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I too have a degree in Physics but have trouble enjoying sci-fi entertainment that includes basic physics screw ups in its story. I about pull my hair out when

I too have a degree in Physics but have trouble enjoying sci-fi entertainment that includes basic physics screw ups in its story. I about pull my hair out when I hear them insert quantum entanglement in random places to make up for a lack of creativity and/or ability to hire a decent science adviser.

Florin_Andrei 9y ago
Well, I was just watching yesterday an episode from TNG, where Geordie detects a "deuterium leak", and Riker immediately asks "toxic?" Dude, it's hydrogen, you need to have different concerns there. At least they did acknowledge that firing a weapon in a deuterium-rich atmosphere might not be wise, depending on concentration. Eh, just push the non-chewy bits to the edge of the plate and enjoy the rest of the culinary confection.
- deleted 9y ago
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- logfromblammo 9y ago
  As a nitpick, deuterium actually is toxic. The hydrogen bonding in molecules that substitute deuterium for light hydrogen is affected, such that if you drink enough heavy water, you will experience symptoms similar to radiation poisoning. It interferes with how your chromosomes line up during cell division. Presumably, if you inhale enough dideuterium monoxide vapor, you may experience a similar effect. It would not be acutely toxic, though--more like an occupational exposure level of hazard. Deuterium gas is likely as harmless as light hydrogen gas. If a retcon is necessary to preserve one's enjoyment of the show, Riker may have already been aware of the hazard level for humans, but was asking for a more informed opinion from the chief engineer, who has presumably read and memorized all the MSDS sheets, for the benefit of any nonhuman organisms on board. Vulcans and Romulans, for instance, experience an anaesthetic effect from TLTDH, similar to the effect of NO2 on humans. It would not be out of character for Star Trek to invent a bizarre species-specific toxicity if the plot demanded one.
  - ilamont 9y ago
    This is the best Internet comment I have seen this month on HN or anywhere else. Thank you!
  - Florin_Andrei 9y ago
    Well, they were not about to drink heavy water, they were just breathing air with some percentage of heavy hydrogen. How much D2 can you breathe in before you suffocate anyway? Of whatever amount you do breathe, how little is absorbed? Of the tiny amount that is in fact absorbed, how much ends up exchanging D atoms with your body? I don't know the answers to these questions, but my bet is the airborne process is orders of magnitude less efficient than drinking D2O. Their main concerns should be: 1. Suffocation from lack of O2 2. Risk of explosion if the D2 percentage is in the danger zone 3. If that think was leaking out of a reactor, maybe there were some byproducts leaking out with it? Like, I dunno, tritium? That would be really, really nasty to breathe in.
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stormbeta 9y ago
You'd probably enjoy Greg Egan's work then.

Florin_Andrei 9y ago

Well, I was just watching yesterday an episode from TNG, where Geordie detects a "deuterium leak", and Riker immediately asks "toxic?" Dude, it's hydrogen, you need to have different concerns there. At least they did acknowledge that firing a weapon in a deuterium-rich atmosphere might not be wise, depending on concentration. Eh, just push the non-chewy bits to the edge of the plate and enjoy the rest of the culinary confection.

deleted 9y ago
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logfromblammo 9y ago
As a nitpick, deuterium actually is toxic. The hydrogen bonding in molecules that substitute deuterium for light hydrogen is affected, such that if you drink enough heavy water, you will experience symptoms similar to radiation poisoning. It interferes with how your chromosomes line up during cell division. Presumably, if you inhale enough dideuterium monoxide vapor, you may experience a similar effect. It would not be acutely toxic, though--more like an occupational exposure level of hazard. Deuterium gas is likely as harmless as light hydrogen gas. If a retcon is necessary to preserve one's enjoyment of the show, Riker may have already been aware of the hazard level for humans, but was asking for a more informed opinion from the chief engineer, who has presumably read and memorized all the MSDS sheets, for the benefit of any nonhuman organisms on board. Vulcans and Romulans, for instance, experience an anaesthetic effect from TLTDH, similar to the effect of NO2 on humans. It would not be out of character for Star Trek to invent a bizarre species-specific toxicity if the plot demanded one.
- ilamont 9y ago
  This is the best Internet comment I have seen this month on HN or anywhere else. Thank you!
- Florin_Andrei 9y ago
  Well, they were not about to drink heavy water, they were just breathing air with some percentage of heavy hydrogen. How much D2 can you breathe in before you suffocate anyway? Of whatever amount you do breathe, how little is absorbed? Of the tiny amount that is in fact absorbed, how much ends up exchanging D atoms with your body? I don't know the answers to these questions, but my bet is the airborne process is orders of magnitude less efficient than drinking D2O. Their main concerns should be: 1. Suffocation from lack of O2 2. Risk of explosion if the D2 percentage is in the danger zone 3. If that think was leaking out of a reactor, maybe there were some byproducts leaking out with it? Like, I dunno, tritium? That would be really, really nasty to breathe in.
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]

stormbeta 9y ago

You'd probably enjoy Greg Egan's work then.