FORCE FIELDS
I. When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that
something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.
II. The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to
venture a little way past them into the impossible.
III. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable
from magic.
-ARTHUR C. CLARKE'S THREE LAWS
"Shields up!"
In countless Star Trek episodes this is the first order that Captain
Kirk barks out to the crew, raising the force fields to protect the starship Enterprise against enemy fire.
So vital are force fields in Star Trek that the tide of the battle can
be measured by how the force field is holding up. Whenever power is
drained from the force fields, the Enterprise suffers more and more
damaging blows to its hull, until finally surrender is inevitable.
So what is a force field? In science fiction it's deceptively simple: a
thin, invisible yet impenetrable barrier able to deflect lasers and rockets alike. At first glance a force field looks so easy that its creation as a
battlefield shield seems imminent. One expects that any day some enterprising inventor will announce the discovery of a defensive force
field. But the truth is far more complicated.
I. When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that
something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.
II. The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to
venture a little way past them into the impossible.
III. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable
from magic.
-ARTHUR C. CLARKE'S THREE LAWS
"Shields up!"
In countless Star Trek episodes this is the first order that Captain
Kirk barks out to the crew, raising the force fields to protect the starship Enterprise against enemy fire.
So vital are force fields in Star Trek that the tide of the battle can
be measured by how the force field is holding up. Whenever power is
drained from the force fields, the Enterprise suffers more and more
damaging blows to its hull, until finally surrender is inevitable.
So what is a force field? In science fiction it's deceptively simple: a
thin, invisible yet impenetrable barrier able to deflect lasers and rockets alike. At first glance a force field looks so easy that its creation as a
battlefield shield seems imminent. One expects that any day some enterprising inventor will announce the discovery of a defensive force
field. But the truth is far more complicated.