Physics and Star Trek

The science-fiction media franchise "Star Trek" has borrowed freely from the scientific world to provide storylines. Episodes are replete with references to tachyon beams, baryon sweeps, quantum fluctuations and event horizons. Many of the technologies "created" for the "Star Trek" universe were done so out of simple economic necessity — the transporter was created because the budget of the original series in the 1960s did not allow for expensive shots of spaceships landing on planets.

Outside observers have used both "Star Trek"'s strengths and its weaknesses for educational purposes. Physicist Lawrence Krauss has written "The Physics of Star Trek", a book which postulates what phenomena might make some "Star Trek" technology feasible, while detailing the blunders the show has made. [cite book|author=Lawrence M. Krauss|title=The Physics of Star Trek|year=1995|id=ISBN 0-06-097710-8 — Krauss's book explores modern physics, using "Star Trek" as an organizing pattern and source of inspiration. Along the way, he shows that some treknobabble is just nonsensical, and that certain technologies are implausible or essentially impossible.] He followed this book with a sequel, "Beyond Star Trek," which applies the same approach to "Independence Day," "The X-Files" and others. Astronomer Phil Plait takes a similar attitude in his "Bad Astronomy" website, a regular feature of which is reviews discussing the scientific mistakes in popular movies and TV shows.

In Issue 3 (on sale through August 2008) of Discovery Channel Magazine, section "Going Where No One Has Gone Before", it is stated that vanishing spaceships, light speed travel and dematerialised transport in the first Star Trek were only dreams, but today, Physicist Michio Kaku believes all these things are possible. [Gary Sledge, Discovery Channel Magazine Issue 3, ISSN 1793572-5]

See also

* Physics and Star Wars
* Star Trek planet classifications
* Time travel
* Wormholes
* Star Trek versus Star Wars

tar Trek technologies

*Cloaking device
*Dilithium (Star Trek)
*Holodeck
*Impulse drive
*Weapons of Star Trek
*Replicator (Star Trek)
*Shields
*Tractor beam
*Transporter (Star Trek)
*Warp drive

Further reading

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* [http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/inconsistencies.htm Star Trek Inconsistencies] . "Ex Astris Scientia"

References

External links

* Philip Plait's [http://www.badastronomy.com Bad Astronomy]