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From: WMartin@Office-3@sri-unix.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Warp drive in Star Trek
Message-ID: <4142@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 12-Aug-83 11:29:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.4142
Posted: Fri Aug 12 11:29:00 1983
Date-Received: Sat, 13-Aug-83 20:46:49 EDT
Lines: 40

From:  WMartin at Office-3 (Will Martin)


The mention of the ST warp drive methodology (in the transporter
discussion) brings a question to mind: If the drive warps space,
and higher warp numbers mean that space is more "curved", thereby
decreasing the effective distance between two points in normal
space, it would justify not always moving at highest warp numbers
in terms of energy consumption (it should take more energy to
warp space more), but it does not explain the constant use in ST
if the ship shaking and trembling with the strain of higher
"speed" at high warp numbers.

Scotty: "I dinna ken if she'll take this much longer, Cap'n!"

Of course, I am mixing a "rational" explanation with a theatrical
effect here, but that's what we've doing all along in this sort
of discussion, and it's fun, so anyway...

That does remind me of my biggest beef with the ST
director/staff: the constant use of people on the bridge being
knocked about and thrown out of their chairs by buffeting or
external effects when the ship is moving at lightspeed (or
brought to a dead halt therefrom, as I seem to recall from one or
more episodes).  If the ship is in orbit or moving slowly or
stopped, I could see that a tractor beam or some other external
effect could shake it and its contents.  But at lightspeed, there
has to be some sort of inertial shielding field which would
completely isolate the crew from these external forces.  At those
speeds, if such shielding was not utterly complete, any
measurable fraction of such forces would reduce the beings on
board to a molecular goo, and the ship's structure to something
resembling a ball of crumpled aluminum foil.

I guess it's hard for people used to directing car chases to
accept their characters finding out about everything happening to
them from screens and dials, but that would have to be the only
remotely realistic way to do it...

Will Martin