NationStates Jolt Archive

Lieutenant Commander Ross sped down the corridor as klaxons whined. The ship suddenly shook and she was thrown to the floor. "Tk'paH" she yelled as she pushed herself back up.

"Lieutenant Commander," her commbadge buzzed, "Tell me the status of those Gravitation Necrocrystals!"

"I'm sorry Captain," she replied as she jogged to a side panel and removed it. "The main passageway to the Cerebrostablization level is flooded with Diversified Omega Wave Radicals, one of the Metallic Acceleration units must have been hit! I'm using the sealed tubeways to see if I can make my way directly to the Gravimetric Fusion Labs. Their Valence Osmosis Shielding should protect me as I re-harmonize the Isomer Neuroacceleration."

"Make it so, Ross," replied the Captain, then he paused. "Ross, we need those Necrocrystals online if we're to piece the Thyadian's Oscillating Gamma Particle Repulsion Fields. If you can't make it to the Gravimetric Fusion Labs, then go through Cerebrostablization. We can't afford any delays."

The sealed tubeways were hot. Sweat tricked down Ross' back as she climbed the metal latter upward into the dimly lit tubes. Her chest was unaccountably tight.

"Understood Captain. They'll be online in fifteen minutes, no matter what."

"Thank you Lieutenant Commander. Captain out."

This is the alpha version of the Future Technopedia. It's the dumping ground stage.

It's a compilation of 'what the heck does that mean?' for the various FT terminologies. The FTA is based around the idea that no matter what the technology is, it's simply a storytelling device. As such, I'm going to focus on the certain aspects of technology more than others.

I'm going to add the basic entries, feel free to add whatever technology you are currently using. Updates will happen as I read and request explanations for technology in use by other NS users.


PS: This is an AISI resource. (As I see it) It doesn't claim to be definitive, all knowing, or 'right.' I have never built a hyperdrive, shot a photon torbedo, or used a lightsaber to cut a borg in half.

Science Terms:

Anti-Matter: An elementary antiparticle, a composite of antiparticles (such as antihydrogen), and larger assemblies of either. For every particle, there is an associated antiparticle with the same mass and opposite charges. Particle-antiparticle pairs can annihilate each other if they are in appropriate quantum states. This causes the equivalent to a nuclear explosion, similar to nuclear fission, and produces high kinetic energy photons.

Gravimetry: The measurement of a gravitational field. It may be used when measuring the magnitude of a gravity field, its shape, or its origin. Gravity is usually measured in units of acceleration. In the SI system of units, the standard unit of acceleration is 1 metre per second squared (abbreviated as m/s^2).

Hyperspace: An extra spatial dimension co-existing with our own universe with high Cherenkov radiation. While hyperspace is anchored to the normal universe, its properties are not the same as normal space.

Ion: an atom or group of atoms that normally are electrically neutral and achieve their status as an ion by loss or addition of one or more electrons.

Photon: The elementary particle responsible for electromagnetic phenomena. It mediates electromagnetic interactions and makes up all forms of light. The photon has zero invariant mass and travels at the constant speed c, the speed of light in empty space.

Plasma: an ionized gas, considered a distinct state of matter in contrast to gases because of its unique properties. "Ionized" means that at least one electron has been dissociated from, or added to, a proportion of the atoms or molecules. The free electric charges make the plasma electrically conductive so that it responds strongly to electromagnetic fields.

Tachyon: A hypothetical particle that travels at superluminal speeds. In the language of special relativity, a tachyon is a particle with space-like four-momentum and imaginary proper time. A tachyon is constrained to the space-like portion of the energy-momentum graph. Therefore, it can never slow to light speed or below.

Subspace: A dimension of time-space distinct, yet coexistent with regular space. Subspace has an infinite number of domains.

Superluminal: Faster than light

Exotic Materials:

Cortosis: A rare mineral, found as a somewhat fragile light grey, chalky rock. It is extremely resistant to heat and energy. Alloys of cortosis are able to withstand blaster bolts and lightsabers.

Durasteel: A common alloy in the manufacture of spacecraft hulls. It is a brown, heavy substance, able to withstand large amounts of heat, cold, and pressure.

Plasteel: Durasteel reinforced plastic. The substance Imperial Stormtrooper armor is made from, it's light and provides moderate protection from melee and slug weapons, but little to none against blaster fire.

Weapon Terms:

Phased Plasma Gun (PPG): A gun that fires a small charge of superheated gas through an electromagnetic firing coil. It damages through rapid heat discharge upon contact, which cannot puncture heavy bulkheads, making it safe to use within a spaceship.

