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Forums > Home› Ten Forward

Fit this new discovery to Trek

steamwrightsteamwright Member Posts: 2,820
edited May 2015 in Ten Forward
Apparently, there is a newly-discovered state of matter. Yay, science!

Now, someone with a brain for science make sense of it all to me (meaning: dummy it down. :o ). Put this discovery in context of Star Trek. What might this revealed state of matter be used for or lead to developing in the Trek world?
Post edited by steamwright on

Comments

  • jonsillsjonsills Member Posts: 10,361 Arc User
    edited May 2015
    High-temperature superconductivity could allow us to construct computers as compact and yet powerful and rugged as those we see in Trek.

    At another angle, layer your hull materials, with a Jahn-Teller metal overlaying a more conventional armor plate. Now apply a current to the Jahn-Teller outer layer. It could (at least conceivably) use its superconductive properties to dissipate incoming energies, distributing them across the hull and reducing potential damage. Congratulations, you've just polarized the hull plating!
    Lorna-Wing-sig.png
  • cptjhuntercptjhunter Member Posts: 2,288 Arc User
    edited May 2015
    I really want to give an intelligent answer. I can't. I have an image of Data looking at it with curiosity then stating, "It is..It is... It is hovering." Curse you "Relics" episode!!!!!!
  • steamwrightsteamwright Member Posts: 2,820
    edited May 2015
    jonsills wrote: »
    High-temperature superconductivity could allow us to construct computers as compact and yet powerful and rugged as those we see in Trek.

    At another angle, layer your hull materials, with a Jahn-Teller metal overlaying a more conventional armor plate. Now apply a current to the Jahn-Teller outer layer. It could (at least conceivably) use its superconductive properties to dissipate incoming energies, distributing them across the hull and reducing potential damage. Congratulations, you've just polarized the hull plating!

    Okay, NOW I begin to see the potential. wow.
    cptjhunter wrote: »
    I really want to give an intelligent answer. I can't. I have an image of Data looking at it with curiosity then stating, "It is..It is... It is hovering." Curse you "Relics" episode!!!!!!

    Yes, but is it green?
  • frontierplanetsfrontierplanets Member Posts: 61 Arc User
    edited May 2015
    jonsills wrote: »
    High-temperature superconductivity could allow us to construct computers as compact and yet powerful and rugged as those we see in Trek.

    Hopefully with an operating system that doesn't look like it was made in the 80's. :P
    At another angle, layer your hull materials, with a Jahn-Teller metal overlaying a more conventional armor plate. Now apply a current to the Jahn-Teller outer layer. It could (at least conceivably) use its superconductive properties to dissipate incoming energies, distributing them across the hull and reducing potential damage. Congratulations, you've just polarized the hull plating!

    Next thing you know, it's Starfleet issue.
    For best results, read my posts in the voice of Sheogorath, Daedric Prince of Madness.

    *busts down your door while wearing a Starfleet uniform*
    Time to boldy go, losers.
    #this is how you SHOULD collect your crew from shore leave
  • markhawkmanmarkhawkman Member Posts: 35,231 Arc User
    edited May 2015
    Actually... I don't see how this would be that useful for computers. Now high-voltage power lines? Oh yes! It'd make line-loss almost a thing of the past and drop the prices for energy. Of course the trick is to make it cheap enough to be able to afford to string up several thousand miles of it...
    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
    My character Tsin'xing
    Costume_marhawkman_Tsin%27xing_CC_Comic_Page_Blue_488916968.jpg
  • dalolorndalolorn Member Posts: 3,655 Arc User
    edited May 2015
    markhawkman wrote: »
    Actually... I don't see how this would be that useful for computers. Now high-voltage power lines? Oh yes! It'd make line-loss almost a thing of the past and drop the prices for energy. Of course the trick is to make it cheap enough to be able to afford to string up several thousand miles of it...

    Well, the way I understand it, one of the various limiting factors behind the speed of modern computers is the ability to handle the waste heat being generated. Because the heat is generated by resistance, and superconductors (IIRC) by definition have 0 resistance, the heat output of a CPU created using superconductive materials would be negligible compared to a regular CPU with the same clock rate, if at all present (I'm taking into account the possibility that superconductors might not be a good replacement for ALL of the heat-generating components, as I don't know enough to rule it out just like that).

    Less heat per cycle -> more cycles for the same amount of cooling -> smaller cooling mechanisms and/or faster processors, depending on the desired configuration. (As an example, either you manufacture a phone with the processing speed of my PC, or you manufacture a supercomputer the size of my PC. Or go the middle way and make something smaller and faster than my PC, but not as small or fast as the other two options. :P)
    Infinite possibilities have implications that could not be completely understood if you turned this entire universe into a giant supercomputer.p3OEBPD6HU3QI.jpg
  • markhawkmanmarkhawkman Member Posts: 35,231 Arc User
    edited May 2015
    dalolorn wrote: »
    Well, the way I understand it, one of the various limiting factors behind the speed of modern computers is the ability to handle the waste heat being generated. Because the heat is generated by resistance, and superconductors (IIRC) by definition have 0 resistance, the heat output of a CPU created using superconductive materials would be negligible compared to a regular CPU with the same clock rate, if at all present (I'm taking into account the possibility that superconductors might not be a good replacement for ALL of the heat-generating components, as I don't know enough to rule it out just like that).

    Less heat per cycle -> more cycles for the same amount of cooling -> smaller cooling mechanisms and/or faster processors, depending on the desired configuration. (As an example, either you manufacture a phone with the processing speed of my PC, or you manufacture a supercomputer the size of my PC. Or go the middle way and make something smaller and faster than my PC, but not as small or fast as the other two options. :P)
    Well... the parts that heat up worst are not traditional conductors. They're semi-conductors that are used as part of logic gates.
    -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
    My character Tsin'xing
    Costume_marhawkman_Tsin%27xing_CC_Comic_Page_Blue_488916968.jpg
  • dalolorndalolorn Member Posts: 3,655 Arc User
    edited May 2015
    markhawkman wrote: »
    Well... the parts that heat up worst are not traditional conductors. They're semi-conductors that are used as part of logic gates.

    ... Point. :o
    Infinite possibilities have implications that could not be completely understood if you turned this entire universe into a giant supercomputer.p3OEBPD6HU3QI.jpg
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