- #1
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Looks way more fun than what I've been doing...
http://www.theage.com.au/news/natio...rprising-thesis/2006/08/27/1156617211732.html
http://www.theage.com.au/news/natio...rprising-thesis/2006/08/27/1156617211732.html
Click For Summary
Discussion Overview
The discussion revolves around the concept of stardates in the Star Trek universe, exploring how they function and their implications for timekeeping within the narrative. Participants touch on theoretical aspects, potential research topics, and humorous takes on the subject.
Discussion Character
- Exploratory
- Conceptual clarification
- Debate/contested
Main Points Raised
- Some participants express confusion about how stardates are calculated and suggest that an explanation of their mechanics could enhance understanding of the series.
- One participant notes that stardates in the original series ranged from 1512.2 to 5928.5, while in "Star Trek: The Next Generation," they are in the 41000+ range, with the second digit indicating the season.
- There is a suggestion that timekeeping in the Federation must account for relativity, as time passes at different rates for ships, necessitating a common time for synchronization.
- Another participant speculates that the length of a second may have changed in the Star Trek universe to accommodate a non-Earth-centric existence, proposing that leap years may be inconvenient in such a context.
- Humorous remarks are made about the challenges of obtaining a PhD in Star Trek, including the idea of taking orals in Klingonese and the potential dangers of a thesis defense involving Klingons.
Areas of Agreement / Disagreement
Participants generally agree that stardates are complex and warrant further exploration, but there is no consensus on a definitive explanation of how they work or their implications.
Contextual Notes
Participants acknowledge the limitations in understanding stardates, particularly regarding the assumptions about timekeeping and relativity in the Star Trek universe. There are unresolved questions about the exact mechanics of stardates and their relationship to real-world time measurement.
- #2
G01
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Wow. Does this mean I can get a PhD in Stargate SG1 or Doctor Who?!
- #3
Ivan Seeking
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I deserve a Ph.D. in Star Trek as I've easily done as much research.
Janus deserves a Nobel Prize!
Well...do PF threads count as published papers?
Janus deserves a Nobel Prize!
Well...do PF threads count as published papers?
- #4
Astronuc
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Probably. But one would have to change majors.G01 said:
Or get busy and invent a warp drive, worm hole and/or tardis.
- #5
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G01 said:
You totally could! You could get a PhD in Comparative Science Fiction and cover both shows.
- #6
G01
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Astronuc said:Probably. But one would have to change majors.
Or get busy and invent a warp drive, worm hole and/or tardis.
I've had a TARDIS for years! The problem is, I can't find it since my camouflages circuit still works. I have no idea what shape its in. (I'm sure glad no one was around when I tried to make the shower time travel to the year 1823.)
- #7
Ivan Seeking
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G01 said:
Just watch for anything bigger on the inside than on the outside. What's the problem?
- #8
G01
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Ivan Seeking said:
I have been wondering how I could fit that tennis court in that trash can out back...
Hmmmm...
- #9
f95toli
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Is this really the first thesis written about Star Trek?
It seems like a rather "obvious" subject considering how influential the show has been.
It seems like a rather "obvious" subject considering how influential the show has been.
- #10
Kurdt
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I could do with one of those. My career prospects will be significantly broadened.
- #11
jim mcnamara
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Kurdt said:
Or do you mean limited to Star Trek conventions? Are those things still going on?
- #12
Huckleberry
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G01 said:
Don't worry. I've got a RETARDIS chip implanted in my skull that allows me to see cloaked dimensional anomalies. If your TARDIS is out there I'll find it eventually. I don't think I can help you find the shower you left in 1823. A good metal detector might help.
- #13
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The tricky part about getiing your PhD in Star Trek is that you have to take your orals in Klingonese.
- #14
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Janus said:
The thesis defense sounds like it might be a bit more dangerous than usual (if Klingons are involved).
- #15
Astronuc
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So how 'bout those Romulans?
- #16
Kurdt
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Astronuc said:So how 'bout those Romulans?
They supply the ale for the party after a successful defense.
- #17
arunma
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Shoot, and all this time I thought that majoring in astrophysics meant I could say "I'm getting my PhD in Star Trek."
- #18
Astronuc
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Lawrence Krauss wrote a book - The Physics of Star Trek.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Physics_of_Star_Trek
Probably some good ideas for research in that.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Physics_of_Star_Trek
Probably some good ideas for research in that.
- #19
BobG
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One good idea for a thesis would be an explanation of how time moves and is kept track of in StarTrek. I find the stardates very confusing. Part of this can be chalked up to relativity. Time is passing at different rates for every ship within the Federation Starfleet. Yet, somehow, everyone within the Federation has to resynchronize to some common time or the ships would never know when to meet.
In the original series, stardates ran from 1512.2 to 5928.5.
By time "Star Trek: The Next Generation" starts, stardates are in the 41000+ range with the second digit indicating the season, which doesn't necessarily have to correspond to a year within the show. In fact, an Earth year must be somewhere around 800 to 1000 units per year.
I think they changed the length of a second, as well. It actually makes sense if humanity no longer is constrained to one planet. The idea of leap years becomes very inconvenient, so it becomes easier to extend the length of a second so a day is still 86400 seconds long, but each year is 365.25 days long.
Still, an exact explanation of how stardates work would make the entire series of Star Trek TV shows and movies easier to understand.
In the original series, stardates ran from 1512.2 to 5928.5.
By time "Star Trek: The Next Generation" starts, stardates are in the 41000+ range with the second digit indicating the season, which doesn't necessarily have to correspond to a year within the show. In fact, an Earth year must be somewhere around 800 to 1000 units per year.
I think they changed the length of a second, as well. It actually makes sense if humanity no longer is constrained to one planet. The idea of leap years becomes very inconvenient, so it becomes easier to extend the length of a second so a day is still 86400 seconds long, but each year is 365.25 days long.
Still, an exact explanation of how stardates work would make the entire series of Star Trek TV shows and movies easier to understand.
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