(no subject)

[sab]

I have a question about Star Trek.

If their warp speeds reach no higher than warp 9.99, where warp 10 is the speed of light -- how do they travel across thousands of light years? I mean, if they can't reach the speed of light, and if it takes LIGHT one year to travel one light-year, why doesn't it take the Enterprise years to get anywhere?

Comments

[mollita.livejournal.com]

I seem to recall understanding that warp 10 isn't the speed of light, just some psychotic speed that isn't feasible. For some reason I want to say that warp 1 is the speed of light, and everything after that is... oy, brain does not want to remember bygone years of insane dorkitude. Um, something like the ship's velocity equals the speed of light times the warp factor raised to some power, I forget what. So, V = C * WF^(?)

And at this point, my brain falls apart. I could be totally wrong, of course, and not subject to severe abuse at the hands of ST fans everywhere. Despite my deep love for the show(s), there's a reason I fulfilled my college science requirement with the chemistry of recycling. *g* If you like, I could talk to my physics major/ST addict brother and attempt to coherently relay anything he says.

[iamsab.livejournal.com]

Dude, check you out, you wrote an EQUATION with SYMBOLS. That's so much more than I was able to do. *g* Thank you!

[rocky-t.livejournal.com]

No, warp 1 is the speed of light. 'Sublight' is going at impulse, below the speed of light. Voyager is capable of traveling roughly 1,000 light years per year, hence the '70 years to get home' when they ended up 70,000 light years from home.

The following table is all from the Star Trek Encyclopedia:
Warp 2 is 10 times the speed of light.
Warp 3 is 39 times.
Warp 4 102 times.
Warp 5 214 times
Warp 6 392 times.
Warp 7 656 times.
Warp 8 1,204 times
Warp 9 1,516 times
Warp 9.2 1,649 times.
Warp 9.6 (Voyager's maximum cruising speed) 1,909 times.
Warp 9.9 3,053 times.
Warp 9.9 7,912 times.
Warp 9.9999 (subspace radio speed) is 199,516 times the speed of light.
Warp factor 10 is infinite speed.

Hope this is helpful.

-Rocky, Trek greek

[canthlian.livejournal.com]

Damn you! You robbed me of my chance to be a geek! :P

[misbegotten.livejournal.com]

Heh. I was thinking the same thing.

Oh dear, I don't have a Next Gen icon either. ::geek shame::

Infinite....

[janissa11.livejournal.com]

I always wondered what "infinite speed" really was. Can't remember if they ever addressed that. I do recall the STTNG info that discussed the dangers of going over a certain speed. I don't remember what the danger WAS -- uhh, something about damaging the cosmos, ripping it apart or something. :::trailing off into mumbling:::

But infinite speed.... Sounds like the speed of thought or something. Picard thinks about going home for breakfast -- whoosh, they're there. He gets a few startled looks.

"You thought about breakfast again, didn't you?" Beverly Crusher says accusingly.

"Now look where we are," Geordi Laforge gripes. "4,000 light years in a nanosecond, and we're supposed to be at that meeting where we decide the fate of some civilization where they're once again humanoid and really look exactly like humans except some random bumps on their faces, in ten minutes. AGAIN."

Riker shrugs. "Eat fast. Hey, Captain, bring me back an Egg McMuffin, wouldja?"

Re: Infinite....

[canthlian.livejournal.com]

This was addressed in a Voyager episode. They found some "special dilithium" that allowed them to go to warp 10. It made them lizards, and then they had sex.

No, really.

Re: Infinite....

[janissa11.livejournal.com]

Ahh. Never did watch much V'ger.

Lizards. Lizards having sex. That's much better than Egg McMuffins. Definitely.

Re: Infinite....

[kernezelda]

I remember the lizard sex. They were super-evolved by the effects of the device -- into lizards. And Janeway/Paris is forever canon. As lizards - who did reproduce, IIRC. But maybe not - it's been a long time and I've tried valiantly to block it out.

Re: Infinite....

[iamsab.livejournal.com]

Mmm! Lizard porn! That really is an ass-kicking plot summary there.

Re: Infinite....

[queerbychoice.livejournal.com]

I hereby award you the official Best Plot Summary Ever Award.

Re: Infinite....

[iamsab.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I vaguely remember it like that too. It's always "...because then we'd be everywhere at once mumblemumble hey, look over there! A bee!"

However, the speed of BREAKFAST is something to consider indeed.

[iamsab.livejournal.com]

That's marvelous! Thank you! I love a good geek.