I know there are a lot of posts on this, but I have an issue with the concept of the ZPM, and given there are a huge number of posts on this forum about connecting to the Destiny by way of ZPM, and the counter arguments their not powerful enough-1/2 empty and whatnot.
I don't take issue with the concept of requiring multiple ZPM to power something like Atlantis, I'm thinking there might be a saturation point in the amount of power it can give out (as I'm a bio student I'm going to use an analogy I can explain properly)
if we consider the ZPM to be equivalent to a cell, and that power leaving through a form of diffusion. on the basis that zero-point energy is the lowest possible energy state it can be, the energy must be extracted. so whilst not an accurate fit, I consider this somewhat like active transport. in that it must be extracted across the gradient.
assuming its similar this requires a mechanism to transport the energy, a conduit of sorts (protein channel in a cell) given that the cell has a maximum surface area, this limits the number of channels that can move power out of the cell. so when these channels are pumping as much energy out as they possibly can, there is a limit to the overall power able to be emitted.
now if you have a power need that is more than that amount, you need to have multiple power sources to supply it, hence why Atlantis would need three ZPM to work at 100% capacity.
my issue with the concept of the ZPM is this, I cant see how they can run out of energy, if this is the case then they aren't utilizing zero-point energy at all. I quote wiki here
by this definition, you CANNOT lower the amount of energy in the ZPM, it is already as low as is physically possible to go, therefore the ZPM is always going to be 100% full. as it cannot "lose" energy.
I'm not speculating how you could extract energy from it, however, I have thought of a basic analogy for it.
if you have a well. and the water cannot drop below 10m of the bottom. ie there is ALWAYS 10m of water there, (no matter how deep the overall well is (ie hight above that 10m)) then under normal physics its always going to take more energy lifting a bucket of water up, that is generated by letting it fall. UNLESS, you can nullify the effects of the weight of the water, using the concept of the inertial dampers, you could nullify the mass of the water within that bucket, thereby requiring very little energy to lift it up the well, but with the "dampers" off dropping it back down would result in a net gain of energy
I know that both analogies I've made have massive flaws in certain aspects, however I think they do show what I mean.
I know that having the ZPM lose power is a plot devise, and is but one of many violations that the series has required to explain things. I'm just being a nitpick.
I don't take issue with the concept of requiring multiple ZPM to power something like Atlantis, I'm thinking there might be a saturation point in the amount of power it can give out (as I'm a bio student I'm going to use an analogy I can explain properly)
if we consider the ZPM to be equivalent to a cell, and that power leaving through a form of diffusion. on the basis that zero-point energy is the lowest possible energy state it can be, the energy must be extracted. so whilst not an accurate fit, I consider this somewhat like active transport. in that it must be extracted across the gradient.
Spoiler:
now if you have a power need that is more than that amount, you need to have multiple power sources to supply it, hence why Atlantis would need three ZPM to work at 100% capacity.
my issue with the concept of the ZPM is this, I cant see how they can run out of energy, if this is the case then they aren't utilizing zero-point energy at all. I quote wiki here
Zero-point energy is the lowest possible energy that a quantum mechanical physical system may have and is the energy of the ground state. The quantum mechanical system that encompasses this energy is the zero-point field
I'm not speculating how you could extract energy from it, however, I have thought of a basic analogy for it.
if you have a well. and the water cannot drop below 10m of the bottom. ie there is ALWAYS 10m of water there, (no matter how deep the overall well is (ie hight above that 10m)) then under normal physics its always going to take more energy lifting a bucket of water up, that is generated by letting it fall. UNLESS, you can nullify the effects of the weight of the water, using the concept of the inertial dampers, you could nullify the mass of the water within that bucket, thereby requiring very little energy to lift it up the well, but with the "dampers" off dropping it back down would result in a net gain of energy
I know that both analogies I've made have massive flaws in certain aspects, however I think they do show what I mean.
I know that having the ZPM lose power is a plot devise, and is but one of many violations that the series has required to explain things. I'm just being a nitpick.
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