Vibroblade: A bladed weapon typically shaped like a sword. It uses an ultrasonic generator to create vibrations, which allow it to cut into dense materials.

Weapon Terms (Ship):

High-Energy Laser (Laser Beam): The most basic of space-ship weaponry, this directed energy weapon produces a coherent beam of photons. Laser weaponry is efficient, having far less mass and needing less energy to power than many other systems.

Particle Beams: A directed energy weapon that generate their destructive power by accelerating sufficient quantities of subatomic particles, typically electrons, protons, or hydrogen atoms, to velocities near the speed of light and focusing these particles into a very high-energy beam. A particle beam can be created using charged particles, which add an electromagnetic 'pulse', or neutral atoms, which are not as susceptible to interference from magnetic fields.

Phaser: A directed energy weapon similar to a laser.

Photon Torpedo: Photons packaged into small, oval-shaped capsules, these torpedoes release massive amounts of energy upon a target. A more advanced version is the antimatter warshead, in which matter and anti-matter kept separate in magnetic bottles which collapse upon impact, creating an explosion and the release of photons.

Shielding Term (ships):

Deflector: A device that uses electromagnetic energy to shift the path of energy weapons by a few degrees, limiting the damage they inflict.

Shield: Tachyon pulses used in a steady stream, which can block virtually all the output of energy weapons, if only for a short period.

Energy Sources:

Solar Power Satellite: This is exactly what it says, a solar power satellite made from advanced nanocrystalline materials. This has a much higher efficiency than current solar power satellites.

Fusion Reactor: The most advanced fusion reactor is the deuterium deuterium reactor. The common reactor used by the Commonalitarianism is the sonofusion tabletop reactor.

Antimatter Reactor: In some instances, the Commonalitarianism uses antimatter reactors in some of its most advanced ships. Rather than create antimatter, harvesters are used to collect antimatter from event horizon of black holes or gas giants.

Subspace energy pylon: As part of its wormhole gate technology, subspace energy pylons designed to draw energy directly from the tremendous gravitational forces of certain areas of subspace are used.

Genetically engineered algae energy plants: These reactors produce hydrogen energy from algae.

Spaceship Drives:

Wormhole Train: This is a system which sinks a shielded tunnel through a wormhole. The tunnels can be linked together forming a network of wormholes with trains running through them. The wormhole train network does not just operate as a normal stargate, it also functions as a dimensional gateway between parallel universes. The Commonalitarianism has built wormhole tunnels large enough to move floating cities between transition points in its central city on Earth Prime a parallel world.

Wormhole Gate: A ring which allows one to traverse huge distances between two points in space. The wormholes in the Commonalitarianism are also used to cross over into parallel universes.

Burkhard Heim star drive: This is a field drive designed to send ships through hyperspace.

Bose Einstein Condensate: Not a drive, but a liquid which can store materials at absolute zero.

Hiberzine: A hibernation drug which can be used on any kind of living material from plants to humanoids.

Ships:

Paraterraformed Asteroid Worldship:

This is an asteroid which has been hollowed out on the inside. The inside houses laboratories, fusion power plants, and other facilties. Situated on the outside are several skyscraper arcologies that reach to an outer shell which surrounds the asteroid with an atmospheric seal. The outer shell is made of a programmable matter capable of self repairing and absorbing sunlight and filtering out ultraviolet radiation. The skin of the asteroid has different ecologies spread across it from a variety of worlds forming a permanent atmosphere inside the worldship. A toroidal ring encircles the asteroid which generates a field drive when needed to enter and exit hyperspace.

Structures:

Earth to Sky Ladder:

This is like a space elevator, but structured differently. First a structure is built on the ocean. Then it is anchored to the sea bed. A set of elevators is created to go to the sea floor. Then an airship platform is raised into the sky. Elevators are sent up to the airship platform. Another set of cables is raised from the airship to Low Earth Orbit using an orbital ion powered blimp forming the final part of the chain from sea floor to the ocean to the sky to space.

Arcologies:

Arcologies-- These are massive self sufficient eco-cities designed on a vertical scale. They incorporate energy plus buildings, urban design, massive green spaces, biomaterials, advanced recycling, and other features to create energy independent closed cycle cities. They are designed to function as closed systems so they can be put almost anywhere on the floor of the ocean, in space, on the surface of the ocean. Currently there are three designs which the Commonalitarianism uses, domed cities, pyramid cities, and dodecahedron shabped orbital space colonies.

