the Helmsman?
"Ahead, Space Normal Speed"
- Thread starter NuFan
- Start date
I'll offer another theory on the meaning of "Space Normal Speed", that I'll admit that even I'm not sure I quite believe, but I do kind of like it.
Maybe something about generating a warp field provides a degree of separation from normal spacetime, and so "Space Normal Speed" is the speed that a starship that is "stopped" must move at in order to keep the turning of the solar system, galaxy, and maybe even the universe itself from leaving the ship behind. So Sulu's surprise might have been from Kirk's order meaning to, yes, move the ship, but not in any way that will actually MOVE the ship relative to anywhere else that matters.
One thing I like about this is that it MIGHT also provide at least a partial explanation for why the amount of time it takes to get from Point A (say, Earth) and Point B (say, Kronos) seems to vary so much from time to time throughout all of the series. There's more than Warp Factor involved, but also whether the ship is moving into or against the galactic and universal spins, and how strongly the ship is connected to regular spacetime while in flight (perhaps determined by amount of power sent through some technobabble component such as the Einsteinian Framulator?)
Maybe something about generating a warp field provides a degree of separation from normal spacetime, and so "Space Normal Speed" is the speed that a starship that is "stopped" must move at in order to keep the turning of the solar system, galaxy, and maybe even the universe itself from leaving the ship behind. So Sulu's surprise might have been from Kirk's order meaning to, yes, move the ship, but not in any way that will actually MOVE the ship relative to anywhere else that matters.
One thing I like about this is that it MIGHT also provide at least a partial explanation for why the amount of time it takes to get from Point A (say, Earth) and Point B (say, Kronos) seems to vary so much from time to time throughout all of the series. There's more than Warp Factor involved, but also whether the ship is moving into or against the galactic and universal spins, and how strongly the ship is connected to regular spacetime while in flight (perhaps determined by amount of power sent through some technobabble component such as the Einsteinian Framulator?)
In TOS season 1 episode 19, "Arena", space normal speed is mentioned when Commodore Travers described the speed at which the alien ship approached Cestus 3.
Also in "The Galileo Seven", there's another odd speed that is mentioned later on in the episode after space normal speed, but I cannot remember it.
Also in "The Galileo Seven", there's another odd speed that is mentioned later on in the episode after space normal speed, but I cannot remember it.
Four pages on this! I'm NOT reading all that. No need. What I've always loved about that line is not just that Kirk thinks of it, but that the makers of Star Trek expected us to get it!! Without their having to spell it out for us!! And this was 1966-7, when the public was not very SF-minded at all. Think how disappointed they'd be to know it's unclear to an SF audience in 2016...
Sorry, but this is meant to be simple. You're intelligent people overthinking this. "Space normal speed" = Not Warp. "Normal" as in not breaking the laws of physics known to 20th century viewers who read about science , laws that say you can't go faster than light. I guess the word "space" is in there (even though either way they'll be in space, no matter what speed they travel at)because warp speed bends space . The nacelles do that.
---------------
Here's the bit I love-- Kirk delivers the line, Sulu is incredulous, and the music swells triumphantly! We are greatly relieved that Spock and company will be saved! And we know it because we know the difference between FTL and pathetically slow impulse! Did that make anyone else feel good, or was it just me? I was about nine, keep that in mind.
Sorry, but this is meant to be simple. You're intelligent people overthinking this. "Space normal speed" = Not Warp. "Normal" as in not breaking the laws of physics known to 20th century viewers who read about science , laws that say you can't go faster than light. I guess the word "space" is in there (even though either way they'll be in space, no matter what speed they travel at)because warp speed bends space . The nacelles do that.
---------------
Here's the bit I love-- Kirk delivers the line, Sulu is incredulous, and the music swells triumphantly! We are greatly relieved that Spock and company will be saved! And we know it because we know the difference between FTL and pathetically slow impulse! Did that make anyone else feel good, or was it just me? I was about nine, keep that in mind.
FYI Nintendo1889, it's best not to reply to threads that have been inactive for over a year. There are no hard and fast rules about reviving old threads here, but in general the moderators prefer that we start a new thread on a topic rather than raising old threads from there dead.
This guy did some crafty ciphering
http://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/99342/in-star-trek-what-is-space-normal-speed
http://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/99342/in-star-trek-what-is-space-normal-speed
What I've seen over the years is no resurrecting of old threads, except fairly recently where it's been okay if you add actual added content rather than to make a comment.
Well, here's a thread on "Official Policy on Resurrecting Old Threads?" which might be interesting.
Similar threads
