# Newbie questions about star trek **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 13, 2003, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newbie-questions-about-star-trek/154847 "2003-02-13T15:57:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newbie-questions-about-star-trek/154847/41 "2003-02-15T07:41:36Z")
But the Borg Sphere had gaps, overlaps, and other stuff that increased surface area. ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newbie-questions-about-star-trek/154847/42 "2003-02-15T08:20:01Z")
IT JUST IS, DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT!!! 😉 ---
**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:** [February 15, 2003, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newbie-questions-about-star-trek/154847/43 "2003-02-15T15:03:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Aesiron \* > \*\*But the Borg Sphere had gaps, overlaps, and other stuff that increased surface area. \*\* Please don’t use technical terms like “gaps” and “overlaps” that confuse our readers. Thanks, CP ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newbie-questions-about-star-trek/154847/44 "2003-02-15T16:35:40Z")
For truly spherical ships, you have to go all the way back to Doc Smith’s “Skylark” series. If I recall, it was specifically to maximize the volume/surface ratio. Thank you very much…Timmy ---
**Author:** ![Davebear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@Davebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Davebear)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newbie-questions-about-star-trek/154847/45 "2003-02-15T17:36:42Z")
[Slight Hijack] > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jayjay \* > **(when did evolution gain an end point to work toward?)** Evolution has _always_ had an end point to work towards; the maximum possible efficiency of the form in question. [/Slight Hijack] ---
**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:** [February 15, 2003, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newbie-questions-about-star-trek/154847/46 "2003-02-15T18:29:53Z")
Say what? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newbie-questions-about-star-trek/154847/47 "2003-02-15T22:25:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Davebear \* > \*\*[Slight Hijack] > Evolution has _always_ had an end point to work towards; the maximum possible efficiency of the form in question. > [/Slight Hijack] \*\* I don’t really want to continue the hijack here, but I have to correct this perception. Efficiency is most definitely _not_ the end goal of evolution. If it were, prey species wouldn’t have to give birth to hundreds of offspring each in order to have enough survive to continue the species. Herbivorous digestion is notoriously inefficient (especially that of non-ruminants). There are a number of other examples. If evolution can be said to have a goal, it would be the survival and reproduction of the individual specimen, which in the aggregate extrapolates to the survival and reproduction of the species. But that’s more than a little circular, rather like saying that the end goal of the process of sculpture is to create a three-dimensional expression of artistic inspiration. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newbie-questions-about-star-trek/154847/48 "2003-02-15T22:31:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Aesiron \* > \*\*But the Borg Sphere had gaps, overlaps, and other stuff that increased surface area. \*\* That, of course, is BILC (Because It Looks Cool). It gave the Borg Sphere a tattered, cobbled-together look that fit with the scavenger nature of the Collective. For the same reason, the Cardassian ships all looked vaguely reptilian and the Dominion ships looked kind of insectoid (as befit the organic collective nature of the Jem’Hadar). The older species (Klingons and Romulans) didn’t have ships that “fit” their species profile because that particular design paradigm didn’t show up until Next Gen. Although the D’deridex class was pretty cool-looking (and BIG! Really freakin’ big!). ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newbie-questions-about-star-trek/154847/49 "2003-02-15T22:37:44Z")
According to Star Trek: The Magazine, the new Valdore class warbirds dwarf the D’deridex class warbirds. Their wingspan is monstrous. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newbie-questions-about-star-trek/154847/50 "2003-02-15T22:54:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Aesiron \* > \*\*According to Star Trek: The Magazine, the new Valdore class warbirds dwarf the D’deridex class warbirds. Their wingspan is monstrous. \*\* \ I can’t even imagine that! The power consumption would be unbelievable. Of course, the Romulan warp engine has the power of a motherlovin’ black hole to work with, so I guess they can afford to move a starship the size of a space station around the galaxy… \ ---
**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:** [February 15, 2003, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newbie-questions-about-star-trek/154847/51 "2003-02-15T22:55:26Z")
So How Come when you move you can’t just beam your stuff onto a CD? ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newbie-questions-about-star-trek/154847/52 "2003-02-15T22:59:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sock Munkey \* > \*\*As a former trekkie I advise against getting into Star Trek unless you truly don’t give a rat’s rear about continuity or any kind of technical accuracy. If you want those things I suggest Babylon-5. \*\* Ah, yes, _Babylon 5_ – where the contents of a spacecraft could be floating around in zero gravity, even though the ship’s engines were on and producing thrust. 😉 I remember one rather notorious instance where J. Michael Straczynski (B5’s creator, exec. producer, head writer, and all around big cheese) stated on Usenet that objects in 1/3 Earth gravity would fall at the same rate as objects in 1 full Earth gravity, because Galileo established that all objects fall at the same rate regardless of how much they weigh! ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newbie-questions-about-star-trek/154847/53 "2003-02-15T23:05:23Z")
