edtking@uw-june (Ewan David Tempero) (12/27/84)
I thought Dilithium was some sort of high energy element that when excited produced a high level of usable energy ( this sentence doesn't make much sense......humour me) . I remember Kirk and Spock getting some sort of implants with dilithium that were to be used for tracing them ( Kirk and Spock, not the implants ). When imprisoned ( I think it was the one with the Nazi like development ) they dug them out ( don't ask me how ) and used them to turn an electric current from a light socket into a laser-like beam which they then used to burn their way out. Maybe the crystals are used to convert the raw energy from the matter/anti-matter reaction into a more convenient form of energy for the engines? Ewan Tempero ...!uw-beaver!uw-june!edtking edtking@washington
john@moncol.UUCP (John Ruschmeyer) (12/27/84)
>From: edtking@uw-june (Ewan David Tempero) >Message-ID: <2085@uw-june> >Date: Wed, 26-Dec-84 20:27:27 EST > > I remember Kirk and Spock getting some sort of >implants with dilithium that were to be used for tracing them ( Kirk and >Spock, not the implants ). When imprisoned ( I think it was the one with >the Nazi like development ) they dug them out ( don't ask me how ) and used >them to turn an electric current from a light socket into a laser-like beam >which they then used to burn their way out. Actually those were Rubindium crystals. Spock used them to focus the light from a bulb into a crude laser. As already posted (sorry I don't have the reference), dilithium crystals are used to focus the energy of the matter/anti-matter reaction. This use of them is mentioned in John M. Ford's novel _The Final Reflection_. Pre-dilithium warp engines were capable of a maximum speed of about warp 4. Dilithium crystals do, however, seem to put out some power of their own. Otheriwse, how would Spock have discovered the Dohlman's (sp?) necklace in "Elaan of Troyus"? -- John Ruschmeyer ...!vax135!petsd!moncol!john Monmouth College W. Long Branch, NJ 07764 "The more they overthink the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain."