Star Trek: The Next Generation : What if the Gravity quit working during a battle?

What if the Gravity quit working during a battle?

During a battle a lot of systems can go down, life support, weapons and all of that stuff, how would the crew react if they took a good hit and Data yelled "Artificial Gravity is offline" and everyone on all sections of the entire ship started floating around at their stations?

Basically a Zero G Weightlessness effect happening during a battle, number one it would make it impossible to fight back while floating around in the ship, number two it would just be hilarious to see it happen, number three if and when it was restored everyone would fall all down and land painfully and Sickbay would be popular after the crash landings of bodies, especially from high up in the air in engineering.

The budget would probably prevent this but surely a minor system like gravity would be affected during a space battle, going offline along with weapons or life support, or maybe you could have Q show up and turn it off to mess with them and prove they dont belong in Space.

Re: What if the Gravity quit working during a battle?

I think you answered your own question there, Rid.

RIP Gene Wilder. One of the funniest people of all time. RIP Robert Vaughn

Re: What if the Gravity quit working during a battle?

If artificial gravity goes out, they're screwed. It would make getting around and working rather difficult, and if inertial dampeners go out, they're all dead.

Re: What if the Gravity quit working during a battle?

Space battle where gravity failed: Star Trek 6

time when gravity failed while in the shower: ENT: "Unexpected"

"He's dusted, busted and disgusted, but he's ok"

Re: What if the Gravity quit working during a battle?

My Doctor of Science father absolutely RANTS at the scene in The Undiscovered Country when the artificial gravity fails on board the Klingon ship: the moment it happens, objects on a table immediately rise up off it. WHYYYYY? My father shouts! It WOULD NOT HAPPEN. And I agree with him.

Why are you here if you haven't seen the movie yet?

Re: What if the Gravity quit working during a battle?

Is the "Doctor of Science" smart enough to realise that Star Trek movies need to appeal to a general audience?

Re: What if the Gravity quit working during a battle?

That's why he says that Trek, along with almost all other TV and movie sci-fi, is woefully inaccurate in his eyes. He thinks if you're going to take your story concept and place it in a sci-fi setting, you should make it 100% scientifically-accurate or NOT BOTHER AT ALL. It seems he forgets about the word "fiction".

Why are you here if you haven't seen the movie yet?

Re: What if the Gravity quit working during a battle?

I sort of agree with your father.
I guess that's why I just can't watch "action" movies.
I saw an analysis by a doctor about one of those Tom Cruise movies. Believe me the explaination didn't have the characters jumping up and continuing on their merry little way like they did in the movie.


No world order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will succeed

Re: What if the Gravity quit working during a battle?

Why wouldn't it happen? The Klingon ship was in motion...stuff floats in the ISS and various space shuttles. Maybe they slightly reversed the gravity?

Seriously explain it.

Re: What if the Gravity quit working during a battle?

Newton's Laws of Motion explain it nicely.

Why would the gravity be reversed? If the inertia of the Klingon ship was changed by some kind of collision then maybe the objects on the table would move as a result, but if the force of artificial gravity on the objects on the table disappeared, then they would just stay there until acted upon by an outside force. As I said above. Newton. Genius, see?

Why are you here if you haven't seen the movie yet?

Re: What if the Gravity quit working during a battle?

Forget the part where they were in motion and hit by torpedoes? What about when astronauts sleep they have to be strapped in and strapped to the suction toilet... So yeah...things would start floating.

Re: What if the Gravity quit working during a battle?

I was going to watch TUC so I can confirm, but yes, it's been a long while since I saw it and I can't remember if the torpedoes hit, then the gravity failed, or before.

Why are you here if you haven't seen the movie yet?

Re: What if the Gravity quit working during a battle?

I got my answers from a real science and STAR TREK science expert.

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Re: What if the Gravity quit working during a battle?


I got my answers from a real science and STAR TREK science expert.


Two different people, or the same guy? I find it hilarious that this guy could reconcile Star Trek science (sound in space???) with REAL science.

In any case, I'm watching TUC now and I've just seen the sequence in question:

The artificial gravity on the Klingon ship failed after the SECOND and LAST torpedo, and immediately after the torpedo hits, the Klingon ship is sent into it's final inertial momentum, and THEN the gravity fails. At that moment, objects on the table not so much drift off the surface but almost FLY off, and for some unfathomable reason, a disruptor pistol, a few moments later, practically FLIES out of its holster through no external force! How ridiculous is that? Don't get me wrong, the objects still become weightless and in the case of the helpless Klingons moving around, it's likely they would drift out of their chairs as they effectively pushed against them involuntarily, but the objects on the table would most likely move, but not as much as they did. Again, it's all down to Newton's Laws of Motion. After all, he knew everything about gravity.

Why are you here if you haven't seen the movie yet?

Re: What if the Gravity quit working during a battle?

This person is the same guy. He talked about some of it being the writer's and artistic license but things would definitely float. He said that the federation ships still have gravity for a while, again, because the gravity pucks would still be spinning after power went out. He said he didn't know about federation ships or Klingon ships from that period since he's the expert in TNG area. And believe me he is absolutely the authority on it.

Re: What if the Gravity quit working during a battle?


He talked about some of it being the writer's and artistic license but things would definitely float.


If you mean they are weightless, then yes, that's right. I'm just questioning why the objects on the table would rise up like helium balloons, that's all.


He said that the federation ships still have gravity for a while, again, because the gravity pucks would still be spinning after power went out.


