Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    PHYSICS OF STAR TREK
    Unavailable
    PHYSICS OF STAR TREK
    Unavailable
    PHYSICS OF STAR TREK
    Audiobook (abridged)2 hours

    PHYSICS OF STAR TREK

    Published by HarperAudio

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    A must for any serious Trekker or for anyone who wants an easy-to-understand introductionto the world of physics.


    What exactly "warps" when you are traveling at warp speed? Whatis the difference between the holodeck and a hologram? What happens whenyou get beamed up? Are time loops really possible, and can I kill my grandmotherbefore I was born?


    Until now, fans of Star Trek were hard pressed to find answers tovital questions such as these. Now Lawrence M. Krauss,an internationally known theoretical physicist and educator, has writtenthe quintessential physics book for Trekkers and non-Trekkers alike.


    Anyone who has ever wondered, "Could this really happen?" willgain useful insights into the Star Trek universe (and, incidentally,the real universe) in this charming and accessible volume. Krauss boldlygoes where Star Trek has gone -- and beyond. He uses the StarTrek future as a launching pad to discuss the forefront of modern physics.From Newton to Hawking, from Einstein to Feynman, from Kirk to Janeway,Krauss leads the reader on a voyage to the world of physics as we now knowit and as it might one day be.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateJan 10, 2006
    ISBN9780061135316
    Unavailable
    PHYSICS OF STAR TREK

    Related to PHYSICS OF STAR TREK

    Related audiobooks

    Physics For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Can We Change The Past?

      Feb 21, 2018

      Can We Change The Past?
      4 min read

    • Article

      Star 'Treknology': Imagining The Future Into Being

      Jan 6, 2018

      From its first appearance, Star Trek has always been hopeful about the relationship between society and technology. Ethan Siegel doesn't lose sight of this in his book, Treknology, says Adam Frank.

      3 min read

    • Article

      New Astronomy And Space Titles Reviewed BOOKS

      Jun 18, 2020

      Allen Lane £20 • HB Surely there is life on Mars – or at least that is what was thought by astronomers from the late 1600s all the way up to the 1980s. But in recent years that statement has taken on a whole new meaning. This book takes us on a voya

      4 min read

    • Article

      Another Day in Paradox

      Jun 26, 2020

      Another Day in Paradox
      9 min read

    • Article

      To Boldly Go (and Not Come Back)

      Sep 6, 2021

      Star Trek is a popular TV and movie series about a spaceship whose crew members regularly die by suicide. Over and over again, the crew of the Starship Enterprise step into a machine that disintegrates them, and then constructs a perfect replica of t

      5 min read

    • Article

      The Search For Wormholes

      Aug 11, 2022

      The Search For Wormholes
      11 min read

    • Article

      Fuelling The Future

      Feb 17, 2022

      Fuelling The Future
      4 min read

    • Article

      Books

      Oct 19, 2023

      Shohini Ghose MIT Press £27 • HB How many women scientists can you name? A 2017 US study showed that less than one per cent of people surveyed could name a living woman scientist. Have you sat in a lecture and been greeted with ‘good morning, gentlem

      5 min read

    • Article

      Watch This Space

      Feb 12, 2023

      Watch This Space
      1 min read

    • Article

      Hunting The Hidden Quarks

      Dec 5, 2019

      Hunting The Hidden Quarks
      6 min read

    • Article

      The Case for Fewer Dimensions: At small scales, gravity seems to blow up—but not if space becomes 1-D.

      Oct 8, 2015

      The adventures of the classic science-fiction novel Flatland by Edwin Abbott have sprung to life. The novel is narrated by a two-dimensional creature who calls himself “A Square,” who learns he has been embedded in a three-dimensional realm called Sp

      7 min read

    • Article

      The Trouble With Transporters

      Nov 1, 2023

      The Trouble With Transporters
      4 min read

    • Article

      A Space Odyssey

      Oct 14, 2022

      A Space Odyssey
      1 min read

    • Article

      Secrets Of Gravity

      Feb 22, 2024

      Secrets Of Gravity
      9 min read

    • Article

      What Quantum Gravity Needs Is More Experiments

      Feb 2, 2017

      In the mid-1990s, I studied mathematics. I wasn’t really sure just what I wanted to do with my life, but I was awed by the power of mathematics to describe the natural world. After classes on differential geometry and Lie algebras, I attended a semin

      8 min read

    • Article

      What Quantum Gravity Needs Is More Experiments

      Dec 12, 2019

      In the mid-1990s, I studied mathematics. I wasn’t really sure just what I wanted to do with my life, but I was awed by the power of mathematics to describe the natural world. After classes on differential geometry and Lie algebras, I attended a semin

      8 min read

    • Article

      Paradox Is Illuminating the Black Hole

      Jan 31, 2019

      An Introduction to the Black Hole Institute Fittingly, the Black Hole Initiative (BHI) was founded 100 years after Karl Schwarzschild solved Einstein’s equations for general relativity—a solution that described a black hole decades before the first a

