From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!npoiv!npois!houxm!houxa!houxi!houxz!ihnp4!ixn5c!inuxc!pur-ee!CSvax:Pucc-H:Physics:crl
Newsgroups: net.startrek
Title: Re: Star Trek Physics - (nf)
Article-I.D.: pur-phy.658
Posted: Fri Jan 28 16:03:17 1983
Received: Tue Feb  1 08:17:43 1983

#R:ariel:-21200:pur-phy:11900002:000:762
pur-phy!crl    Jan 28 14:01:00 1983

I really don't feel that it is too important to defend Star Trek
"physics", but here is some food for thought nevertheless:

On the question of whether the Enterprise should be rocked violently
by phaser/disruptor/whatever hits, I believe I recall that the 
deflector shields are a skin effect.  (The gridwork that can be
clearly seen on the saucer section is the field generator.)
Thus, it is quite plausible to assume that hits on the shield
can transfer momentum to the hull.  In this case the shields can
be likened to the body shield carried by ancient warriors--instead
of receiving a killing blow, the major thrust of the attack is
spread out to a large part of his/her body.

In any case, who cares?

Charles LaBrec
pur-ee!Physics:crl
purdue!Physics:crl