Now I wish I had bought the magazine. It had a side by side comparison of the two classes and the beam of the Valdore looked as long or longer than the D’deridex’s length. I want more… I _ **love** _ Romulans. If Shinzon had made it to Earth and blew it into a huge dust cloud, I would’ve cheered. With that being said, his ship was stupid looking… it looked like the bastard offspring of the Sona ship from Insurrection and a D’Kora class cruiser. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newbie-questions-about-star-trek/154847/54 "2003-02-15T23:05:44Z")
**carnivorousplant** , forget about easy transportation of your stuff! Why, given the uses of the transporter we’ve seen in canon, doesn’t everyone just use the Transporter Fountain of Youth and live forever? They used it to un-age Dr. Pulaski in the ep about the aging disease. And there are biofilters in the transporter machinery. Why isn’t the transporter the ultimate medical device? Just send sick people through and whatever’s making them sick gets left behind. For that matter, why can’t they use it for ultra-efficient noninvasive surgery? Just set the transporter to lock on to cells with cancerous DNA markers and beam them out. Narrow-focus the beam onto the appendix or the gall bladder for efficient removal. Phil Farrand notes in several of his Nitpickers’ Guides that the problem with the transporter is that it’s _too_ useful. In order to maintain some degree of suspense the characters have to develop situational stupidity and forget that the transporter can help solve the problem. Why should the characters make midnight raids on enemy prison camps (DS9, in several eps) when they can simply sneak into orbit above the camp and beam out their targets? ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newbie-questions-about-star-trek/154847/55 "2003-02-15T23:08:07Z")
[quotr]Why should the characters make midnight raids on enemy prison camps (DS9, in several eps) when they can simply sneak into orbit above the camp and beam out their targets? [/quote] Transport inhibitors as seen in Insurrection. ---
**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:** [February 16, 2003, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newbie-questions-about-star-trek/154847/56 "2003-02-16T01:31:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tracer \* > \*\* objects fall at the same rate regardless of how much they weigh! \*\* In all fairness, that would match the force exerted by the comet in an episode whose title escapes me. And whats-his-name from Firefly and the gun requiring air around it. ---
**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:** [February 16, 2003, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newbie-questions-about-star-trek/154847/57 "2003-02-16T04:12:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jayjay \* > \*\* > If evolution can be said to have a goal, it would be the survival and reproduction of the individual specimen, which in the aggregate extrapolates to the survival and reproduction of the species. But that’s more than a little circular, rather like saying that the end goal of the process of sculpture is to create a three-dimensional expression of artistic inspiration. \*\* And to be doubly nitpicky, that should really be survival until the individual reproduces. Salmon and (male) praying mantises are examples of creatures who die right after reproducing, there are lots more. ---
**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:** [February 16, 2003, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newbie-questions-about-star-trek/154847/58 "2003-02-16T04:18:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by carnivorousplant \* > \*\*NCC 1701 (No A,B,C or bloody D) was sometimes far enough away that it took a while to communicate with Star Fleet. Amok Time is an example. \*\* This was significant in Balance of Terror, which introduced the Romulans. Kirk radioed StarFleet for guidance when they first ran across evidence of the Romulan attack, and got the answer of “use your judgement” when it was all over. The big flaw in that show was that it was claimed that humans fought a war with the Romulans 100 years ago in primitve ships with no video - so this must have been before Enterprise (which doesn’t work, either.) As for why no TV - exactly which station are you going to watch out there? ---
**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:** [February 16, 2003, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newbie-questions-about-star-trek/154847/59 "2003-02-16T04:20:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GuanoLad \* > \*\* > There is also a Battle Bridge, which is buried deeper in the center of the primary hull, for safety. It has appeared in a couple of episodes, but I am no Trek-expert so couldn’t tell you which they were. \*\* There was an auxiliary bridge on Enterprise-A class ships. Kirk spent most of his time on the one on the Exeter(?) in The Doomsday Machine, because the main bridge was open to space and not habitable. ---
**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:** [February 16, 2003, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newbie-questions-about-star-trek/154847/60 "2003-02-16T15:34:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Voyager \* > \*\*judgement" when it was all over. > > The big flaw in that show was that it was claimed that humans fought a war with the Romulans 100 years ago in primitve ships with no video - \*\* We’ll have to take that as “no video communication between ships was used”,(Enterprise NX 01 had no video com with the Rommies) due someone forgetting to renew their poetic license. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newbie-questions-about-star-trek/154847.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/newbie-questions-about-star-trek/154847.md?page=4)