Star Trek The Slingshot Effect

The Slingshot Effect

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Report this Dec. 19 2012, 10:08 am

I've got a question about the sling shot effect. I really don't understand how it throws you back in time. What is it specifically about the whiplash created by the speeding starship as it bounces of the gravitational field of a large stellar body that allows you to travel back in time. I understand that traveling faster than the speed of light will take you back in time, but if the starship can on its own travel at such a speed, than what is the use for the slingshot?

Beershark

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Report this Dec. 19 2012, 11:50 pm

As a plot device.

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Vger23

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Report this Dec. 20 2012, 7:46 am

Quote: sachindp @ Dec. 19 2012, 10:08 am

>I've got a question about the sling shot effect. I really don't understand how it throws you back in time. What is it specifically about the whiplash created by the speeding starship as it bounces of the gravitational field of a large stellar body that allows you to travel back in time. I understand that traveling faster than the speed of light will take you back in time, but if the starship can on its own travel at such a speed, than what is the use for the slingshot?

Actually, warp drive does NOT allow starships to travel faster than light. It creates a bubble "universe" that allows the ship to exist outside of the normal universe and avoid the limiting issues of relativity.

I think the slingshot effect is basically the combination of gravity and the warp bubble interacting with each other to create unique conditions that allow for time travel. It's not just the sheer velocity.

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