Over on the TNG board, in discussing SE06 E04 "Relics" with revengine, it occurred to me that the Dyson Sphere discovered in that episode could have been built by Losira's people from TOS S03 E17 "That Which Survives".
Among other things, that would answer questions such as "where did all the inhabitants go?" They died from the same virus that killed Losira and the rest of her people on that outpost. Perhaps thousands of years earlier or more, maybe even before the sun in the Sphere began to misbehave. So there would have been nobody to even attempt evacuation.
Sure there are other possibilities, but something about it having been Losira's people just tickles my brain.
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Reply by SecretaryIMF
on January 25, 2023 at 2:02 AM
Interesting theory. I'll have to watch that theory and get back to you with my opinion. I have a question though. How big would a Dyson Sphere have to be to safely enclosed a sun in the middle of it?
Reply by Knixon
on January 25, 2023 at 2:50 AM
The usual story, at least for a star like ours, would be about the distance of Earth's orbit so it would appear right, somehow. But for a white dwarf or something, the sphere could be smaller.
The main problem they didn't think of in TNG though, was all that energy trapped inside, there need to be some massive radiators on the outside.
Really, the Ringworld is a better idea. You should read those books. They'd give you something to do in the hospital, too.
But you shouldn't just start with Ringworld, you should read Tales of Known Space or something, to get into it.
Reply by SecretaryIMF
on January 28, 2023 at 12:52 PM
@Knixon : I was discharged from the hospital yesterday afternoon. The Cardiologist who does the cardiac procedures for my cardiologist did an angioplasty or angiogram (I always get those two procedures mixed up for some nutty reason) on Thursday, and I think that he FINALLY the small blockage that's been residing in a rather remote area of my heart and cleared it without installing a stent. I'll find out exactly what was done in my next appt. with my cardiologist.
BTW, there's a Star Trek The Next Generation novel called Dyson Sphere, and one of the StarFleet Starships has a Horta as the Captain! Is that cool or what?
Reply by Knixon
on January 28, 2023 at 1:30 PM
That's good, stents can cause new problems of their own.
Feh. Starting with, I don't think Hortas are that smart, plus without hands they wouldn't be able to operate any controls themselves - and how could a Horta serve the time and perform the duties that would be required to advance through ranks? - and the artificial environment that would be required...
Reply by SecretaryIMF
on January 28, 2023 at 1:44 PM
@Knixon: Okay, okay, you raise some very valid points (although I hate to admit it), on second thought Hortas in StarFleet would be a bad idea.
Reply by Knixon
on January 28, 2023 at 6:53 PM
And how do they keep from melting the captain's chair, etc?
Hortas might be able to perform specific tasks in certain circumstances, and on certain planets, but not much within Starfleet especially not in the command area.
Delenn had an interesting speech on such matters in the episode "Learning Curve."
Reply by SecretaryIMF
on January 28, 2023 at 6:56 PM
@Knixon You're never going to let me live this whimsical thought down, are you, Knix? 🤦
Reply by SecretaryIMF
on January 28, 2023 at 7:11 PM
@Knixon: Ah, a fellow Babylon 5 fan has appeared!