      7 min read

    • Article

      Space In A Spin

      Aug 30, 2021

      Space In A Spin
      2 min read

    Reviews for PHYSICS OF STAR TREK

    3.5/5

    252 ratings10 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      Excellent explanations of the physical laws used and abused by the TV series-chain. Also very entertaining: Kraus knows his episodes.
    • 5/5
      Very entertaining, popular science book. If you like space travel, science fiction, science etc. this is for you!
    • 3/5
      Combines elementary explanation of modern physics with anecdotes from Star Trek; points out greatest fallacies and accuracies; notes several incidents where Star Trek defined terms (black hole, et al.); expounds some concepts (warp drive, transporter) as "impossible" (I note that similar claims have frequently been disproved in the past); best examples of potential phenomena (soliton waves, quasars, and dark matter); greatest phallacies (the phase shift episode and -295 celsius temperature and explosion sounds in space).
    • 4/5
      This is what a nerd I am... I must admit that this book is an extremely fun read.
    • 4/5
      Fascinating, Compelling to understand Physics with curiosity. Loved it and had Fun.
    • 1/5
      Sorry, just could not get into it. Took me four days, and usually when I read a science book I read over 300 pp in two days. I think it's somewhat dated - haven't we dismissed the idea of superstrings since? The structure also didn't mesh with my approach to exploring a topic. I really wanted to like it, but just couldn't.

      I bought this long time ago, and so was glad when our group (Science & Inquiry) chose it for the monthly read. I wish I could define what was disappointing to warn you off properly - but then, I could be wrong, and you might love it! Good luck!






