# A Stupid Thing in Star Trek That Has Annoyed Me For Years (Add Your Own!) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 14, 2008, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414 "2008-07-14T09:53:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 21
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414/401 "2008-09-30T18:43:23Z")
> [@Prelude\_to\_Fascination](#): > > 1. Franz Joseph’s Star Trek Blueprints I’ve always thought he looked like a [Klingon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Joseph_I_of_Austria). Maybe it’s the facial hair. This is the Steam Punk Trek Universe, right? ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414/402 "2008-09-30T18:50:25Z")
> [@Prelude\_to\_Fascination](#): > > 1. Franz Joseph’s Star Trek Blueprints shows toilets. Of course, the blueprints are not considered canon, for whatever it’s worth, so maybe they didn’t have toilets after all. I remember reading somewhere (a looooong time ago - how’s that for a cite?) that Klingon ships didn’t have toilets. It was supposed to make the Klingons meaner. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414/403 "2008-09-30T19:06:59Z")
They also save mass by not using reactor shielding. Gives the crew a little more incentive to move higher up in rank and away from the engines. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414/404 "2008-09-30T19:14:48Z")
> [@KRM](#): > > I remember reading somewhere (a looooong time ago - how’s that for a cite?) that Klingon ships didn’t have toilets. It was supposed to make the Klingons meaner. That’s from Gerrold’s **Trouble with Tribbles** book, I believe. (It might be from his more general ST book.) It’s from him, anyhow (unless he stole it) and it’s a good line. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414/405 "2008-09-30T19:26:30Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > That’s from Gerrold’s **Trouble with Tribbles** book, I believe. (It might be from his more general ST book.) It’s from him, anyhow (unless he stole it) and it’s a good line. It would certainly piss me off. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414/406 "2008-09-30T19:29:09Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > They got the Ponn Farr wrong, however you spell it. 🙂 It just struck me that Ponn Farr is close to Far Poon. Ted Sturgeon was quite the sly one, wasn’t he? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414/407 "2008-09-30T19:39:01Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > It just struck me that Ponn Farr is close to Far Poon. Ted Sturgeon was quite the sly one, wasn’t he? It would help to know what Far Poon is. Beyond the [Pitzer](http://www.pitzer.edu/news_center/in_the_news/05-06-academic_year/2006_04_06-poon.asp) reference, of course. > [@](#): > > So far, Poon and his students, using a kitchen blender ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414/408 "2008-09-30T19:44:20Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > It would help to know what Far Poon is. Just a guess, but how about “poon” that is “far”? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414/409 "2008-09-30T19:58:06Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > Just a guess, but how about “poon” that is “far”? I got [nothin’.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poon) ---
**Author:** ![Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prelude_to_Fascination)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414/410 "2008-09-30T19:58:43Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I’ve always thought he looked like a [Klingon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Joseph_I_of_Austria). Maybe it’s the facial hair. > > This is the Steam Punk Trek Universe, right? 😃 Not quite. > **[Franz Joseph (artist)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Joseph_(artist))** > > Franz Joseph (born Franz Anton Joseph Schnaubelt; June 29, 1914 – June 2, 1994) was an artist and author loosely associated with the 1960s American television show Star Trek. > Born in Chicago, Franz Joseph had a successful 30-year career as an aerospace design engineer. However, he is perhaps best known as the author and illustrator of Star Fleet Technical Manual (.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\\"""\\"""'""'"}.mw-parse... ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414/411 "2008-09-30T20:00:30Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I got [nothin’.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poon) Try [http://www.thefreedictionary.com/poontang](http://www.thefreedictionary.com/poontang) ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414/412 "2008-09-30T20:02:13Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I got [nothin’.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poon) I think he means “Poon Tang”. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414/413 "2008-09-30T20:19:08Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > I think he means “Poon Tang”. Like the astronauts had! ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414/414 "2008-09-30T20:21:27Z")
Spa fon? ---
**Author:** ![Find\_Friends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@Find\_Friends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Find_Friends)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414/415 "2008-09-30T20:51:25Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > That’s from Gerrold’s **Trouble with Tribbles** book, I believe. (It might be from his more general ST book.) It’s from him, anyhow (unless he stole it) and it’s a good line. Probably the latter. His general book was titled “The World of Star Trek” although he himself said it perhaps should have been called _Worlds_ since there were three main ST worlds: \> Gene Roddenberry’s original concept, \> the show itself, in production, \> the fan phenomenon. Accordingly there were three main units of the book, plus an appendix listing the episodes of TOS, by airing date, with character names as well as actor names. The book was somewhat reminiscent of “The Making of Star Trek” by Stephen Whitfield and Gene Roddenberry. (Whitfield wrote the bulk of the book, not counting actual office memos and fairly long letters from scientific consultants. Roddenberry’s contribution was the insertion of usually fairly brief comments, ALWAYS IN CAPS, btw, which expanded on or explained what Whitfield had just covered.) This also had an episode index, very rudimentary, with only actor names and airing dates. It only included the first two seasons, unless a later edition was produced. Ah, nostalgia. Nowadays I take all kinds of indexes for granted, but these were the first two indexes of _anything_ of a serial nature that I had ever come across. I remember being somewhat fascinated with the concept. Bjo Trimble’s “Star Trek Concordance” with its brief plot encapsulations, star dates and planet/species names was still a bit in the future. (There would also soon be a Compendium, by yet a different author, which was the only one of the four to include _production_ dates along with the airing dates.) One of the most striking differences of the first two books was Gerrold’s writing style, compared with Whitfield’s straightforward and family-friendly prose. Both included a run-down on Klingons, but where Whitfield probably essentially quoted some edition of the Star Trek guide for writers, Gerrold wrote a free-form bit of fancy including “Klingons fart in airlocks…” But that was hardly surprising after reading his analysis of the fan phenomenon. While carefully distinguishing fannish behavior from ordinary interests and hobbies, he casually mentioned masturbation (!) as one of the latter. - “Jack” ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414/416 "2008-09-30T23:39:47Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > I’ve heard a theory that the “exploding machinery” you see so much of on Trek and other shows is a vestige of a time when machinery could and did explode - the era of the steam engine. The technology is gone, but the memory lingers on in the minds of Hollywood screenwriters desperate to inject some drama into an otherwise flat narrative. So where did all of the rocks come from? Seems like every time the ship takes a torpedo hit, rocks explode out of the consoles and the ceiling. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414/417 "2008-09-30T23:45:21Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > rocks explode out of the consoles and the ceiling. Either plasma or Styrofoam left over from the rocks on the planetary surface. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414/418 "2008-10-01T11:55:28Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Either plasma or Styrofoam left over from the rocks on the planetary surface. All you have to do is find out what the rock wants. What is it’s motivation? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414/419 "2008-10-01T12:58:29Z")
> [@BMalion](#): > > All you have to do is find out what the rock wants. What is it’s motivation? “Captain, It’s a rock.” “Thank you, Number One. Counselor, can you sense anything?” “Great…hardness…” ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414/420 "2008-10-01T17:12:53Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > “Captain, It’s a rock.” > “Thank you, Number One. Counselor, can you sense anything?” > “Great…hardness…” “From the Rock, you dumb slut!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414.md?page=20) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414.md?page=22)