Somehow I missed this earlier this month. I blame work and the holidays!
Anyway, I ended up hearing about NASA’s work via a Security Now podcast episode, of all places.
Long story, short: scientists have always been unable to get around the crazy power requirements needed to move at speeds faster than light, but now, theory exists that lowers the power requirements by a huge huge factor.
So NASA is exploring warp bubble technology, modifying space ahead of and behind an object to move the object faster than the speed of light. In the Security Now, host Steve Gibson said with this, we’d be able to get to Alpha Centuri in a matter of weeks (4+ light years).
NASA Working on Faster-Than-Light Space Travel