# Pushing c in Star Trek **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted, star-trek-paramount\ **Created:** [September 11, 2023, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pushing-c-in-star-trek/989956 "2023-09-11T22:54:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2023, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pushing-c-in-star-trek/989956/61 "2023-09-13T15:02:07Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > implying that the warp scale was recalibrated again at some point. Or implying the writers forgot. Occam’s razor! > [@asterion](#): > > The setting of TNG had a “speed limit” for warp as it was found that continuous high speed warp travel was damaging the universe. That was only just discovered. The speed limit didn’t apply to TOS or early TNG. It was ST trying to be relevant and doing an ecological crisis episode, and failing badly (almost as bad as “teh gey” episode.). Ultimately, I think the “ecological message” was the warp equivalent of “drill, baby, drill!”, aka fuck the environment we do what we want. Fun fact: Voyager’s movable nacelles were designed thusly so as to not cause so much space damage. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2023, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pushing-c-in-star-trek/989956/62 "2023-09-13T17:49:16Z")
Not surprising, given how often they ignored the Prime Directive. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2023, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pushing-c-in-star-trek/989956/63 "2023-09-21T13:01:38Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > > [@Mahaloth](#): > > > > I just assumed “wizards did it” with wizards just being the technology they had. > > Well, it is somewhat scientific wizards! 🙂 > > It’s not like Star trek is the only fictional adventure that has FTL travel. You just have to go with the thought that “there are things we don’t understand yet”. > > A warp engine creates a “subspace bubble” that the ship uses to exceed c. The ship is not in normal space, therefore, the laws of physics that we understand do not apply. “Subspace radio” uses a similar process for FTL communications. > > But the conceit is, in The Future we’ve managed to understand more of the universe, and the limitations of our current understanding of physics are just like comparing Newtonian laws of motion to relativity. If Newton said that gravity can’t bend light, he’d be showing the ignorance of his time. To a denizen of the 24th century, have a 20th century physicist say “you can’t travel FTL!” would be equally as ignorant. We just don’t know enough yet. > > If someone doesn’t like that, then I submit sci fi is not for them. Yeah, whether it’s warping, folding, jumping, or traveling through hyperspace, or using the laws of improbability themselves, the conceit is that sometime in the future the technology will be invented such that a ship the size of a small city can just disappear from one location and within short order appear at some other location many light years away. The only real difference is visual effect used to indicate that it is happening (typically some variation of the engines revving a bit higher and the ship either streaking off or disappearing into a hole in space) and how long the ship is in transit. That conveniently allows the writers to tell a story where one can visit a distant star as easily as boarding a flight to Europe without suffering any relativistic effects like time dilation or causality problems. It’s basically a “Turn physics off” button. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2023, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pushing-c-in-star-trek/989956/64 "2023-09-21T13:18:54Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > It’s basically a “Turn physics off” button. I have no problem with that. Yeah, the graphic shows them take off fast, but it would really be more like disappearing and re-appearing in the new location. I mean, they teleport people and I have no idea how. It feels like if they broke you down to atoms and rebuilt you in a new location, original you would die and the new you would be you with your memories, but a new person. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2023, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pushing-c-in-star-trek/989956/65 "2023-09-21T14:45:14Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > It feels like if they broke you down to atoms and rebuilt you in a new location, original you would die and the new you would be you with your memories, but a new person. That’s not how the transporter works. That’s what they tell you so you don’t get scared and never use it. The reality is far different, and far scarier! McCoy knew the truth but it drove him mad! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pushing-c-in-star-trek/989956.md?page=3)