Some thoughts on shields from a breakfast discussion at Eclectic.
The question is really do shields stand up to scientific analysis? I'm afraid my science isn't good enough to answer that, so we thought we'd throw it open to the list.
The first point is how do shields work? Also, different SF programmes vary on whether you can fire your own weapons when the shields are up. Could a shield be only one way in that it will stop incoming fire but allow outgoing fire to pass through?
We learn from Harvest that the Liberator has overlapping shields - what's that about? Why couldn't it have just one big shield? Is there an advantage to overlapping shields? Maybe to allow weapon fire?
Also from Harvest, we learn the shields can be detected, otherwise Jarvik couldn't have spotted the gap. How does that work?
As you see, lots of questions but not many answers. Any thoughts?
-- cheers Steve Rogerson http://homepages.poptel.org.uk/steve.rogerson
"In my world, there are people in chains and you can ride them like ponies" The alternative Willow, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Steve Rogerson wrote:
The first point is how do shields work?
Lots of handwaving and plotdevicium.
Also, different SF programmes vary on whether you can fire your own weapons when the shields are up. Could a shield be only one way in that it will stop incoming fire but allow outgoing fire to pass through?
I always assume that the shields/weaponry are co-ordinated, and the shields get 'blinked' at the instant the outgoing payload crosses them. After all, in most shows the incoming artillery is in discrete packets rather then a continuous flow (bullets vs. a flame thrower) and so you can risk being defenseless for the spare nanosecond or two.
We learn from Harvest that the Liberator has overlapping shields - what's that about? Why couldn't it have just one big shield? Is there an advantage to overlapping shields? Maybe to allow weapon fire?
Possible. "Overlapping" in inner, middle, outer layers and so blinked in series.
Usually I think of it more as there being multiple generators/projects/whatever that put out their defense fields in cones out from their position, and so you need more than one of them to get spherical coverage.
Also from Harvest, we learn the shields can be detected, otherwise Jarvik couldn't have spotted the gap. How does that work?
Uh. Like radar? You send out some signal, and it 'bounces' from where there are shields, and not where there are gaps? Or vice versa ... the shields absorb the whatever radiation (might even be some natural background radiation) but you can detect where that radiation is passing unhindered?
As you see, lots of questions but not many answers. Any thoughts?
Not so much thoughts, as off-the-cuff babbling. ;-)
Susan Beth (susanbeth33@mindspring.com)
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Steve Rogerson -
Susan Beth