Re: [Phys-l] Star Trek

["Richard Tarara" <rbtarara@sprynet.com>]

OK, it is SF but the writers of Star Trek (unlike Star Wars) seem to know 
enough physics to 'worry' about _some_ details.  The Inertial Dampers are an 
example--how to deal with the accelerations with their bone crushing forces. 
Of course then when the dampers go off line, everyone on set gets to run 
from one side of the set to the other simulating  being shaken severely!

I actually do one day of Science Fiction physics in my 
classes--concentrating on time travel (pretty much impossible to the 
past--effectively possible to the future), transportation (done with single 
molecules but calculate the amount of info needed to transfer a human and 
the time needed with billion fold faster computers is still slower than 
driving!), replication (much easier and more likely), and faster than light 
travel (Warping 3 dimensional space to travel a shorter distance in 4 
dimensions--as can be demonstrated by warping 2 dimensions into 3--as a 
basis for the Star Trek Warp Drive).

I can still recall one 'comic book' story from my (long ago) youth where the 
main character underwent spontaneous time travel.  After several such jumps 
he realized that an equivalent amount of energy was being transferred from 
the time to which he was jumping to the time from which he was jumping. 
Those energy transfers were causing huge calamities (Noah's Flood for one). 
The character managed to make it to the moon before his next jump to 
minimize the damage!

Rick


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John Clement" <clement@hal-pc.org>
To: "'Forum for Physics Educators'" <phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu>
Sent: Monday, May 18, 2009 10:36 PM
Subject: Re: [Phys-l] Star Trek


> Year, well even the better SF authors do not take into account all of the
> physical facts.  If they did, it wouldn't be SF.  Niven is one of the most
> imaginative authors, with his idea of a ringworld, and the crazy species
> that inhabit his universe.