XPost: sci.astro, sci.physics   
   From: jl@glen--canyon.com   
      
   On Mon, 2 Feb 2026 14:23:33 -0500, Phil Hobbs   
    wrote:   
      
   >On 2026-02-02 12:49, John Hasler wrote:   
   >> Jan Panteltje wrote:   
   >>> So that makes me wonder if a spacecraft with just a permanent magnet   
   >>> that you can moveto give you a force in the direction you want to   
   >>> go...   
   >>   
   >> You can't control the direction of the force.  In any case the magnitude   
   >> of the force would probably down there with the light pressure from   
   >> stars lightyears away.   
   >>   
   >   
   >And a dipole couples to the field gradient, not the field, so the effect   
   >would be vanishing**2ly small.  (Or is that vanishing**3fly?)   
   >   
   >Cheers   
   >   
   >Phil Hobbs   
      
   One could use no fuel to drive from Boston to SF if you take only the   
   downhill roads.   
      
      
   John Larkin   
   Highland Tech Glen Canyon Design Center   
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