# 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:** 26
**Author:** ![OxygenCatastrophe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OxygenCatastrophe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OxygenCatastrophe)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414/501 "2008-10-12T23:21:29Z")
A small point: In TOS at least twice we see Kirk win a game of 3D chess followed by Spock proclaiming that Kirk’s play was “illogical.” from “Charlie X”: Spock: Your illogical approach to chess does have its advantages on occasion, Captain. Kirk: I prefer to call it inspired. Spock: As you wish. Even with the vastly increased possibilities of 3D as compared to regular chess, it is still a closed system; thus, by definition, any winning move is logical. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414/502 "2008-10-13T00:35:50Z")
> [@OxygenCatastrophe](#): > > A small point: In TOS at least twice we see Kirk win a game of 3D chess followed by Spock proclaiming that Kirk’s play was “illogical.” The writer’s definition of “Logical” was, in all too many cases, illogical. It just fed my Spock Hatred. The biggest Spock thing I hated, other than him being a dick to lower ranks, was how he’d draw out some **exact** time estimate in as slow a voice as he could muster. “Precisely..eight…point…three…seconds…sir” FROM WHEN??? It took you that fucking long to say it! ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414/503 "2008-10-13T00:50:52Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > The writer’s definition of “Logical” was, in all too many cases, illogical. It just fed my Spock Hatred. If it makes you feel any better, you’re far from alone there. If I recall correctly, at least one Trek novel suggested that the term “logic” was a fundamental mischaracterization of the Vulcan rationalist philosophy, due to a flaw in the earliest Universal Translator matrix. Now that I think about it, I’m not sure whether that really was in a novel, or was just something I made up myself. ---
**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 13, 2008, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414/504 "2008-10-13T01:02:16Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > how he’d draw out some **exact** time estimate “Precisely one point nine nine nine nine…” “Two, Spock! Gawdamit, the answer is two!” ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414/505 "2008-10-13T01:24:30Z")
> [@Terrifel](#): > > If it makes you feel any better, you’re far from alone there. If I recall correctly, at least one Trek novel suggested that the term “logic” was a fundamental mischaracterization of the Vulcan rationalist philosophy, due to a flaw in the earliest Universal Translator matrix. . IIRC in _Spocks World_ there’s a flashback to Amanda meeting Sarek for the first time. She is working on a Vulcan/ English dictionary. He objects to a certain term being translated as “lack of emotion” He explains that Vulcan training allows them to master emotions, not eliminate them. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414/506 "2008-10-13T05:20:08Z")
> [@BwanaBob](#): > > .. but why not beam down a shitload of bricks and other materials so they could at least build a hut? So what if they duplicated, you can’t pile up duplicate bricks? Its a Starship, not a Home Depot! 😃 And you can’t pile up _EVIL_ bricks! ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414/507 "2008-10-13T07:10:54Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Its a Starship, not a Home Depot! 😃 You forgot to say, “Dammit, Jim!” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414/508 "2008-10-13T17:17:20Z")
> [@Terrifel](#): > > If it makes you feel any better, you’re far from alone there. If I recall correctly, at least one Trek novel suggested that the term “logic” was a fundamental mischaracterization of the Vulcan rationalist philosophy, due to a flaw in the earliest Universal Translator matrix. > > Now that I think about it, I’m not sure whether that really was in a novel, or was just something I made up myself. It was Diane Duane’s SPOCK’S WORLD, in which she alleged that the Vulcan word cthia had been mistranslated as “logic” or “suppression of emotion,” when a better translation would have been “passion’s mastery.” Well, now that I think on it, the word mistranslated “logic” wasn’t “cthia.” But I’m not about to go look it up. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414/509 "2008-10-13T19:20:27Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Its a Starship, not a Home Depot! 😃 > > And you can’t pile up _EVIL_ bricks! Then an evil little pig would build the house. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2008, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414/510 "2008-10-13T23:55:45Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > 1. “Smart” projectiles, which can zip around corners and behind obstacles to ferret out hidden baddies DS9 had a nifty rifle for assassins to use. It could look through walls (ok, not that great in the 23rd century) but better yet it could beam its projectiles from the end of the barrel to right in front of its target. Come to think of it, it’s still pretty rubbish, but it was new at least, I’ll give them that. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2008, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414/511 "2008-10-14T00:17:09Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > It was Diane Duane’s SPOCK’S WORLD, in which she alleged that the Vulcan word cthia had been mistranslated as “logic” or “suppression of emotion,” when a better translation would have been “passion’s mastery.” > > Well, now that I think on it, the word mistranslated “logic” wasn’t “cthia.” But I’m not about to go look it up. Hmm! Well “cthia” certainly appears to cover the territory according to [this site](http://startrek.wikia.com/wiki/Cthia), and it seems that the term was indeed from _Spock’s World_ by Diane Duane. “Meditate on this talisman, young Spock. Tend it well, and learn the lesson it teaches: as lush grass appears on its surface, so too may the fruit of reason grow from the barren soil of the undisciplined mind. It is called the Cthia Pet.” ---
