# Star Trek Tech Questions **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 19, 2009, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889 "2009-12-19T21:26:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889/181 "2009-12-31T22:40:02Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > What’s a bottle show? A show made cheaply with minimal effects and using existing sets to save money for other episodes. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889/182 "2009-12-31T23:44:01Z")
And no expensive Guest Stars, either. ---
**Author:** ![Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dread_pirate_jimbo/32/3897_2.png) [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dread_Pirate_Jimbo)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2010, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889/183 "2010-01-01T22:37:47Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > What godforsaken alien made Wesley’s sweaters? Bill Cosby’s progeny? Truly, they are each a small miracle of hideousness. > > And William Fucking Shatner aside, I wouldn’t have let Wesley on the Bridge, either! He’s a complete PITA. I recommend beaming him into solid rock. The mistake you’re making is watching TNG at all when you could be memorizing perfectly good episodes of TOS. 🙂 Wesley sucks. They should have just let him get executed on that planet with all the hot, sexy people in togas. ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889/184 "2010-01-02T00:27:47Z")
Certainly would have been a nice way to go. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889/185 "2010-01-02T00:31:26Z")
> [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](#): > > The mistake you’re making is watching TNG at all when you could be memorizing perfectly good episodes of TOS. 🙂 True, dat. 😃 But I have committed to watching TNG with my husband. Each episode is a bit better–except that if I were Picard, I’d have put a restraining order on Dr Crusher. She’s more annoying than I remember, or maybe she gets less annoying as the series got better. And why is SHE the only doctor on the ship? Even TOS showed other medical personnel at times. It is bothering me that #1 is so much taller than Picard, which is odd because Spock and everyone else was pretty much taller than Kirk. And I can’t figure out the uniforms for TNG–what color designates what? They switched command out of gold, but what is with the dark green? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dread_pirate_jimbo/32/3897_2.png) [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dread_Pirate_Jimbo)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889/186 "2010-01-02T04:21:54Z")
In TNG, red is now command, yellow is services, and blue remains sciences. There is no green – maybe check your TV’s color settings? ---
**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:** [January 2, 2010, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889/187 "2010-01-02T05:24:29Z")
What are “services”, barbers, librarians, dental hygienists? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jolly\_Roger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jolly\_Roger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jolly_Roger)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889/188 "2010-01-02T12:11:34Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > What are “services”, barbers, librarians, dental hygienists? > > 🙂 In Trek they are enginneers, security, quartermasters, etc. I’ve always thought it was a bit silly that you never saw anyone with a gold or blue uniform as a captain or higher (except for one ep. where Sisko talked to an admiral in a gold uniform for a brief moment). ---
**Author:** ![Jolly\_Roger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jolly\_Roger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jolly_Roger)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889/189 "2010-01-02T12:13:48Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > True, dat. 😃 But I have committed to watching TNG with my husband. Each episode is a bit better–except that if I were Picard, I’d have put a restraining order on Dr Crusher. She’s more annoying than I remember, or maybe she gets less annoying as the series got better. And why is SHE the only doctor on the ship? Even TOS showed other medical personnel at times. Theres another doctor…Doctor Selar, a vulcan female (played by Suzy Plakson IIRC) that appears in one or two episodes as part of Crusher’s staff. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889/190 "2010-01-02T13:40:11Z")
> [@Jolly\_Roger](#): > > In Trek they are enginneers, security, quartermasters, etc. I’ve always thought it was a bit silly that you never saw anyone with a gold or blue uniform as a captain or higher (except for one ep. where Sisko talked to an admiral in a gold uniform for a brief moment). That seemed right to me. Captains and higher are command, even on a medical vessel or science base or wherever they may be posted. ---
**Author:** ![Jolly\_Roger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jolly\_Roger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jolly_Roger)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889/191 "2010-01-02T16:40:28Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > That seemed right to me. Captains and higher are command, even on a medical vessel or science base or wherever they may be posted. It just seemed to me that if I were the admiral in charge of SF medical I’d wear a blue uniform. But maybe once you reach captain or above you wear red regardless. I don’t know, maybe I’ll check memory alpha to see if they clarify any of it. Speaking of SF medical, one of the flimsiest reasons for Dr. Crusher to be missing in (was it season 2 or 3?) and replaced temporarily by Dr. Pulaski was a throwaway line by Picard at the start of the season about her being chosen to head up SF Medical. Really? She was Commander! There aren’t any, you, know FLAG officers that can do this? Thats like choosing a compoany commander here at Bragg to be on the Joint Chiefs. Wow…I think about this stuff too much…🙂 ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889/192 "2010-01-02T17:10:18Z")
> [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](#): > > In TNG, red is now command, yellow is services, and blue remains sciences. There is no green – maybe check your TV’s color settings? Yes, there is a dark green. Crusher is wearing it in \*Justice \*(she wears a hideous blue “lab coat” over it) and I have also seen a random crew member wearing it in the hallways. We’re only on episode 5 or 6, so perhaps, like the skirts for men, they got rid of green quickly? And no nurses or medics? Even TOS had Nurse Chapel and random other operating assistants and orderlys. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889/193 "2010-01-02T17:17:30Z")
