Light years vs. light years

[FordSVT]

But it's is used to signify time in some slang as indicated above.

"my new phone is light years ahead of my old one!"

In that context, they're still talking about distance, really. You could say "My new phone is miles ahead of my old one".

 

[SFRabid]

But it's is used to signify time in some slang as indicated above.

"my new phone is light years ahead of my old one!"

In that context, they're still talking about distance, really. You could say "My new phone is miles ahead of my old one".

One meaning of "distance" is separation of time.

Light year is a measurement of distance based on a formula of (movement through space)/time. Though it is defined as a distance through space, the space/time formula that defines a light year makes it an easily "slanged" termed when talking about great distances of time.

 

[MNM]

But it's is used to signify time in some slang as indicated above.

"my new phone is light years ahead of my old one!"

In that context, they're still talking about distance, really. You could say "My new phone is miles ahead of my old one".

One meaning of "distance" is separation of time.

Light year is a measurement of distance based on a formula of (movement through space)/time. Though it is defined as a distance through space, the space/time formula that defines a light year makes it an easily "slanged" termed when talking about great distances of time.

A stupid "slanged" term though.

 

[SFRabid]

What slang isn't?

 

[Forbin]

Well, maybe because it does take light a year of time to travel a year of distance, which can be confusing to some.

A year of distance?!

 

[Elder Knight]

In the early Cold War days, the congressmen would often speak of "jet minutes" in describing just how close were the Soviet missles in Cuba. It was a way of expressing distance in terms of time.

 

[BrotherBenny]

Andromeda frequently used the terms light-minutes and light-seconds. One can presume that the vessels/weapons being spoken about were travelling at the speed of light, so in essence they would be x light-seconds away. This can be extrapolated for light-years but it doesn't make as much sense because of the time scale involved.

 

[TGTheodore]

I hear the Millenium Falcon made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs . . ..

Let's not stir THAT up again. It makes perfect sense meaning distance if warp travel (hyperspace) is involved. It could just as easily mean they found a shorter route, not that they did it in less time.

As for "light years" it simply was a euphemism for "a lot", regardless of whether one was speaking of time or distance.

People, even those concerned with proper usage, still use the phrase "light years ahead of his time".

--Ted

 

[Forbin]

Astronomers and rocket scientists use light seconds and light minutes now. No Trekkies here read astronomy magazines?

The Sun is eight light minutes away from Earth. The Moon is one light second away. Signals from probes like Cassini at Saturn take hours, so they're light hours away (I don't know the exact figure).

 

[Hyperspace05]

Astronomers and rocket scientists use light seconds and light minutes now. No Trekkies here read astronomy magazines?

The Sun is eight light minutes away from Earth. The Moon is one light second away. Signals from probes like Cassini at Saturn take hours, so they're light hours away (I don't know the exact figure).

Yeah, that's not exactly rocket science. Ships do not have to travel at "light speed' to get to such distances.