Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Fanfic Challenge Respect for the speed of sound

Originally posted by Shallowford:
My issue with the speed of sound and L&C is, "Where are the sonic booms?" Clark often moves too fast to be seen. The generous assumption is that the room has fluorescent lighting and he moves during the dark phase of the flicker. In that case, he could move about 18 feet (6 m) before breaking the speed of sound. I don't remember the episode but Clark moves way farther than that when he catches the coffee pot, rescues the maintenance man and returns while Lois is talking to him.

So, Clark must be making sonic booms. So what? Almost all of the damage caused by the Russian meteorite this month was due to the sonic boom rather than the impact. Tornadoes cause most of their damage by rapid changes in air pressure and they're only moving 3-400 MPH (6-800 KmPH). Imagine one inside a building. There would be a lot more going on than papers thrown into the air.

I have seen a story on the Archive that addresses the issue, but just one. The author had Superman wave his arms like an eggbeater while flying to minimize the changes in air pressure when he wanted to avoid sonic booms.

His ability to fly broke most of the laws of physics, but there were some even he had to follow. He flew so as to minimize his profile and reduce the sonic boom he created. If he had to, he could move his body so as to break up the shockwave. He always felt a little silly doing it, a little like he was having a seizure in midair, but it worked for the most part. If he hadn’t done it, he’d have shattered not only the windows in the woman’s car, but the windows in the airplane and everything else in a half mile radius.

Originally posted by Shallowford:
John, Is the "Never Ending Battle" you're referring to the episode or a fanfic?

3 CONTINUED: (2) 3

Lois is fed up. Doesn't anybody see it but her? The pot
begins to fall. The ladder begins to topple. Clark takes
a step back so he's behind the group. No one's watching
him.

LOIS
Ordinary? Give me a break.

At _SUPER SPEED_ Clark moves first to the coffee machine --
catches the pot, settles it back on top -- next to the
ladder and steadies it. He then grabs a donut off a
tray and returns to his place unnoticed.

LOIS (Cont'd)
(to Stan)
What we've got here is an example
of human evolution: 'before and
after.' Clark is the 'before.'
Superman is the 'after.'

She looks again at Clark: donut in his mouth, tie askew,
hair tousled, suit wrinkled from his back and forth trip.
In the b.g., the office worker has found her filter.

LOIS (Cont'.d)
Make that: way, _way_ after.

FADE OUT.