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From: derek@uwvax.UUCP (Derek Zahn)
Newsgroups: net.startrek
Subject: Re: Destruction of the Enterprise
Message-ID: <91@uwvax.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 30-Dec-84 12:29:34 EST
Article-I.D.: uwvax.91
Posted: Sun Dec 30 12:29:34 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 1-Jan-85 06:13:02 EST
References: <1@decwrl.UUCP> <1271@hplabs.UUCP> <510@ncoast.UUCP>
Organization: U of Wisconsin CS Dept
Lines: 30

> 
> Dilithium does *not* create antimatter (or has the stuff posted both
> here and in net.tv.drwho warped some minds?  :-); it *regulates* the
> matter/antimatter reaction.  But I'm damned if I can remember where I
> learned that bit of information.
> 

My original suggestion was not that dilithium crystals create antimatter, but
rather that they regulate a conversion between normal matter and antimatter.
If this newly created antimatter reacted immediately, the dilithium could
indeed be said to be *regulating* a matter/antimatter reaction.

While I realize that this probably goes against something or other Scotty
said in some episode or some mention in an *official* handbook, I think it
makes a much simpler and more aesthetically pleasing solution to the no-
big-bam-boom destruct question than self-powered course-programmed antimatter
escape pods.  Besides, if we took the literature as law on everything, we
would get nowhere, as with the "speed of warp" question.  The 'official'
explanation (warp^3 * c or something like that) was quite impossible to 
reconcile with events on the show.

This dilithium scheme makes sense to me, solves a troubling problem, and I
don't think it is too far out of line with what we know of the show.

derek

-- 
Derek Zahn @ wisconsin
...!{allegra,heurikon,ihnp4,seismo,sfwin,ucbvax,uwm-evax}!uwvax!derek
derek@wisc-rsch.arpa