So if you watch the video all the way through, the root cause of a lot of recent crazy press about warp drives becomes evident. Think about a long technical presentation, getting misinterpreted, and then amplified through the echo chamber of modern media.

So, the video of the researchers presentation covers 2 technologies. The first, the Albecurrie Drive, that warps space time allowing for really fast travel. The researcher did simulations in a computer, and set up experiments to validate the theory (in the absence of exotic matter). His conclusions were basically, that the theory is sound. One of the observations was using a "low-fidelity" test was that space-time was warped. However, he offered no comment on where the exotic matter would come from, and since the technology hinges on this discovery it remains a fiction at present.

Then the presentation shifts to the Q-drive experiments. This is the drive based on pushing against the quantum vacuum using microwave resonance. There is no relation to the previous experiments. There were 2 designs tested, the first design had 2 units, one had baffling and one did not. The one without baffling was expected by the producer to produce no thrust. In testing, and mathematical simulation via the theory the NASA research felt they would both produce thrust, and both did. The second unit, the thrust matched the prediction quite closely on one test and was 1/3 of predicted on another test. All testing was done with controls as well, disabling the devices but firing everything else up. The stray EM looked like it contributed about 10% of the observed thrust. This is an amazing discovery.

Now the press, took this as NASA confirmed a warp signature and showed thrust on a drive, therefore we're going to the moon in a few hours. Which is BS. Even if the Q-drive continues to prove feasible, humans aren't going to do well with much greater than 1G thrust. Probes, sure, but humans no.

The criticism's I've read of the Q-drive are as follows:

It was done for $50k in part time. This isn't adequate funding for a true test. Well, given that the researcher had access to multi-million dollar facilities, that are designed for testing just this thing and he's an expert in the field, I feel this criticism is a logical fallacy.

It is caused by stray EM fields. The presentation addresses this, and null controls for this were performed.

It violates conservation of momentum, therefore it can't work. My rebuttal is that It converts energy into momentum, so it doesn't violate conservation of energy. Conservation of momentum is about collisions between particles. To invoke conservation of momentum, ignores the context of the proposed theory.

The theory is wrong in the terms used, the group velocity is not the local velocity and is based on a misuse of the theory around quantum vacuum, therefore it can't work. I think this is the most interesting criticism, because yes that is a theoretical flaw. However, the experiment observes thrust, and it's close to what's predicted by the Q-drive theory. The glaring error in group versus local velocity is bad, but the observation of thrust is repeatable. Therefore our understanding of the theory is wrong, but why? This should energize theorists.

Overall, the video is very exciting in that a reaction mass free drive appears possible, which revolutionizes our approach to the space program. It will probably take 20 years before any of this is practical.