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denWhy is it, when The Hero In The SF Show is in trouble, they reverse the polarity and fix the problem? They did it on Enterprise this week. Reversed the Polarity and all the little ships clinging to the bad-guy's big ship all let go and floated away.
That's not reversing the polarity! That's cancelling the polarity. That's switching it off!
Here's a clue: get two magnets and stick the ends together so you have North-South touching. They stick, right? Now, reverse the polarity so that instead of North-South you now have South-North. Guess what? They're still sticking together! If you reverse the polarity on a 240v AC motor it still turns in the same direction until the earth leakage breaker trips. (3 phase motors and washing machine motors are different.)
STOP REVERSING THE POLARITY! it's bad SF! Just because Doctor Who reversed the polarity doesn't make it a good solution. It's BULLSHIT.
SF Problems that should be caused by reversing the polarity:
-The engines run backwards thrusting you to a stop, then into reverse at high speed.
-The shields let shots in but you can't shoot out
-The magnetically sealed door stays magnetically sealed (only in reverse)
-All ship controls would operate in reverse (turns right when you turn the wheel left)
-Fault Lights turn on when there is no problem, and go off to indicate a problem
Just once I'd like to see an engineer reverse the polarity and fry the circuits.
This is a real peeve I have. It got to me so badly I had to add it into The Novel What I Am Writing.:
(Quote)
They worked on the drive for an hour before they felt the problem had been repaired.
"How is that, Effie?" asked Mitch.
"The chance of failure is now one percent."
"I told you that wasn't the problem," said Peib.
"Yes, well. Now we know what it isn't," said Mitch. "Effie has been leading us astray."
After another hour of repairs Effie announced "Chance of failure is now two percent." Mitch kicked the drive in anger. "Chance of failure is now one hundred percent," said Effie.
"Oh dear," said Bren.
"Never mind," said Peib, patting Mitch on the shoulder. "It was going to fail anyway."
"Shut up you bastards," grumbled Mitch.
"The primary power coupling has failed," said Effie.
"There!" said Mitch waving a finger at Peib. "There is no way a little kick would do that."
Five minutes later they had removed the damaged unit. Peib examined it closely. "There is a string of burned contacts in there," he said eventually as he handed it to Mitch. "You may gloat now."
"I told you a little kick wouldn't do that," said Mitch as he peered at the unit. "I'd better get a spare."
"There are no useable primary power couplings on board," said Effie.
Bren closely examined the failed coupling. "I think I can fix this," he said. The hairs around his nose bristled and quivered. "Is there a microscope on board?"
"No," said Peib.
"Can't you do something?"
"Such as what?"
"Oh, I don't know." Bren waved his hands vaguely. "You could reverse the polarity or something." Mitch and Peib stared at him for long seconds. They burst out laughing and he lowered his head in embarrassment.
(end quote)
That's not reversing the polarity! That's cancelling the polarity. That's switching it off!
Here's a clue: get two magnets and stick the ends together so you have North-South touching. They stick, right? Now, reverse the polarity so that instead of North-South you now have South-North. Guess what? They're still sticking together! If you reverse the polarity on a 240v AC motor it still turns in the same direction until the earth leakage breaker trips. (3 phase motors and washing machine motors are different.)
STOP REVERSING THE POLARITY! it's bad SF! Just because Doctor Who reversed the polarity doesn't make it a good solution. It's BULLSHIT.
SF Problems that should be caused by reversing the polarity:
-The engines run backwards thrusting you to a stop, then into reverse at high speed.
-The shields let shots in but you can't shoot out
-The magnetically sealed door stays magnetically sealed (only in reverse)
-All ship controls would operate in reverse (turns right when you turn the wheel left)
-Fault Lights turn on when there is no problem, and go off to indicate a problem
Just once I'd like to see an engineer reverse the polarity and fry the circuits.
This is a real peeve I have. It got to me so badly I had to add it into The Novel What I Am Writing.:
(Quote)
They worked on the drive for an hour before they felt the problem had been repaired.
"How is that, Effie?" asked Mitch.
"The chance of failure is now one percent."
"I told you that wasn't the problem," said Peib.
"Yes, well. Now we know what it isn't," said Mitch. "Effie has been leading us astray."
After another hour of repairs Effie announced "Chance of failure is now two percent." Mitch kicked the drive in anger. "Chance of failure is now one hundred percent," said Effie.
"Oh dear," said Bren.
"Never mind," said Peib, patting Mitch on the shoulder. "It was going to fail anyway."
"Shut up you bastards," grumbled Mitch.
"The primary power coupling has failed," said Effie.
"There!" said Mitch waving a finger at Peib. "There is no way a little kick would do that."
Five minutes later they had removed the damaged unit. Peib examined it closely. "There is a string of burned contacts in there," he said eventually as he handed it to Mitch. "You may gloat now."
"I told you a little kick wouldn't do that," said Mitch as he peered at the unit. "I'd better get a spare."
"There are no useable primary power couplings on board," said Effie.
Bren closely examined the failed coupling. "I think I can fix this," he said. The hairs around his nose bristled and quivered. "Is there a microscope on board?"
"No," said Peib.
"Can't you do something?"
"Such as what?"
"Oh, I don't know." Bren waved his hands vaguely. "You could reverse the polarity or something." Mitch and Peib stared at him for long seconds. They burst out laughing and he lowered his head in embarrassment.
(end quote)
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no subject
Date: 2 Mar 2002 06:09 (UTC)Unless... They're only reversing the polarity on 1 magnet and leaving one as it is so that North-south becomes either north-north or south-south and makes things push away..... ;o)
But that's not what got me on Star Trek. But mabbe on TNG itself and its this that really got up my rear...
Wesley flipping Crusher. Now come on. How in the feck does some kid manage to save the ship so many times when there are adults on that ship that have had more experience, gone through school and know their job and stand there completely baffled and this kid saves the day?
That completely annoyed me when he was on TNG. Data I can understand but Wesley??????
Interesting question now. Who's more annoying. Q or Wesley? LOL
no subject
Date: 2 Mar 2002 16:07 (UTC)Q was an annoying bastard, but he was interesting.
Wesley was annoying.
I always wanted to hear Picard say "Mister Worf. Smack Wesley on the head."
no subject
Date: 2 Mar 2002 16:21 (UTC)no subject
Date: 3 Mar 2002 15:21 (UTC)Sheesh. Mind you, nuff said about the 1st season of TNG the better LOL!!!
no subject
Date: 2 Mar 2002 07:25 (UTC)no subject
Date: 2 Mar 2002 09:45 (UTC)Dr. Who could do it because Dr. Who was a children's programme, and never claimed to be anything else. Plus, it was mostly Dr. #3 who did all the polarity reversing. That was his gimmick. Well, that and the foofy suits.
no subject
Date: 3 Mar 2002 15:25 (UTC)Only other thing that got me was this. Ship is all wrecked but wait. Next ep, the ship looks like it's all well etc. And yes, Voyager has more different timeframes than Basil Brush has hairs on his tail.
Especially with the Dr. being left behind before heading off himself in a shuttle to catch up hundreds of years ago.
I just think writers for that show just don't think too much on the timeline they are writing in. Then again, it's TV, it's a American show and nothing has to work out properly ;o)
no subject
Date: 2 Mar 2002 12:40 (UTC)no subject
Date: 2 Mar 2002 15:36 (UTC)