Thermal Inversion

Raoul Duke, Jr. · Post by **Raoul Duke, Jr.** » 2003-03-10 02:55pm

I've heard somewhere in an episode of TNG (don't remember which one) that if phasers are fired into a planetary atmosphere incorrectly, the atmosphere could be burned off the planet by the phasers in a "thermal inversion". Does anyone remember this? And this sounds like a great way to kill off entire colonies/planets... why hasn't anybody ever used it as a form of attack?

neoolong · Post by **neoolong** » 2003-03-10 03:20pm

I thought that was a special case. Does anybody remember what episode that was?

Luke Starkiller · Post by **Luke Starkiller** » 2003-03-10 05:19pm

Was that the one with the time ship and the guy from the past?

If so I think part of the special case involved substantial dust loading in the atmosphere such that a nuclear winter was imminent.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2003-03-10 06:56pm

It never happened; they just feared that their phasers might start some kind of runaway reaction. Given that these people think you can have sonic weapons in space, I wouldn't put too much stock in it.

Velthuijsen · Post by **Velthuijsen** » 2003-03-10 07:40pm

That is IIRC a matter of time..
might want to check out the canon database attached to the site

Raoul Duke, Jr. · Post by **Raoul Duke, Jr.** » 2003-03-10 09:53pm

Darth Wong wrote:It never happened; they just feared that their phasers might start some kind of runaway reaction. Given that these people think you can have sonic weapons in space, I wouldn't put too much stock in it.

Sonic weapons in... but wait, that... heh... heheh... ROFMFGDFLMMFAATWOFMFT!!!

seanrobertson · Post by **seanrobertson** » 2003-03-12 09:06am

Darth Wong wrote:It never happened; they just feared that their phasers might start some kind of runaway reaction. Given that these people think you can have sonic weapons in space, I wouldn't put too much stock in it.

Only that so-called sonic weapon worked. And it was the stupid TOS crew that talked about it, not the paragons of intellect on TNG!

*jumps into nearest bunker, fearing showers of MOABs shalt rain upon me for bad-mouthing TOS...even if I do speak in half jest*

The Nomad · Post by **The Nomad** » 2003-03-15 07:41am

Darth Wong wrote:It never happened; they just feared that their phasers might start some kind of runaway reaction. Given that these people think you can have sonic weapons in space, I wouldn't put too much stock in it.

Mind you, so called "seismic charges" worked perfectly in space in AOTC.

( I guess I've to tell you that they were translated by "sonic charges" in my country. Hail to our dubbing industry

)

Patrick Ogaard · Post by **Patrick Ogaard** » 2003-03-15 09:35am

seanrobertson wrote:
Darth Wong wrote:It never happened; they just feared that their phasers might start some kind of runaway reaction. Given that these people think you can have sonic weapons in space, I wouldn't put too much stock in it.
Only that so-called sonic weapon worked. And it was the stupid TOS crew that talked about it, not the paragons of intellect on TNG!

*jumps into nearest bunker, fearing showers of MOABs shalt rain upon me for bad-mouthing TOS...even if I do speak in half jest*

The TOS folks usually made up for their lapses in scientific accuracy and their occasional lapse into sexism by producing a lot of fun episodes that were entertaining and occasionally even pretty smart, edgy and thought-provoking by the standards of the time. The various other series blew science out the airlock and too often came across as dumb, stodgy and hidebound by the standards of the time (and still do).

Somehow, where TOS was vibrant and occasionally overpowering technicolor, everything after TOS has managed to drown out the technicolor with a relentless flood of beige. Each further series and movie added its bit to that flood of beige.

Lord Edam · Post by **Lord Edam** » 2003-03-17 03:45am

The Nomad wrote: Mind you, so called "seismic charges" worked perfectly in space in AOTC.

( I guess I've to tell you that they were translated by "sonic charges" in my country. Hail to our dubbing industry )

Want to hear th funny thing? They were called sonic charges in the novellisation as well. The english novellisation. No translation errors included.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2003-03-17 03:48am

Lord Edam wrote:
The Nomad wrote:Mind you, so called "seismic charges" worked perfectly in space in AOTC.

( I guess I've to tell you that they were translated by "sonic charges" in my country. Hail to our dubbing industry )
Want to hear th funny thing? They were called sonic charges in the novellisation as well. The english novellisation. No translation errors included.

So? They didn't show up that way in the film. And what's wrong with a seismic charge being able to work in space? Since we don't know how they work, what's the problem? It's hardly the same thing as sonic weapons in space, which we know to be absurd.

Uraniun235 · Post by **Uraniun235** » 2003-03-17 08:02pm

Patrick Ogaard wrote:The TOS folks usually made up for their lapses in scientific accuracy and their occasional lapse into sexism by producing a lot of fun episodes that were entertaining and occasionally even pretty smart, edgy and thought-provoking by the standards of the time. The various other series blew science out the airlock and too often came across as dumb, stodgy and hidebound by the standards of the time (and still do).

Part of the sexism might have been NBC's fault; Roddenberry had to fight the network when they told him he couldn't have the crew be 50% men, 50% women. ("it will seem like there's a lot of fooling around up there"). Eventually they compromised at 70% men.

neoolong · Post by **neoolong** » 2003-03-17 08:43pm

Uraniun235 wrote:
Patrick Ogaard wrote:The TOS folks usually made up for their lapses in scientific accuracy and their occasional lapse into sexism by producing a lot of fun episodes that were entertaining and occasionally even pretty smart, edgy and thought-provoking by the standards of the time. The various other series blew science out the airlock and too often came across as dumb, stodgy and hidebound by the standards of the time (and still do).
Part of the sexism might have been NBC's fault; Roddenberry had to fight the network when they told him he couldn't have the crew be 50% men, 50% women. ("it will seem like there's a lot of fooling around up there"). Eventually they compromised at 70% men.

But that just means the women are sluts.

Uraniun235 · Post by **Uraniun235** » 2003-03-17 10:38pm

Roddenberry beat you on that one. He said on the recording that at the time he thought "well... hell, 30% young healthy women should be able to handle the rest!".

Lord Edam · Post by **Lord Edam** » 2003-03-19 07:46am

Darth Wong wrote:
Want to hear th funny thing? They were called sonic charges in the novellisation as well. The english novellisation. No translation errors included.
So? They didn't show up that way in the film. And what's wrong with a seismic charge being able to work in space? Since we don't know how they work, what's the problem? It's hardly the same thing as sonic weapons in space, which we know to be absurd.

It's exactly the same thing - a weapon canonically described as a sonic weapon, but doesn't actually use pressure waves in the vacuum of space.

Obviously the sonic part comes from something else - eg, it creates sonic waves in the target (which would work well for both the SW and ST sonic weapons).