Why is Star Trek so vurnerable to ions?

[Dooey Jo]

I mean, damn, every time they happen to be in an "ion storm" they loose their shields and their panels start exploding. And the most wierd thing of them all is that the ship starts shaking when they are hit by ions. Hmm, do they have extremely large ions in Star Trek or just extremely crappy ships?

And for all of you who didn't allready know; ions are electrically charged atoms. Not particulary dangerous.

And if this have been discussed before, show me the thread or tell me why ions are so dangerous in Star Trek. Please

[ClaysGhost]

I want to know why space appears to be full of ion storms.

[Isolder74]

The only place is space that Ions should be a problem is in a nebula or close to a star's corona. In Star Trek they appear to be everywhere.

[Zoink]

I'm not really sure what an ion-storm is. Perhaps a cloud of ejected plasma from some star?? A shock-wave from a supernova?

In any case, Trek ships are ill-equiped to handle them. I believe borg cubes have fallen victim to them also (didn't Voyager find a disabled one?). Doesn't say much about Trek's ability to withstand ion-based weapons. Could be Trek's reliability on frequency-specific protection. This is all speculation of course.

[ClaysGhost]

I don't think most nebulae pose much threat to shipping, ions or no. If they're stellar phenomena, the solution is clearly to move away from the star (and avoid supernovae!). Solid objects have bounced off ST shields before; I don't understand why ions would be a problem.

[Zoink]

I don't think most nebulae pose much threat to shipping, ions or no.

I think a number of nebula have had deterimental effects on Trek ships... although I can't think of an example ... Hmm, there was that Insurrection nebula that blocked all communication. Wasn't there a DS9 episode with Cardassian ships showing effects from being in a particular nebula?

[Kamakazie Sith]

I mean, damn, every time they happen to be in an "ion storm" they loose their shields and their panels start exploding. And the most wierd thing of them all is that the ship starts shaking when they are hit by ions. Hmm, do they have extremely large ions in Star Trek or just extremely crappy ships?

What episode did this happen in, where you say they lost their shields and panels started to explode?

[Moonshadow]

Panels explode if you hit the Hull with a baseball bat on ST

[Spanky The Dolphin]

In ST II, the nebula effected sensors to the point where they basically had to shoot by sight and shields were useless, IIRC.

[neoolong]

In ST II, the nebula effected sensors to the point where they basically had to shoot by sight and shields were useless, IIRC.

I think it was the Mutara Nebula. Was there any reason given why it screwed with sensors. Of course, Considering that it wasn't totally dark or anything, why didn't they have guys just run to the windows with compasses and relay the info to fire control. Oh wait, they're idiots.

[Slartibartfast]

In ST II, the nebula effected sensors to the point where they basically had to shoot by sight and shields were useless, IIRC.

I think it was the Mutara Nebula. Was there any reason given why it screwed with sensors. Of course, Considering that it wasn't totally dark or anything, why didn't they have guys just run to the windows with compasses and relay the info to fire control. Oh wait, they're idiots.

Well, to be fair, the visibility in the nebula could have been much worse than showed on-screen. Visual canon or not, often movies show absolute darkness as simply black & white or mild darkness (so we can see them)

[ClaysGhost]

Nebulae in scifi tend to be rather bizarre. It took a reasonably long integration on the Eagle nebula to get those famous HST pictures of the big columns of dust, but B5 slapped the resulting image on as a texture mapped background to one of the bigger battles. With the naked eye, or a camera, you'd see nothing like that. There are plenty of examples in other shows and films - drama will win over reality, every time. Slow explosions, sounds in space and all. ST does take the crime to new heights, in that the Mutara nebula appears like thick fog!

[neoolong]

Nebulae in scifi tend to be rather bizarre. It took a reasonably long integration on the Eagle nebula to get those famous HST pictures of the big columns of dust, but B5 slapped the resulting image on as a texture mapped background to one of the bigger battles. With the naked eye, or a camera, you'd see nothing like that. There are plenty of examples in other shows and films - drama will win over reality, every time. Slow explosions, sounds in space and all. ST does take the crime to new heights, in that the Mutara nebula appears like thick fog!

Originally, according to the director commentary on ST II there wasn't supposed to be sound in space in the movie. He didn't think it would fly with the producers so he didn't do it. Now, years later there is no sound in space in Firefly.

Slartibartfast, you're right that we, as an audience, has to be able to see. But in one of the shots of the main screen the crew can see the Reliant. It's just that the image kept getting staticky. Of course, it may have been image enhanced or something.

[ClaysGhost]

I don't know anything about Firefly.

[NecronLord]

Hmm, do they have extremely large ions in Star Trek or just extremely crappy ships?

Its their lauded mass lightning feilds, clearly the ships weigh about as much as a proton

[Sea Skimmer]

Shit for ships.

