It has taken me far too long to get back to the topic of Star Trek in my series „Physics of Hollywood“. This time with a very simple task, but I enjoy it even more because it – SPOILER – has been presented in a scientifically correct way.
„Star Trek Discovery“ is a science fiction series from the year 2017, set in the fictional year 2256. The spaceships of the series can fly at super light speed to overcome the enormous distances between the stars.
At the beginning of episode 12 „Blind Desire“ of the first season, lead actress Michael Burnham enters a small shuttle to fly at the speed of light („Warp 1“) 27 million kilometers to another ship.
a) Calculate how long the shuttle will travel.
b) Watch the scene in the episode and stop time. Is it shown realistically?
The Physics of Hollywood
Movies in physics class?
Whether a ball rolls from a table or Spiderman falls from a house makes no difference from a physical point of view.
It’s time to think about why physics is one of the most unpopular school subjects. „The Physics of Hollywood“ offers teachers and students concrete starting points. Abstract physical terms are linked to the students‘ world: Can Arnold Schwarzenegger really shoot relaxed from his wrist? Could there really be King Kong? What happens during beaming? And how heavy is the incredible Hulk?
In this book, concrete film sequences are addressed and calculated at school level. Each excerpt is precisely localized and connected to the respective film trailer via QR code. In addition, there are detailed solutions for each task.
The „Physics of Hollywood“ is available at Amazon as a paperback: Link.