Why didn't Kirk explode when he entered the Antimatter Universe?
Kirk in the Antimatter Universe... No Kablammo??
- Thread starter c0rnedfr0g
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Different kind of antimatter.
GodThingFormerly
A Different Kind of Asshole
Kirk was presumably transposed into the appropriate anti-matter/koino-matter form during the transit process by Lazarus' timeships. Seriously.
TGT
^^ but i thought the whole point was that both Lazaruses couldn't exist in the same Universe... or was it that they couldn't touch each other?
because, i assume there was an antimatter version of Kirk somewhere... (perhaps in orbit, trying to track down Lazarus as well?)
because, i assume there was an antimatter version of Kirk somewhere... (perhaps in orbit, trying to track down Lazarus as well?)
...Of course, the term "antimatter" need not be used in the sense of "matter with the electric charges flipped" in this context. After all, we know that that sort of antimatter wouldn't behave in that fashion.
There's nothing particularly objectionable to people like Spock using the word in an atypical manner. After all, scientists readily talk about "dark energy" even though this factor isn't usually described in terms of energy at all, and have no problem with using the word "dimension" for time of spacetime theory and the collapsed dimensions of string theory in the same phrase, despite the conflicting concepts. It would suffice for Spock and Kirk to establish, for the purposes of their own discussion, that this other universe behaves in a manner somewhat analogous to antimatter.
The analogy would of course break down if it indeed so happens that only the specific anti-counterpart to a particle or person brings about the kaboom. Which is what seems to be indicated both by the sane Lazarus' ability to traipse in our reality, and Kirk's ability to venture into the sane Lazarus' anti-universe. But note this piece of dialogue:
And
The scenes imply that the sane Lazarus has a means of neutralizing the threat that an incoming person poses to the integrity of the two universes. He seems to have triggered it for Kirk, thus saving the universes from an explosion caused by the presence of a Captain where only Anti-Captains should exist, but he needs to recharge this reception device so that he can safely receive the insane Lazarus. Although he doesn't really want to do that - he rather wants to trap his counterpart in the corridor, where it's safer to do this struggle thing.
I don't know if the writer intended such a thing, or if he assumed that "identical particles" must meet, as the dialogue at another point has it, for the big kaboom. But we can interpret it either way. Safe presence in the other universe might require "adjustment" with the sane guy's machinery, or it might require nothing more than avoiding physical contact with one's exact antithesis. Both explanations work, although the former works better in terms of the antimatter analogy.
Timo Saloniemi
There's nothing particularly objectionable to people like Spock using the word in an atypical manner. After all, scientists readily talk about "dark energy" even though this factor isn't usually described in terms of energy at all, and have no problem with using the word "dimension" for time of spacetime theory and the collapsed dimensions of string theory in the same phrase, despite the conflicting concepts. It would suffice for Spock and Kirk to establish, for the purposes of their own discussion, that this other universe behaves in a manner somewhat analogous to antimatter.
The analogy would of course break down if it indeed so happens that only the specific anti-counterpart to a particle or person brings about the kaboom. Which is what seems to be indicated both by the sane Lazarus' ability to traipse in our reality, and Kirk's ability to venture into the sane Lazarus' anti-universe. But note this piece of dialogue:
And
The scenes imply that the sane Lazarus has a means of neutralizing the threat that an incoming person poses to the integrity of the two universes. He seems to have triggered it for Kirk, thus saving the universes from an explosion caused by the presence of a Captain where only Anti-Captains should exist, but he needs to recharge this reception device so that he can safely receive the insane Lazarus. Although he doesn't really want to do that - he rather wants to trap his counterpart in the corridor, where it's safer to do this struggle thing.
I don't know if the writer intended such a thing, or if he assumed that "identical particles" must meet, as the dialogue at another point has it, for the big kaboom. But we can interpret it either way. Safe presence in the other universe might require "adjustment" with the sane guy's machinery, or it might require nothing more than avoiding physical contact with one's exact antithesis. Both explanations work, although the former works better in terms of the antimatter analogy.
Timo Saloniemi
that was kind of the impression i was getting-ish
I agree with The God Thing.
That's my biggest problem with The Alternative Factor.
It is a great story idea with an excellent classic science fiction story ending (the two Lazaruses fighting for all eternity), but the 50-minute story it took to get to that thought-provoking ending was very poorly executed.
I'm sure it could have made a great short story in one of those science fiction digests such as Astounding Science Fiction or Super Science Stories -- the story idea has that "Ray Bradbury feel" to it. However, the writers of the teleplay couldn't make the idea work for a one-hour TV episode, despite the worthy pay-off at the end.
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Actually, as my son pointed out the other day, a piece of matter in contact with anti-matter (or vice-versa) would simply sizzle, as the molecules on the outer surface are destroyed, but the interior would not be touched, since it's molecules are protected from the hostile environment. To get an explosion, you'd need a huge cloud of atomized material to come in contact all at once with its negative counterparts (sort of like how charcoal doesn't explode in gunpowder unless it's powdered).
So Kirk would just sizzle gently like a steak until he melted away to nothing!
So Kirk would just sizzle gently like a steak until he melted away to nothing!
Let's remember, though, that there would be 1 atm of air constantly pressing against him - and against any bits of him that happened to be flung off by the explosions, creating a cascade reaction of sorts, in the sense that the bits would blow into smaller and thus more reactive bits, until all of the (anti)matter was consumed.
If Kirk covered all his holes, then perhaps the amount of bit-spewing explosions would be limited to a minimum, mainly related to his hair(piece). But (anti)air working inside him would still be exothermic enough to "rapidly increase his reactive surface area", so to say.
Timo Saloniemi
If Kirk covered all his holes, then perhaps the amount of bit-spewing explosions would be limited to a minimum, mainly related to his hair(piece). But (anti)air working inside him would still be exothermic enough to "rapidly increase his reactive surface area", so to say.
Timo Saloniemi
Kirk would have to meet the other Kirk and touch him for that to happen
there is a line in the story where Kirk says Identical particles of "matter and Anti-matter meet"
Maybe is has something to do with the Uncertainty thing in Quantum physics?
As in, if you have a radioactive particle it either will or will not decay- and nobody knows. The theory goes that two entire universes are created, one in which the particle does not decay and one in which it does.
So maybe kirk is in the universe where he doesn't explode?
heh. I dunno, that's my technobabbly, semi-knowledgable, rusty-physics explaination.
^
^^Maybe us common folk are all made of the same elementary particles, But James T. Kirk was made of 100% Kirk particles.
^^Maybe us common folk are all made of the same elementary particles, But James T. Kirk was made of 100% Kirk particles.
Don't try to make sense of that episode...
Why does Lazarus tell him it will be end of everything. A man sized lump of antimatter wouldn't do that much, photo torpedoes leave a small hole in a starship hull in the Trek universe after all.
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