

Pat

Warp drives are not where its at Pat. Think transporter all they way.
It's the way Gary Seven got around after all and he found Teri Garr waiting
for him! Not some face-to-face with an asteroid when your warp engines get
out of balance and you have to fake shaking around while on camera to fix it
as in Star Trek I (the movie).

Think thousands (millions?) of robotic probes traveling at near light speed
to probe "nearby" interstellar space. When a scout probe finds a habitable
planet, it drops off a "lander" equipped with a quantum replicator. The replicators
establish regular ol electromagnetic communication with Earth and a principal
investigator sends a replicate off to take a look. Since EM is in play, time passes
instantaneously for the replicate who travels *at* the speed-of-light.

They can conduct their investigation and if he (or she) gets homesick they can send
themselves back to see how the great-great-great-grandchildren their prototype left
behind turned out! Of course if *all* the replicates decide to return home you'll
have a hell of a time working out who owns what of the old estate.

If you're looking to duck the alimony and child support payments, drop the
replicate and just send yourself. ;-D

Dave