The Physics of Star Trek
When it all fits together… pt. 2
When I read it
It was the end of July (2021) when I finally grabbed it at Foyle’s. Once learnt of its existence, the hunt was on. Not only I wanted it desperately, but I wanted to (possibly) buy it in person, for all the sensations that come when you finally find it and can touch it, browse the pages… etc
Why I picked it up
Well, I am mini-trekkie after all, ain’t I?
I was blown away when I read Kaku’s Physics of the Impossible and this one promised to be even more star trek centered… so here it is.
Why blown away? Well, it all fits together with these people: physics, technology, philosophy, universe, exploration…and that is the world I’d like to live in.
Interesting bits
In general
Funny, erudite and with a impressive number of episodes mentioned and the their plots scrunitinised under the physics lens.
Anti-matter
Very cool run through… same with Kaku’s book.
Warp drive
This is really the thing that captured me. As per Einstein, nothing can travel faster than light. So how do they do it? How do you prevent time dis-alignment?
The warping of the space around the ship is the ingenious approach. You warp space around you and by warping it gets closer to where you have to go. And since it is really spacetime you are warping, that takes care of time!
Transporter
This what really started my awe with start trek if I had to single out one thing.
Holograms
Nice review of what makes it possible for the EMH aboard of Voyager (holographic doctor) to touch patients whilst being made of photons..(magnetic confinement beam!) And that you also need replicators for the surroundings (environment, furniture) to be solid in the holosuite!
Quotes
Inspiration & Next
On the trekkie side of things, I know there is an edition that expands from this one to oher sci-fi series, but I am going to pass. With this and Kaku’s, I am fully satisfied. I might re-read them at some point.
On Krauss, great first impression. Planning to read in the near future “A universe from nothing”.