ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Field propulsion

Okay kiddo, so you know how when you ride in a car or a plane, it moves forward because of an engine pushing it along, right? Well, just like how an engine makes a car go forward, field propulsion is a way that scientists and engineers are working on to try and make objects move without using any engines or fuel at all!

How do they do this? Well, they use a very special kind of electricity called "electromagnetic fields" to help move the object along. Imagine that you have a toy car, and you also have a big magnet. If you put the magnet near the toy car, it will start to move towards it, right? That's because magnets create electromagnetic fields, and those fields can pull objects towards them.

Field propulsion works kind of like that, but with a lot more complicated technology. Scientists and engineers use special machines and devices to create electromagnetic fields around the object they want to move. Then, they can control the strength and direction of those fields to push the object in the direction they want it to go.

The idea is that with a strong enough electromagnetic field, you could move objects through the air or even through space without needing any engines or fuel at all. It's still a very new and experimental technology, but some people believe that it could be a really important way to move things in the future, especially if we want to explore space more and travel farther than we ever have before.

So, that's field propulsion in a nutshell, kiddo. It's a way to move objects using electromagnetic fields instead of engines or fuel, and it could be really important for the future of science and technology!