>> RANTS > FROM THE PEN OF THE MASTER GEEK

Happy Birthday Star Trek - 40 years!

I am not joking when I say... My life would not be what it is today were it not for these actors, the writers, and the vision of Gene Roddenberry.

And yes, that is a very good thing. Star Trek made me want to become a writer (well, technically, it made me want to become an engineer. Alas, I hate math and will never see Warp Drive in my lifetime. So, I turned to writing).

Star Trek continues to help my imagination grow far beyond the stars.

And, while I am no longer the basement dwelling, girlfriendless Geek of time past... I will throw down after a couple dirty martinis if anyone dare malign my Star Trek...

...Especially if you claim an Imperial Star Destroyer can defeat a Federation Starship, to say nothing of the Ship of the Line... The USS Enterprise... Pul-Leaze!

Okay… Here is a quick update to the above "gauntlet throwing"

Mind you… I received this response from fellow Geek in the City writer Ersogoth almost instantly upon posting.

I also want to point out that he is indeed married. To a woman. Who doesn't live in Canada. I’ve met her. Honest. She rocks!

I also want to point out that I am also getting married. To a woman. Who also isn’t in Canada. She met his wife. HONEST!

Okay... Here we go... Read on:

Aaron -Okay... You don't want to start this...

We all know that the Death Star... Badass it might be... Still only fires a Laser... Moreover, as it has been fully explained in many a book and episode, Starfleet Shields can deflect lasers till the end of time...

WOOOOOOO... Suck on THAT Force boy!

An ounce of Anti-Matter can level a continent... COME ON!

Ersogoth –To settle this, we would have to verify that the "laser" they are speaking of (Meaning the Death Star Super Laser) is actually ONLY a laser, Now, looking into the physics of it -- A "normal" laser could not cause the kind of explosion and destruction that is seen when Allderaan is destroyed (in the original trilogy.. the stupid "halo effect" is not possible with ANY kind of weapon, unless your playing Halo..) Ok, so since that explosion is proof that the so named "super-laser" could not be just your typical run of the mill laser with extra power, it has to be something else. I believe the only thing that could cause THAT sort of destruction is an Anti-Matter weapon. Especially since the explosion happens INSTANTLY.

Now, I will definitely say that Star Trek has some advantages; they have been using Anti-Matter MUCH longer than Star Wars. I am sure the Death Star could caintain enough Anti-Matter. Therefore, you could say Star Trek is like years ahead in technological advances with Anti-Matter.

We, meaning the real world United States, have made several advances in the past that maintained a naming convention from older technology, even though it did not correlate at all.

So, the Death Star "Super-Laser" was designed and invented using new technology, but since using the term "Anti-Matter Laser" would not necessarily further the Tarkin Doctrine, they chose a name that could be understandable to the common person, and one that defined it as bigger and better than the norm.

So to summarize my belief:

The Super-Laser is an Anti-Matter weapon, it was new technology (very new) so they needed a catchy name, and since it produced a beam much like a laser, Super Laser was used. Star Trek has a much greater understanding of Anti-Matter than Star Wars. The Trek universe has been using the technology longer, and produces much more effective results with less. Ergo, their containment fields do not need to be the size of a moon.

Now, does this mean that it is a definite that the Death Star would prevail... not really, but I do believe it would stand a fighting chance against.

Dude... How did you get hot chicks? We are LAME!