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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!ittvax!dcdwest!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!jonab
From: jonab@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Jonathan Biggar)
Newsgroups: net.startrek
Subject: Re: A new question to mull over
Message-ID: <1438@sdcrdcf.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 1-Nov-84 19:42:51 EST
Article-I.D.: sdcrdcf.1438
Posted: Thu Nov  1 19:42:51 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 3-Nov-84 05:53:10 EST
References: <444@ncoast.UUCP>
Reply-To: jonab@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Jonathan Biggar)
Organization: System Development Corp. R+D, Santa Monica
Lines: 20
Summary: 

In article <444@ncoast.UUCP> bsa@ncoast.UUCP (Brandon Allbery) writes:
>There's one small problem with correcting for relativity etc. in stardates:
>you *can't*.  Time is passing at wildly different rates everywhere in
>the galaxy, and you can't correct for that without instantaneous radio
>communications (we know they lack those).  Einstein gets us coming and
>going :-}

Actually, you can adjust for relativity.  The scalar value

	 2    2    2       2
	x  + y  + z  - (ct)

is a constant for all observers, where x, y, and z are the rectangular
coordinates from an agreed upon reference point, c is the speed of light,
and t is the measured time of an observed event.  Throw the appropriate
scale and offset factors in and Voila!, you have a stardate.

Jon Biggar
{allegra,burdvax,cbosgd,hplabs,ihnp4,sdccsu3}!sdcrdcf!jonab