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From: ron@wjvax.UUCP (Ron Christian)
Newsgroups: net.startrek
Subject: Re: A possible inconsistancy...
Message-ID: <421@wjvax.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 19-Apr-85 14:57:50 EST
Article-I.D.: wjvax.421
Posted: Fri Apr 19 14:57:50 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 19-Apr-85 21:31:19 EST
References: <1417@amdahl.UUCP>
Organization: Watkins Johnson, San Jose, Calif.
Lines: 34

>From: 1513@sunybcs.UUCP
>>    On many episodes,(one example is 'Day of the Dove'), the ship is
>> out of control and racing through space at warp factor > 10.  And of
>> course Scotty cuts in with the usual 'The ship canae take the stress no
>> more.  She'll break apart!'  My question:  Even if the ship is traveling
>> faster that it is supposed to, what causes the stress?  After all, there
>> is no air out in space to create a drag effect...
>
>Perhaps at super-light speeds, photon drag becomes a noticeable
>problem?
>Frank Dibbell     (408-746-6493)                 {whatever}!amdahl!canopus

What about intersteller hydrogen?  At about 1 atom per cubic foot (I don't
remember where I read that) hydrogen would probably represent considerable
friction at trans-light speeds.  Assuming, of course, that ordinary matter
would affect something in 'warp'.  Perhaps the hydrogen atoms are accelerated
to trans-light speeds as they come in contact with the warp envelope?  Perhaps
I don't know what the hell I'm talking about?

Wait a minute, that *does* make a little sense.  Remember ST-TMP during the
wormhole sequence where a bit of rock was sucked into the warp field and was
carried along merrily at trans-light.  Hmmm.

Another possible cause of stress:  Internal.  There must be tremendous
energies kept in precarious balance internal to a starship in warp.
Perhaps your top speed is dictated by how well one can keep those forces
in balance.  Which would perhaps explain how alians with more advanced
technology could 'tune' the Enterprise's engines to allow much higher
warp numbers.  (I forget the specific episode where this occured.)
-- 
--
	Ron Christian  (Watkins-Johnson Co.  San Jose, Calif.)
	{pesnta,twg,ios,qubix,turtlevax,tymix,vecpyr,isi,idx}!wjvax!ron
	"What do you mean you backed it up the wrong direction???"