God forbid they should be hit by a Imperial ion cannon. If the warp core doesn't kill the crew, the ship explosively decompressing when the force field windows lose power will.

[Uraniun235]

Where the hell did you get the idea the windows are force fields?!?

In TNG, Data says the conference room behind the bridge has windows made of transparent aluminum.

ST does take the crime to new heights, in that the Mutara nebula appears like thick fog!

But it looks so cool!
As for the "reason" behind the interference...

Trouble with the nebula, sir, is all that static discharge and gas clouds our tactical display. Visual won't function and shields will be useless.

Shit for ships.

God forbid they should be hit by a Imperial ion cannon. If the warp core doesn't kill the crew, the ship explosively decompressing when the force field windows lose power will.

God forbid anyone write a universe without uberstarships.

[Kamakazie Sith]

In ST II, the nebula effected sensors to the point where they basically had to shoot by sight and shields were useless, IIRC.

I think it was the Mutara Nebula. Was there any reason given why it screwed with sensors. Of course, Considering that it wasn't totally dark or anything, why didn't they have guys just run to the windows with compasses and relay the info to fire control. Oh wait, they're idiots.

Discharging gas clouds our tactical display.....visual won't function and shields will be useless. <---That's what they said.

[Darth Yoshi]

Where the hell did you get the idea the windows are force fields?!?

ST:FC. Picard tells the woman that there is no window in his quarters, there's a force field instead.

My guess is that ions are hell on ST ships because the warp core is so damn volatile.

[data_link]

Where the hell did you get the idea the windows are force fields?!?

ST:FC. Picard tells the woman that there is no window in his quarters, there's a force field instead.

My guess is that ions are hell on ST ships because the warp core is so damn volatile.

Actually, they wren't in Picard's quarters in ST:FC when that comment was made. The fact that one window was a forcefield doesn't show that all of them are. Also, in ST:FC, when Picard is looking out his window just prior to Riker hading him the report on neutral zone activity, Picard's reflection is clearly visible, which would be impossible if his window was a forcefield.

[Sea Skimmer]

Where the hell did you get the idea the windows are force fields?!?

ST:FC. Picard tells the woman that there is no window in his quarters, there's a force field instead.

My guess is that ions are hell on ST ships because the warp core is so damn volatile.

Actually, they wren't in Picard's quarters in ST:FC when that comment was made. The fact that one window was a forcefield doesn't show that all of them are. Also, in ST:FC, when Picard is looking out his window just prior to Riker hading him the report on neutral zone activity, Picard's reflection is clearly visible, which would be impossible if his window was a forcefield.

So you now have data on the reflective properties of Federation atmospheric containment force fields on the Enterprise E? Please do share.

[Alyeska]

ST:FC. Picard tells the woman that there is no window in his quarters, there's a force field instead.

My guess is that ions are hell on ST ships because the warp core is so damn volatile.

Actually, they wren't in Picard's quarters in ST:FC when that comment was made. The fact that one window was a forcefield doesn't show that all of them are. Also, in ST:FC, when Picard is looking out his window just prior to Riker hading him the report on neutral zone activity, Picard's reflection is clearly visible, which would be impossible if his window was a forcefield.

So you now have data on the reflective properties of Federation atmospheric containment force fields on the Enterprise E? Please do share.

And how often do windows have a control console JUST for the windows that just so happen to open up like a HATCH.

Windows on Fed ships are just that, windows with a physical material. That particular incident in First Contact was a forcefield.

Want further evidence? Just watch Generations and look at the Saucer crash on the planet again. You wouldn't have tree residue on a forcefield.

[Alyeska]

And as to the topic. We have no proof that Fed ships are "vulnerable" to ions. All we know is that something they call ion storms (of unknown energy levels) can be dangerous to ST ships.

And the comment on warp cores and Ion Storms. We saw the Delta Flyer go through a storm that was powerful enough to send the Delta Flyer into an emergency landing that ended up having the DF burrow more then a KM through rock from the crash. Yet in that entire incident the warp core seemed fine.

[SPOOFE]

God forbid anyone write a universe without uberstarships.

Congratulations, you've won! You've received the National MISSING THE FUCKING POINT Award!

The whole point is that - SURPRISE! - ST ships are NOT "uberstarships", as some Trekkies will claim.

[NecronLord]

And as to the topic. We have no proof that Fed ships are "vulnerable" to ions. All we know is that something they call ion storms (of unknown energy levels) can be dangerous to ST ships.

And the comment on warp cores and Ion Storms. We saw the Delta Flyer go through a storm that was powerful enough to send the Delta Flyer into an emergency landing that ended up having the DF burrow more then a KM through rock from the crash. Yet in that entire incident the warp core seemed fine.

In "Dark Froniter" there is a borg sphere with great frickin holes in it, Janeway says "was it damaged in combat?" seven replies "No, an ion storm"

Thats pretty f**king vinerable!