Materials

Ceramite-- This is a genetically engineered biomaterial, it is an improved form of nacre from abalone, with a more resilient structure. This material is grown in industrial cloning vats. It provides superior protection as compared to normal ceramics for body armor against small arms fire and heat oriented energy weapons.

Carbon 60-- Fullerenes, 50x harder than diamond this is the choice material for very heavy armor and building space elevators.

Solar Glassteel-- This is a clear composite material which functions like super strong glass with built in solar power production.

Resinated Composite Carbon Weave-- This is a super strong lightweight material used in buildings which is lighter and stronger than steel.

Photon Torpedo: Photons packaged into small, oval-shaped capsules, these torpedoes release massive amounts of energy upon a target.

That doesn't make sense. If it's just photons, then when you detonate it, all you get is a flash.

A quick search around the internet reveals the more popular definition of photon torpedo to be an antimatter warhead, containing matter and anti-matter kept separate in magnetic bottles which presumably collapse upon impact, causing the matter and anti-matter to react.

Where photons come into it, I have no idea.

That doesn't make sense. If it's just photons, then when you detonate it, all you get is a flash.

A quick search around the internet reveals the more popular definition of photon torpedo to be an antimatter warhead, containing matter and anti-matter kept separate in magnetic bottles which presumably collapse upon impact, causing the matter and anti-matter to react.

Where photons come into it, I have no idea.

If photons just created a flash then lasers would also just be bright lights. Also, as noted in the matter/anti-matter entry, when the two combine they produce high kenetic energy photons.

You're correct that the entry is unclear, however.

If photons just created a flash then lasers would also just be bright lights. Also, as noted in the matter/anti-matter entry, when the two combine they produce high kenetic energy photons.

Lasers are very narrowly focused beams. When the beam starts to scatter, they lose energy drastically. If you're just throwing out photons any old how, then they're not going to focus enough energy on any one area to have enough effect, hence there not being much except a flash. In order to do any damage to a target, the warhead would have to release a small sun's worth of photons, which would be absurdly wasteful compared to the amount of energy required to generate them in the first place. Even then, you'd be better off just using a laser.

Also, since photons travel at c and have zero mass, what exactly is a 'high kinetic energy' photon?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oh_my_god_particle

Though I doubt this really means photons have any real kinetic energy...

Weapons (ship based)

Lance: energy weapons; usually mounted in large and heavily armoured turrets, lances focus their energy into a concentrated beam, capable of burning through even the most armoured hull and cutting smaller vessels in half.

Weapons Batteries: are the primary armament for most (Imperium of Man-style) warships. Since each battery consist of numerous ranks of individual weapons, whole sections of the ship's hull can be covered by gun ports, launcher systems, turrets and weapon housings. The weapons employed vary immensely: plasma projectors, close-range missile launchers, laser cannons, rail guns, fusion beamers and graviton pulsars have been found on Imperial ships. These batteries fire in co-ordinated salvoes, to increase the chances to hit and amount of damage done to a target.

Nova Cannons: Normally mounted in the prow of the ship so that the ship's engines can compensate for the recoil, these guns use gravimetric impellers to propel a projectile close to the speed of light. After reaching a preset distance, the projectile implodes with a force potent enough to cripple most vessels and/or damage several at once. The largest Imperial battleships are known to mount Nova Cannons so monstrously powerful that they are able to devastate entire enemy fleets in a single salvo.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oh_my_god_particle

Though I doubt this really means photons have any real kinetic energy...

Mainly because it was a proton?

Since People Like Weapons Here Are A Few.

Tachyon Cannon-- Experimental weapon. Faster than light particle beam cannon. This requires tremendous power. It is a spinal mounted distance weapon, designed to fire several rapid fire bursts before a fleet closes.

Antigravitophoton wave missile-- This is a missile which generates a gravity wave pulse increasing gravity to 20x normal in the pulse blast radius for several seconds. It is enough to crush most ships instantly. The theoretical upper limit for an antigravitophoton is 137 gravities.

Antigravitophoton lance-- This fires a stream of particles which increase gravity in the beam radius to 40 x normal gravity.

Fusion particle beam cannon-- This is a heavy particle beam cannon.

Multicyclic hypervelosity fusion missile-- This is a modern fusion weapon which cycles multiple times. Late 21st century multicyclic warheads cycled three times. These are in the one gigaton range and cycle ten times. There is no upper theoretical limit to the number of cycles. They mount short range one shot jump engines.

Faceted Graser-- Gamma ray laser designed for continuous cutting beam.

Type One Disruptor-- This is a ball lightning plasma weapon that is pumped full of microwave energy to maintain its killing capacity.