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69 votes
6 answers
13k views

Has the autodestruct sequence ever not been aborted on a Starfleet vessel?

I remember the autodestruct being initiated many times, but always being aborted at almost the last possible second. Obviously, Captains Kirk, Picard, Janeway never went all the way to destruct, but ...
user avatar
30 votes
8 answers
10k views

Does same-species racism exist in Star Trek?

Like it or not, racism has been a major part of Earth's history. It still plagues the planet today. However, in the future that Star Trek presents, same-species racism has been practically eliminated, ...
Donatello Swansino's user avatar
29 votes
3 answers
7k views

Do they still use days of the week or months in the era of Stardates?

I understand how the stardate system works in Star Trek and it doesn't really lend itself to casual conversation ("see you on star date 41645", as opposed to "see you on Monday") or recurring events ...
Darren's user avatar
  • 7,167
27 votes
2 answers
6k views

Has Starfleet ever sent ships on extra-galactic missions?

There have been incidents in both TOS and TNG where their respective Enterprises have been flung outside the galaxy against their will, due to alien intervention. For example, "By Any Other Name", "...
Praxis's user avatar
  • 111k
24 votes
5 answers
3k views

When did our universe and the Star Trek universe diverge?

Note that my question assumes as a given that Star Trek is in an alternate universe which diverged from ours at some point in history. That seems really, really obvious and undeniable to me. So the ...
M. A. Golding's user avatar
24 votes
4 answers
5k views

What are the chase lights under Star Trek viewscreens for?

Under the viewscreen on many Federation starships, there are a series of lights that constantly run through a chase or 'marching ants' pattern. What's the reason for these lights? Are they status ...
Bob Warwick's user avatar
  • 4,626
22 votes
2 answers
14k views

What are all the types of colored alerts in Star Trek and what do they do?

What technically happens on a ship when a colored alert is called? For example, I recall hearing/seeing long ago (TNG Tech Manual?) that shields are automatically raised under both red and yellow ...
iMerchant's user avatar
  • 11.8k
16 votes
3 answers
4k views

What genuine references are there in Voltaire’s "U.S.S. Make Shit Up" song?

Since Voltaire claims the quotes were mostly based on fan input and his own recollection of the series, I was wondering if it would be possible to get all the episodes together that contain the scenes ...
fgwaller's user avatar
  • 179
15 votes
2 answers
2k views

What is the penalty for violating the "Prime Directive" without Federation sanctioned justification?

I previously asked about the circumstances that allowed forgoing the "Prime Directive". The answer stated "All these people have violated the Prime Directive more than once: Kirk, Picard, Riker, Worf, ...
Major Stackings's user avatar
15 votes
1 answer
10k views

How does a sonic shower work?

What is the mechanism behind a sonic shower in the STU? A shower with water does various things, namely; get rid of odors, raise body temperature, acts as a disinfectant, has a soothing massage ...
JMFB's user avatar
  • 14.9k
12 votes
1 answer
18k views

What did it cost to make an episode of Star Trek?

I am curious about the cost to make an episode of Star Trek and the comparative cost between the various series. What did it cost on average to do a single episode of Star Trek TOS, TNG, VOY, DS9, ...
JMFB's user avatar
  • 14.9k
11 votes
5 answers
5k views

Are Starfleet officers allowed to drink on duty?

In Voyager In the Flesh, Chakotay is in a Starfleet Headquarters bar getting hit on by Valerie Archer while she is drinks a "Klingon Martini". It doesn't take long for her to ask him out. ...
1252748's user avatar
  • 2,456
11 votes
2 answers
1k views

Which ship has made the most first contacts?

From what we see in Star Trek, first contacts are very important dealings. So, my question is which ship 1 has made the most number of first contacts? Allow me to define 'first contacts'. For the ...
Often Right's user avatar
  • 69.3k
11 votes
2 answers
805 views

Helm vs. Engineering (changing of speed)

The vast majority of the time, the helm officer plots the new course and speed (Warp 7 at heading 141 mark 11). Sometimes, though, Engineering is asked to change speed/put the ship into warp. Such a ...
Ham Sandwich's user avatar
  • 13.7k
10 votes
3 answers
3k views

How is longer life span explained in Star Trek?

Characters in the star trek future live a lot longer than people live today. For example, Jonathan Archer is still working at age 140 in the 2250s when Star Trek 2009 was set. How is the increase ...
CodeMed's user avatar
  • 10.8k

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