# Life Imitates Star Trek **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 21, 2005, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-imitates-star-trek/313434 "2005-07-21T06:57:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2005, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-imitates-star-trek/313434/21 "2005-07-21T20:45:01Z")
When the bridge main screen had nothing better to display, it defaulted to a view of the stars passing by (probably of zero utility to the pilot or navigator). Decades later, when computer monitors had nothing better to display, they defaulted to a view of stars passing by. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Hung\_Mung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hung\_Mung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hung_Mung)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2005, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-imitates-star-trek/313434/22 "2005-07-21T21:00:35Z")
My God. He’s absolutely right. “But what does it _do_?” “That’s the beauty of it. It doesn’t do anything.” ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2005, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-imitates-star-trek/313434/23 "2005-07-21T21:39:58Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > When the bridge main screen had nothing better to display, it defaulted to a view of the stars passing by (probably of zero utility to the pilot or navigator). Decades later, when computer monitors had nothing better to display, they defaulted to a view of stars passing by. 😛 That’s nothing; you can get your computer to [display a gen-u-ine _Trek_ LCARS display.](http://www.mewho.com/system47/) (One of the two coolest screen savers of all time 🙂 ) ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-imitates-star-trek/313434/24 "2005-07-25T02:31:14Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > That’s nothing; you can get your computer to [display a gen-u-ine _Trek_ LCARS display.](http://www.mewho.com/system47/) > > (One of the two coolest screen savers of all time 🙂 ) Is the other one Flying Toasters? ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-imitates-star-trek/313434/25 "2005-07-25T02:40:20Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Is the other one Flying Toasters? Whatever happened to After Dark, anyway? ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-imitates-star-trek/313434/26 "2005-07-25T02:44:58Z")
[I’m Working On That!](http://www.trektoday.com/news/050705_02.shtml) ---
**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:** [July 25, 2005, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-imitates-star-trek/313434/27 "2005-07-25T02:58:20Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > Whatever happened to After Dark, anyway? Whatever happens to screen savers that have a help desk. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Reepicheep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@Reepicheep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reepicheep)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-imitates-star-trek/313434/28 "2005-07-25T06:16:25Z")
I have no cite but I remember reading an article years ago where a hospital contacted Paramount studio because they wanted to use the “red alert” sound when a patient coded. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2005, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-imitates-star-trek/313434/29 "2005-07-25T06:25:19Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > Is the other one Flying Toasters? [Strat Wars – wage 3D sci-fi space battles on your computer, and build your own ships and scenarios!](http://stratwars.crazythought.net/StratWars.html) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/life-imitates-star-trek/313434.md?page=1)