**Author:** ![jmclaughlin1701](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@jmclaughlin1701](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jmclaughlin1701)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414/512 "2008-10-16T15:58:07Z")
There are internal sensors i.e. cameras. Watch more TNG and you will see examples of them being used, mainly by Warf… ---
**Author:** ![jmclaughlin1701](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@jmclaughlin1701](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jmclaughlin1701)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414/513 "2008-10-16T16:01:18Z")
Programs are much easier to create and manipulate than hardware. S/W is only limited by user creation and storage. The “positronic brain” you are referring to is hardware. The problem was they are trying to run Windows Vista on a x486. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jmclaughlin1701](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@jmclaughlin1701](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jmclaughlin1701)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414/514 "2008-10-16T16:04:06Z")
They were not in a common-type of instance (As if they ever are). Caught in a temporal loop in a certain section of space. Once left, they could not piggy back and do things over at will. Too bad you didnt watch more. One of the better trek series… ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414/515 "2008-10-16T16:38:32Z")
> [@Pushkin](#): > > DS9 had a nifty rifle for assassins to use. It could look through walls (ok, not that great in the 23rd century) but better yet it could beam its projectiles from the end of the barrel to right in front of its target. > > Come to think of it, it’s still pretty rubbish, but it was new at least, I’ll give them that. Agreed. Now read post 460. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414/516 "2008-10-16T17:55:09Z")
> [@Pushkin](#): > > Come to think of it, it’s still pretty rubbish, but it was new at least, I’ll give them that. If only they could use their energy/matter/transport devices to, say, beam a chunk out of someone’s head. You know, skip the bullet-in-the-middle so to speak? -Joe ---
**Author:** ![johnspartan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a183cd/32.png) [@johnspartan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnspartan)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414/517 "2008-10-16T18:11:51Z")
Dunno if someone already addressed this, but it seemed ST, especially in mid-space conflicts, frequently spoke as if they were moving in two dimensions. Even at sea, saying something like “He’s turning away!” is only marginally effective because there are a couple of different directions the opposing ship could be going… hence the hard to starboard and such… airplanes had to add a 3rd dimension… and yet it seems in the Federation they use very specific terms to measure time and date and areas of space… but when it comes to their position relative to other ships, I never heard anything that sounded like a realistic use of points of reference? I think part of the problem was they didn’t know whether to use metric or standard…“he’s about 85 miles in front of us and 40 miles above us” just sounds weird in ‘the future’, while “he’s approximately 130 kilometers due up” would risk losing the audience? ---
**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 16, 2008, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414/518 "2008-10-16T18:33:09Z")
> [@johnspartan](#): > > Dunno if someone already addressed this, but it seemed ST, especially in mid-space conflicts, frequently spoke as if they were moving in two dimensions. I believe they would give distance in kilometers at least in TNG, and indicate direction with a compass bearing, adding “Mark X”, X being degrees elevation in relation to the ship. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414/519 "2008-10-16T19:02:54Z")
> [@johnspartan](#): > > Dunno if someone already addressed this, but it seemed ST, especially in mid-space conflicts, frequently spoke as if they were moving in two dimensions. A notable exception being the final battle in Trek 2, where experience counted for more than pure intelligence, something completely forgotten by the time Wesley came on the scene. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-stupid-thing-in-star-trek-that-has-annoyed-me-for-years-add-your-own/456414/520 "2008-10-16T20:10:01Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > A notable exception being the final battle in Trek 2, where experience counted for more than pure intelligence, something completely forgotten by the time Wesley came on the scene. But that battle (as shown on film) made no sense - one of the first shots has Reliant well above Enterprise already - and if you cant tell where the other ship is, dropping down then popping back up is not likely to put you direcly behind and inline to fire torpedos. (no target locking either). I also would love to know where the 'missed" torpedo shots end up - imagine being on that planet… [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=25) [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=27)