THE PHYSICS OF STAR TREK

Reviewed 11/09/1995

The Physics of Star Trek, by Lawrence Krauss

THE PHYSICS OF STAR TREK Lawrence M. Krauss Stephen W. Hawking (Fwd.) New York: Basic Books / HarperCollins, 1995				Rating: 5.0 High
ISBN-13 978-0-465-00559-8
ISBN 0-465-00559-4	188p.	HC/BWI	$14.00

Dr. Krauss reveals in this book that he possesses two vital qualities necessary to its subject: An encyclopedic knowledge of Star Trek, and a sense of humor. Indeed, his knowledge of Star Trek is greater than my own, and I consider myself at about the 85^th percentile when it comes to Trek trivia. (I still can't figure out how I managed to miss that poker game...)

Two other necessary qualities, obviously, are knowledge of physics and clarity of expression. Dr. Krauss need have no worries on this score. He is familiar with both historical and current theoretical development, and his clear exposition amply demonstrates his own grasp of the complex subject matter. (Yes, and energy too. <ahem>)

The book discusses the fictional technologies used aboard the starship Enterprise (of whatever vintage) — devices such as impulse engines, warp drive, tractor beams, and of course the transporter — and connects each with the current state of the art in physical science. I won't recapitulate his arguments (Read the book!) Let me just say that, to the best of our knowledge, the theoretical underpinnings for such technologies are slim to none.

There are, on the frontiers of physics, glimmers of hope for exotic possibilities like wormholes and time travel. However, even if the theoretical bases for these ideas become well-accepted, the killer is the levels of energy required to put them into practice. On Star Trek: The Next Generation, you'll hear Geordie talk a lot about Terawatts — trillions of Watts. This just won't do. It's a mere bumblebee sneeze compared to what theory says would be needed.

Dr. Krauss, with his keen sense of history, is well aware how risky it is to pronounce something impossible. Indeed, he presents two more examples of eminent scientists who put egg on their faces by doing so. But like any good lecturer, he doesn't stray beyond the scope of his lesson. His purpose here is to present the key concepts of 20^th-century physics. In that, he succeeds admirably.

Aside from two or three instances of what I would call grammatical curiosities, I found very little to complain about in this book. The reference to "magnetic-core memory" took me aback momentarily.1 But I suppose there is still a computer somewhere that uses it — just as some companies still use punched cards for data entry. In any case, it's a very minor error.

For any fan of Star Trek, this is recommended reading. It's also a good value, given the prices of hardcover books today. And it's worthwhile for anyone contemplating the grand challenges of how to get from here and now to — Out There.

1 If I had to, I would guess that the AP-101 computers used in the Space Shuttle were the last example. But even these were upgraded to solid-state memories before 1995.