Yes, I distinctly remember that from the time I owned the TNG Technical Manual: something about how the gravity generators were embedded in the ceilings of each deck, with spinning discs inside emitting gravitons. I always thought that was quite impractical, frankly. However, I just fell in love with the concept of how the LCARS display panels worked, and how versatile they could be in configuration.


And believe me he is absolutely the authority on it.


Yes, I think I've seen that book myself, "The Science of Star Trek"

Why are you here if you haven't seen the movie yet?

Re: What if the Gravity quit working during a battle?

I asked an expert and said they probably would just float. The biggest problem he had with it was that they were all unprepared for the loss of gravity.

Re: What if the Gravity quit working during a battle?

Well to a small degree the gravity would deform any object resting on a table and store some energy like in a spring. Maybe just compressed dust flakes. So when gravity cuts out you could expect a force lifting objects off. No clue if this is real though, and if the "deformed spring force" would be strong enough to overcome air resistance or the contact resistance to the table.

Re: What if the Gravity quit working during a battle?

To answer the OP's question from an expert...the gravity pucks on starfleet ships would keep spinning for a while after the power is cut. Didn't know about Klingon vessels at that time but unless accelerating they would definitely float.

Re: What if the Gravity quit working during a battle?

Anchor boots, or seatbelts would be helpful.

RIP Gene Wilder. One of the funniest people of all time. RIP Robert Vaughn

Re: What if the Gravity quit working during a battle?

What if the gravity went off-line and someone who did a number two and forgot to flush?

Re: What if the Gravity quit working during a battle?

There's a stock line in TOS, heard after the Enterprise took a major hit "Gravity down to point eight!" which suggests that Starfleet gravity plating holds a charge. The initial power loss may render it at less than full power, but you won't just start floating off the deck.

Jake Meridius Conhale, at your service!
"Old Man" of the BSG (RDM) boards.

Re: What if the Gravity quit working during a battle?

Troi's boobs during wheightlessness



I'm just on my way up to Clavius.

Re: What if the Gravity quit working during a battle?

When life support goes down, they still have oxygen for awhile. Maybe their artificial gravity works in a similar way.

Re: What if the Gravity quit working during a battle?

No, Ruby, when artificial gravity fails (however it's meant to work), then that's it, they're weightless, immediately. Humans and aliens don't really need artificial gravity to survive, as we can see on the ISS today. However, when life support fails, namely breathing gases are no longer circulated or converted, then whatever oxygen remains is quickly converted to carbon dioxide through breathing, and the air quickly becomes unbreathable and toxic to life. Simples.

Why are you here if you haven't seen the movie yet?

Re: What if the Gravity quit working during a battle?

You sure are full of misinformation. I said that the expert said that the gravity pucks would work for a while. Plus humans need gravity. Long term weightlessness causes muscle atrophy, bone deterioration and vision degradation and loss. My ex's father actually worked for NASA and this is what he studied. He was a real d!ck. So this isn't the same expert I asked. And I got the other information through reading.

Re: What if the Gravity quit working during a battle?

Anybody see that TMNT episode from the 90's "Sky Turtles"? It deals with gravity and anti-gravity.

RIP Gene Wilder. One of the funniest people of all time. RIP Robert Vaughn

Re: What if the Gravity quit working during a battle?


I said that the expert said that the gravity pucks would work for a while.


OK, I forgot about the way Starfleet ships generate gravity, and if it was due to hull rotation like, say, Babylon 5 or the Leonov in 2010, then it too would take a while. Whoops!


Plus humans need gravity. Long term weightlessness causes muscle atrophy, bone deterioration and vision degradation and loss.


I didn't say otherwise, but our current space programs are woefully primitive in practice, considering the technical knowledge we have.

Why are you here if you haven't seen the movie yet?

Re: What if the Gravity quit working during a battle?

True. We don't even have any flying cars yet, for crying out loud.

RIP Gene Wilder. One of the funniest people of all time. RIP Robert Vaughn

Re: What if the Gravity quit working during a battle?

Thank goodness we don't have flying cars. You think I want idiots crashing through my roof?

Re: What if the Gravity quit working during a battle?

But it's good business for the insurance companies hmm sounds like a plan Trump would endorse.

Re: What if the Gravity quit working during a battle?

I envision the Jetsons. They'd be flying way up there.

RIP Gene Wilder. One of the funniest people of all time. RIP Robert Vaughn

Re: What if the Gravity quit working during a battle?

I envision like Ruby said, car accidents, then the cars could fall onto your house, bummer.
Or it would fall into your garage, and smash your car, a car accident for your car when it's locked safely in the garage.

No world order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will succeed u

Re: What if the Gravity quit working during a battle?

I envision terrorists like Al Qaida or Isis getting control of flying cars, only not cars per see but 18 wheeler trucks and buses, filled with bombs and explosives, then crash landing them into important government buildings and installations because there are no walls and they can fly right into them, causing huge amounts of death and destruction with only one or two people and one vehicle.

That is another reason why flying cars would suck, terrorists would use them to crash into buildings in cars packed with explosives, nobody would ever suspect them until they had launched a global attack, so flying cars would have terrorists notice too, and would have to be regulated and controlled very carefully.

Because people driving flying cars would not be under military or police control and supervision, no way to prevent maniacs from abusing the technology.

Re: What if the Gravity quit working during a battle?

Imagine if gravity quit during a battle, and everyone got scared and shat themselves? Imagine the mess!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMZmNG_DRJA

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Re: What if the Gravity quit working during a battle?

Lol!! Hilarious, Jay.

RIP Gene Wilder. One of the funniest people of all time. RIP Robert Vaughn
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