Talk:Kilometer
As a side-note, should we create our own units like in Farscape?
--Mad Gigerdi 2 21:24, 3 August 2012 (EEST)
I guess the realistic thing would be for each civilization to have its own units of measurement, plus some sort of galactic standard on top of that.
Let's consider time, for an example. The first thing to think about is how each civilization would develop its way of measuring time. It obviously has a lot to do with the orbital parameters of their home world, and whatever else happens to be on their sky (moons etc.) I've done this with Orceron Standard Time.
The galactic standard for time measurement, on the other hand, would look completely different. It should probably be based on some sort of physical process like an atomic clock. Of course, the effects of relativity and FTL also need to be considered. Measuring time in an universe where relativity can be broken with tachyonic signals and wormholes seems like a tricky business. An example of an attempt at establishing a galactic standard is the HFed Standard Time but it doesn't really address these problems.
As to length measurement, that would probably be easier - something to do with the speed of light, something that's very constant. And of course, we have the Planck length, which is the ultimate length unit derived from properties of the physical universe.
-- Shok 46 18:54, 4 August 2012 (EEST)
I'm not sure does it have to be that detailed. Unless, of course, someone comes up with something good that is also based on some scientific constant or something. Effects of relativity shouldn't be a problem. First of all the time dilation is extremely easy to calculate as long as speed is known and time dilation doesn't even become a major factor except on speeds higher than v > 0.5c. This does raise the question that are there some kind of "speed limits" to prevent relativistic effects totally?
Planck length could be one possibility for unit of length, for example have a unit of length that is 1035 bigger than Planck length, though once again it may not be necessary to be so detailed and tied to a physical constant(s). For higher distances light seconds and so on are probably the best.
Time is possible to tie into physical constant too. Though, as before, it could also be just a random number.
One possibility is also not to explain them like it was done in Farscape, as long as the units are close to current ones. Personally I think the hardest part is to think up good names for units as the amounts can be whatever that seems suitable.
--Mad Gigerdi Jr. 20:16, 17 August 2012 (EEST)
