Forum:Warp Drive versus Impulse Drive

Forums → Reference Desk → Warp Drive versus Impulse Drive (reply • watch)

This forum discussion has been archived

This forum discussion has been archived and should not be added to. Please visit the Forums to begin a new topic in the relevant location.

Hello. With Star Trek: The Next Generation on Netflix now, I have been watching it alot more, and I have come across something that I have heard alot, but, it just now has made me stop and say What?? In the episode Conspiracy, Riker orders LaForge to Warp 6 when asked about ETA to Pacifica. LaForge responds with Aye Sir, Full impulse. Now, I know, from being a trekkie for a very long time, that there seem to be alot of inconsistencies in Star Trek, though I have not written all of them down. I do think, however, that Warp and Impulse are completely different "drive" systems, and that any "impulse" speed does not use the warp engines at all, or is this wrong? Speaking of inconsistencies, I recall from the episode Coming of Age, when Wesley Crusher is in testing, he has a test question regarding "intermix ratio" which he says is "always 1:1", which, many times, they have mentioned using different intermix ratios. Anyway, this question only concerns Warp vs. Impulse drive. Thanks. 97.92.206.166 06:19, September 9, 2011 (UTC)Glen

You can find information about the two drives on Warp drive and Impulse drive. There's also something like an impulse reactor, power output of which might or might not be used to power the warp engine on lower settings. -- Cid Highwind 07:28, September 9, 2011 (UTC)

Thank you for pointing me to the information. I have read all of the information given on warp and impulse and impulse reactor in the links you provided, however, even after reading this, my mind is still in question.

Is "full impulse" warp 6? From what I have read, I have gathered that all impulse speeds are sub-light, and not warp speeds, so, this would appear to be a script error.

Any thoughts? 97.92.206.166 16:25, September 9, 2011 (UTC)Glen

To answer your question directly, yes, it is a script error. They are completely different and when ordered to Warp 6, you would not expect to hear "Aye, sir. Full impulse." --| TrekFan ^{Open a channel} 21:29, September 9, 2011 (UTC)

Well, that's just one way of viewing it. Another way would be to consider Riker's response to that statement. He didn't react surprised, amused or annoyed - so, apparently, "Aye, sir. Full impulse." is a valid acknowledgement of a request to increase the speed to Warp 6. With the hindsight of 24 seasons and several movies that all came out after that episode, we may now consider that strange - but that doesn't mean it was a definite script error at the time. Thus my cautious hint at the available article, plus possible speculation to explain that line. Generally, if something could still be valid, we don't claim it to be an error. -- Cid Highwind 23:30, September 9, 2011 (UTC)