Do starships fly?

[QueteshRuled]

Okay. So for something to fly, it must be propelling itself through the air, but in space there is no air. So whay is the best way to define starship travel? You arent flying, nor sailing or flying. The closest ive come is simply saying travelling. But what about different means of propulsion? Sublight. Hyperspace. Warp drive. We dont say sublighting, warp driving, or hyperspacing. And there are numerous other forms of propulsion (theoretically) slipstream, space folding... Thoughts?

[dr.chrismckay]

Flying by definition is movement not on the ground. This means that submarines also fly. Flying is a modern word defining actions not regulated by the ground. IMHO. We also use the term that a car can fly, so flying is just a word used to describe movement.

[Dellruby]

A lot like how we say we are "taping" something on TV, but we don't use tape.

[StargateWatcher]

Flying by definition is movement not on the ground. This means that submarines also fly. Flying is a modern word defining actions not regulated by the ground. IMHO. We also use the term that a car can fly, so flying is just a word used to describe movement.

Interesting analyzing of the semantics of the word 'fly'. Didn't know about describing a car as 'flying'.

[dr.chrismckay]

you've never heard someone say that car is flying down the road, or that driver flew by me.

[Gollumpus]

Okay. So for something to fly, it must be propelling itself through the air, but in space there is no air.

There is matter in space. There's dust, gases and all sorts of stuff, which is not as "dense" as our atmosphere (usually), but it is there. You'll suffocate if you try to breathe it, and your lungs, and ear-drums etc will break apart because of the low pressure, but there's photons out there that will push a solar sail, or should we change "sail" to something else.

To be honest, I like solar sail. It invokes an image of tall ships a time of adventure when the world was a bigger place.

So whay is the best way to define starship travel? You arent flying, nor sailing or flying. The closest ive come is simply saying travelling. But what about different means of propulsion? Sublight. Hyperspace. Warp drive. We dont say sublighting, warp driving, or hyperspacing. And there are numerous other forms of propulsion (theoretically) slipstream, space folding... Thoughts?

Using the term "flying" is appropriate (as others have already noted). It is a generic expression which is applied, and re-applied as needed because its a word (and a concept) with which we are familiar. If we are going to balk at the use of the word flying, perhaps we should also take a look at "starship", since the ship portion of the term implies sailing and flying. Perhaps we could steal a term from the Mercury astronauts ("astronauts" also implies sailing, in the stars) and call our vehicle a "space craft"?

Saying that the term flying could apply to submarines is interesting, particularly when we apply the expression "piloting" to describe the guiding of an aircraft. Pilot was originally an expression to a person who guided boats and ships. Water and air travel are very much intertwined in their words.

Your consideration of using the propulsion system to apply a name to the travel-mode is an interesting idea. The expression "warp" was used in Star Trek, as in "warp us out of here", not just as a measure of propulsion. A similar thing could be done for hyper-space (hype us out of here?), and sub-light might not be great with sub-lighting but "photo-shipping" doesn't sound too bad (photo as in light). And if it was a trading voyage, it could be photo-shopping....


There is a time, space and need for an exacting terminology. This is why we have various academic/scientific/medical what-ever disciplines, so one trained person can describe to another trained individual exact information. This being said, people also like familiarity in their labels, so even if someone comes up with a new, accepted term people will still revert to the familiar.

regards,
G.

[dr.chrismckay]

This is why I enjoy the stargate shows so much. They have begun to use terminology as, engage hyperdrive, get us out of here, moving at such and such speed, take us in, military thrust, fire maneuvering thrusters. These terms could radically change how we refer to traveling through space-time. There are occasions where they still use term flying but not as often.

[brym]

Traverse.

[QueteshRuled]

I meant as a more accurate term. Boats fly, by definition, but they do not fly as planes do, and neither do starships

[Gollumpus]

I meant as a more accurate term. Boats fly, by definition, but they do not fly as planes do, and neither do starships

Sure, but people will always revert to the familiar regardless of what kind of term is generated by engineers, UNLESS the new term can capture the imagination of the masses.

The next wave of engine coming out of NASA looks like it will be ion based, so how about "i-ing"?

regards,
G.

[The Urban Spaceman]

Do starships fly?

I don't know. Do fish swim? I guess so. But what is swimming? Is it the ability to pass through water by waving the tail from side to side? Because cetaceans have a more lateral tail movement. And penguins are said to swim, even though they don't have fins (they have flippers, or pseudo-wings) nor a tail with which to propel themselves, like fish or cetaceans. Some types of jellyfish swim against the current or tide yet lack the visible means to do so... and what about squid, or the octopi?

I think this is one of those questions that should be just neatly side-stepped around, lest we end up with some sort of spaceship-squid abomination.

(Not to mention the Spelljammer ships. I mean, what the hell?)

[dr.chrismckay]

I don't know. Do fish swim? I guess so. But what is swimming? Is it the ability to pass through water by waving the tail from side to side? Because cetaceans have a more lateral tail movement. And penguins are said to swim, even though they don't have fins (they have flippers, or pseudo-wings) nor a tail with which to propel themselves, like fish or cetaceans. Some types of jellyfish swim against the current or tide yet lack the visible means to do so... and what about squid, or the octopi?

I think this is one of those questions that should be just neatly side-stepped around, lest we end up with some sort of spaceship-squid abomination.

(Not to mention the Spelljammer ships. I mean, what the hell?)

This just validates all the points made. Generalized english vernacular does not properly justify what words we use to describe,(i.e, adjectives, adverbs). We do however posses the ability to alter those based on current thinking. To actually make an appropriate comparison lets stick with comparing apples to apples and not to oranges.

[Archaeis]

According to Nicki Minaj, they are at least meant to fly. And I do hear that she is a qualified theoretical astrophysics engineer.

[The Urban Spaceman]

To actually make an appropriate comparison lets stick with comparing apples to apples and not to oranges.

And never forget our contractions!

[dr.chrismckay]

And never forget our contractions!

Was not an English major,