    • 3/5
      “The curvature of spacetime is determined by the distribution of matter and energy in the universe, but this distribution is in turn governed by the curvature of space. It is like the chicken and the egg. Which was there first? Matter acts as the source of curvature, which in turn determines how matter evolves, which in turn alters the curvature, and so on. Indeed, this may be perhaps the most important single aspect of general relativity as far as Star Trek concerned. [...] It is these exotic possibilities [which general relativity does not rule out] that are the grist of Star Trek’s mill.”In “The Physics of Star Trek” Lawrence M. KraussTeleporting an object using entangled particles involves taking it apart, transferring the state of each sub-atomic particle to the receiving end, than building duplicate atoms to assemble a duplicate object using those particles. The duplicate would be identical to the original, but a ridiculous amount of computing power is required to keep track of which bit goes where and enough separated entangled particles need to be in storage at each end to disintegrate the original and to build the duplicate. And also we’d need lots of energy to make it happen like Krauss states. The original is destroyed in the process. Call me a luddite, but I think I will stick with my car.Strangely, Krauss does not say anything about Quantum Entanglement. There is a perfectly good term for quantum entanglement- it's quantum entanglement! This doesn't effectively transport the particle, it is only a transfer of a quantum state. If you're looking for some decent science stuff, I can sell you an article on a perpetual motion machine that's guaranteed to work and has been proven to generate more energy than put in. It's only the petrol industry blocking it that has stopped me publishing it before.Quantum entanglement has been amply demonstrated, though were the applied science will take us remains to be seen. I think that calling it "teleportation" raises images that are misleading. I'm not a physicist but it seems to me that entanglement is unaffected by distance, at least on the scales we have observed. It's not technically moving anything (except apparently information) even though it is linked to what can be observed from quantum objects in another place. That's the spooky part. That's somewhat reminiscent of Star Trek, but mostly different.In Krauss’s book it's not so much that everything is explained, because it talks about things that are unknown. It's that it gives hints of how to think about these things: it's a good read, and though it needs attention, it's meant for a general audience (not just for the Trekkie; as an obsessed but ineffectual hacker I can't believe I've been wasting my time whenever I've tried to eavesdrop to measure photons’ states without disturbing them and revealing their presence when all the while it's been impossible. Back to the drawing board).After a youth watching Star Trek, one of the biggest disappointments of my life is that we cannot teleport…was so looking forward to it (or after a youth watching Star Trek one of the biggest disappointments of my life is that the crew did not have to teleport naked.. was so looking forward to it too).But in the end, forget about Krauss' book in terms of Quantum Entanglement and the understanding Teleporting. Think of it like this: you and your wife say goodbye in the morning and leave home from work. When you arrive at work you realise that you forgot to put the rubbish out that morning. At that exact moment your wife rings you to tell you that you forgot to put the rubbish out. That's quantum entanglement for you. The word 'teleportation' is really unhelpful, because of its Star Trek connotations. It's nothing like that. 'Entanglement' is a bit like a spinning coin - both sides are present but unresolved. In entanglement one might say two particles are linked in an analogous way. Stop one that shows 'heads' and you instantly know the other shows 'tails'. Oh, and you only know that if a classical (e.g. radio) signal is sent to communicate the fact - hence ensuring that nothing exceeds the speed of light. People believe whatever they want to believe. Facts don't mean anything. It's all about feeling and when you say something people don't want to hear, they won't hear it, no matter how much sense it would make with all feelings set aside.Krauss also dabbles in the fine-tuning argument which is something close to his hearth... One of the fundamental problems with the fine tuning argument is that it relies on the language of odds - i.e. that the odds of such a finely balanced universe are so fantastically small as to warrant a divine creator. But the concept of odds only makes sense if you have a number of cases to compare - e.g. you calculate the odds that somebody might die from smoking by studying numerous individuals in control groups over an extended period of time. But when it comes to the universe we can only observe one. So it might well be that there are millions of other universes and that ours is the only one capable of supporting life - in which case the fine tuning argument works. But it might also be the case that they can all support life, in which case it fails. But we could only work out the odds by observing them. And since we can't, all talk of odds - and hence the fine tuning argument - is pointless. Personally I prefer the infinite improbability drive… Or maybe even that is already outdated. Bistromaths is the way forward now. Maybe that forms the theoretical basis of the infinite improbability drive… I saw a puddle the other day. It was sitting in a pot hole, and the hole was exactly the shape of the puddle sitting in it. Honestly, that hole was precisely fine-tuned for that puddle. There is no other explanation.NB: Something between teleportation and entangled quantum states was a basis for Clifford Simak's 1963 novel “Way Station” (does anyone still remember this novel?). The 'original' galactic traveler remains at origin. The original body dies in situ at origin. At destination, the 'copy' galactic traveler continues life. This was the routine means of transport for an individual over long distances. One of the fundamental problems with the fine tuning argument is that it relies on the language of odds - i.e. that the odds of such a finely balanced universe are so fantastically small as to warrant a divine creator. But the concept of odds only makes sense if you have a number of cases to compare - e.g. you calculate the odds that somebody might die from smoking by studying numerous individuals in control groups over an extended period of time. But when it comes to the universe we can only observe one. So it might well be that there are millions of other universes and that ours is the only one capable of supporting life - in which case the fine tuning argument works. But it might also be the case that they can all support life, in which case it fails. But we could only work out the odds by observing them. And since we can't, all talk of odds - and hence the fine tuning argument - is pointless. A more interesting metaphor might be finding a puddle in a pot hole in an otherwise infinite near-flat plane (e.g. z = -exp( -(x^2+y^2) ) ) and when you calculate all other possible universes it turns out they are exactly flat. That makes us feel lucky in a way that physicists are uncomfortable with because, historically, whenever we've appeared to be that special, it turns out we've misunderstood the physics. Right Krauss?NB: For anyone interested, Feynman's "The Character of Physical law" goes into this in a relatively clear way, where I say "relatively (and no pun intended) because nobody understands it, and his explanation is about as clear as one can get without knowing why it happens. Feynman shows it can't be any other way - the entanglement, that is. Except he doesn't exactly talk of entanglement, he talks about simultaneous events (around page 64 and then page 92).
    • 5/5
      Great physics book based upon the Star Trek movie & tv series!
    • 4/5
      Readers know that today’s science fiction often becomes tomorrow’s science fact. But how does “Star Trek” stack up against the real universe? As readers explore the concepts, they will discover what science the creators of the series got right . . . and not so right . . . in the “Star Trek” future. Written by a theoretical physicist, readers will find much to ponder in the discussion of physics as it is known today and the suggestions of what it might one day become.For fans of the series as well as for those with an interest in physics, this is a voyage filled with fascination.Recommended.
    • 3/5
      One could almost believe this book is contemporary, with the recent Star Trek reboot movie bringing Trek back into popular culture, but alas, this book is from 1995. (It would have been really interesting to see what Krauss would have done with all that black hole sloppiness in J.J. Abram's movie.) But I finally got around to reading this, partially thanks to the TBR pile and Science reading challenges. It's not good to let books sit ignored for so long!

      Reading this book, as with most popular science books, was an interesting experience. At one time, not so far distant, I had a really good grasp on most of the concepts explored in this book. But really, it's been years since I've thought of most of it in any sort of sustained way. So on one level, it was a light and interesting romp through some of the most profound concepts of physics, using the storytelling of the Trek universe to illustrate the implications. But on another level, I kept getting stuck, demanding my brain return to an earlier condition in which all of this was as native and easy to understand as my frivolous Facebook game strategies are now. But that state is hard to achieve when you're only getting to read the book in two-minute snatches, having to reread as much to remember where you were as you read new in any given sitting.

      Sigh.

      This book is dated and yet not. Engaging and easy one moment and mind-twisting the next. It would be very interesting to see an updated edition -- to bring into account the new movie as well as the detectors that Krauss mentions being built as he is writing that now have recently started producing interesting results. Amazon suggests there is a Kindle version revised in 2007, but the movie came out in 2009. I say another edition is due!

      Interesting, but I will probably be releasing into the wilds of paperbackswap, as I have plenty of other reference physics texts.

      1 person found this helpful