Star Trek Earth vs Nature's Fury

Duskofdead · Post by **Duskofdead** » Tue May 20, 2008 2:56 am

Mikey wrote:Well, Tsu has convinced me. If we have to make something up to explain the impotence of the Breen attack, then shields over San Fran is the least implausible thing to make up.

That's exactly my feeling. I'm not insisting there's proof or that my theory is correct, merely that it's more plausible than the other explanations to make sense of why a concentrated attack on San Francisco made a hole in the Golden Gate Bridge and a couple of smoking cracks in a few buildings. It requires us to make up less new data out of a hat.

Post by **Teaos** » Tue May 20, 2008 3:00 am

Well the limited damage could also be due to a kick arse SIF in the bridge and buildings. Would also explain how a 400 year old bridge is still standing.

Duskofdead · Post by **Duskofdead** » Tue May 20, 2008 3:02 am

Teaos wrote:Well the limited damage could also be due to a kick arse SIF in the bridge and buildings. Would also explain how a 400 year old bridge is still standing.

It would beg the question if they were going to bother installing heavy duty SIF fields why they wouldn't add shields over Starfleet's HQ.

Post by **Teaos** » Tue May 20, 2008 3:06 am

SIF has a day to day function, shields dont.

Post by **Mikey** » Tue May 20, 2008 3:10 am

Materials technology could explain the bridge, et. al. - I thought SIF's were expressly for space vessels.

Post by **Teaos** » Tue May 20, 2008 3:14 am

If SIF's can be used in ships they could be used on anything. Its just ships are the most obvious use for them.

Post by **Mikey** » Tue May 20, 2008 3:20 am

I could install a moat and a gatehouse with a portcullis in front of my house, too. That doesn't meant that it makes sense. I believe that the function of an SIF is specifically for the material stresses involved in a big, fast-moving thing. Buildings generally only have one of those two criteria.

Duskofdead · Post by **Duskofdead** » Tue May 20, 2008 3:26 am

I could see a light SIF field for earthquakes. But a shield for one of the most militarily important installations on one of the most important planets in the entire Federation makes even more sense.

Monroe · Post by **Monroe** » Tue May 20, 2008 4:10 am

Duskofdead wrote:
Mikey wrote:Well, Tsu has convinced me. If we have to make something up to explain the impotence of the Breen attack, then shields over San Fran is the least implausible thing to make up.
That's exactly my feeling. I'm not insisting there's proof or that my theory is correct, merely that it's more plausible than the other explanations to make sense of why a concentrated attack on San Francisco made a hole in the Golden Gate Bridge and a couple of smoking cracks in a few buildings. It requires us to make up less new data out of a hat.

Oh I agree its plasuable. I just disagree that they had it. And if they had it I disagree even further that it covered all of Earth. Which would make them doomed from a massive burst of radiation.

Post by **Mikey** » Tue May 20, 2008 3:37 pm

I also disagree that such a shield would or could have been planetary in scale. As far as radiation bursts, I'm sure there would be some technobabble sufficient to explain an enhancement to a/o expansion of the Van Allen belts.

Sionnach Glic · Post by **Sionnach Glic** » Tue May 20, 2008 4:36 pm

Even if there was a shield over SFHQ, with which I still disagree, there's no logical reason to extend "they can shield their most important military compound" to "they can shield the entire planet". At best, there was a theatre shield around the area.

Post by **Teaos** » Tue May 20, 2008 4:40 pm

There is no reason to assume they can't. We have never seen a problem with shielding large objects. Starships have been shown to increase their shield size to cover other ships even.

So long as you can power it there is no reason they couldnt.

Sionnach Glic · Post by **Sionnach Glic** » Tue May 20, 2008 4:43 pm

It's called the Inverse Square Rule (IIRC). The larger an area you spread something out, the more power you'll need to keep it at the same strength. Shielding something the size of Earth would require a ridiculously high amount of power.

Monroe · Post by **Monroe** » Tue May 20, 2008 4:53 pm

Teaos wrote:There is no reason to assume they can't. We have never seen a problem with shielding large objects. Starships have been shown to increase their shield size to cover other ships even.

So long as you can power it there is no reason they couldnt.

There's a big leap in power from shielding a two ships or a space station to shielding Earth.

Is it just me or does Rochey and I agree on most subjects?

Sionnach Glic · Post by **Sionnach Glic** » Tue May 20, 2008 4:59 pm

Seems to be.