The more I think about it it becomes clear that physics is wrongly constructed.
The ability to manipulate space-time directly solves a lot of problems. Take, for example, the UFO problem I mentioned. Physics has the concept of propulsion, equal and opposite "forces". If instead you could directly manipulate "mass" as a variable then things change. The photon is massless which makes the universe "flat" and leads to travel at the speed of light. If you could shed mass at will you could easily approach the speed of light without "propulsion". Thus a civilization that figures out how to manipulate "mass" would be able to travel anywhere at the speed of light. You don't accelerate mass, which is dumb, you "shed mass" and thus move without propulsion. Indeed, if you could achieve "negative mass" (changing a gravity well into a gravity hill) you could easitly exceed the speed of light.
Einstein felt that things got more massive as they approach the speed of light and, in the limit, would have infinite mass. That's true under propulsion. It is not true if you can "shed mass". Thus Einstein missed the very thing that mattered.
Shedding mass likely involves directly manipulating the Higgs boson.
Dark energy and dark matter might be "negative masses".
I don't know any physics professors but I'm pretty sure I'm talking nonsense :-)
IcePic•1h ago
For the Alcubierre drive which also speculates on acquiring negative mass, the quote: "the energy requirements still generally require a Type III civilization on the Kardashev scale." says something about how well the word "easily" fits into such a solution.