> [@Jolly\_Roger](#): > > In Trek they are enginneers, security, quartermasters, etc. I’ve always thought it was a bit silly that you never saw anyone with a gold or blue uniform as a captain or higher (except for one ep. where Sisko talked to an admiral in a gold uniform for a brief moment). Probably like how in the Air Force, you never see any Maintainers or Cops make Brigadier General. I’m told it’s painfully rare for a Maintainer to make Colonel because those slots tend to go to pilots. Everybody knows how Captain Riker, in command of the USS Enterprise, bravely defended Earth single-handed from a Borg assault. Sure, Commanders LaForge, Data, and Crusher did their parts, but it was under Riker’s brilliant command. If only he hadn’t thrown that coin away by taking a demotion to Commander again so Picard could take the center chair again. Such loyalty, such lack of initiative! 😃 Just a theory, dunno if it’s based in any actual Trek fact of course. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889/194 "2010-01-02T17:32:15Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > Yes, there is a dark green. Crusher is wearing it in \*Justice \*(she wears a hideous blue “lab coat” over it) and I have also seen a random crew member wearing it in the hallways. We’re only on episode 5 or 6, so perhaps, like the skirts for men, they got rid of green quickly? > > And no nurses or medics? Even TOS had Nurse Chapel and random other operating assistants and orderlys. There’s some other medical staff that turn up later, I seem to recall a nurse at the least. Just chalk it up to the amazing advances of 24th century medicine? ---
**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:** [January 2, 2010, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889/195 "2010-01-02T17:41:15Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > True, dat. 😃 But I have committed to watching TNG with my husband. Each episode is a bit better–except that if I were Picard, I’d have put a restraining order on Dr Crusher. She’s more annoying than I remember, or maybe she gets less annoying as the series got better. And why is SHE the only doctor on the ship? Even TOS showed other medical personnel at times. > > It is bothering me that #1 is so much taller than Picard, which is odd because Spock and everyone else was pretty much taller than Kirk. And I can’t figure out the uniforms for TNG–what color designates what? They switched command out of gold, but what is with the dark green? 😕 My theory is that the various Enterprises had a flexible medical staff. There were two full-time doctors in each case (M’Benga & McCoy on the TOS Enterprise, McCoy & Chapel in the movies, Crusher & Selar on the E-D) and probably a similar number of nurses. After all, in routine flight, they wouldn’t need a fully-staffed ER. But there’d also be officers in the Biology division of Sciences who were also medical doctors and/or RNs; most likely they had a second speciality, in exobiology or linguistics or whatever. Say there were six of these on the E-D. Assuming Crusher & Selar worked an 8-hour shift, the non-dedicated MDs would each work the graveyard shift from time to time to keep their skills current (so probably they’d aternate weeks). They’d thus be available for emergencies–during battle, say, or if the ship were dealing with a medical emergency on whatever planet being attacked by the Borg that week. And, of course, if one of the primary docs had to go on an away mission, the backups get pressed into service. ---
**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:** [January 2, 2010, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889/196 "2010-01-02T17:43:04Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > What are “services”, barbers, librarians, dental hygienists? > > 🙂 Civilians. Mr. Mott, the ship’s barber, was clearly not a Starfleet officer. ---
**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:** [January 2, 2010, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889/197 "2010-01-02T18:03:06Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Civilians. Mr. Mott, the ship’s barber, was clearly not a Starfleet officer. Dead weight. Chaff. Waste of resources. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889/198 "2010-01-02T18:14:28Z")
A late seventh season episode **Lower Decks** features the little people. ---
**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:** [January 2, 2010, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889/199 "2010-01-02T18:15:33Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Dead weight. Chaff. Waste of resources. 🙂 Leave Riker out of this. Incidentally, I forgot to answer the slander of Beverly Crusher someone posted upthread. She was NOT worthless. She was both interesting and hot, and should have been used more. And Troi should have been presented as firmly under her thumb. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889/200 "2010-01-02T18:19:50Z")
Troi should have taken up jujitsu or gotten herself a cool, extendible sword or something, instead of standing around saying things like, “I sense apprehension, Captain.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-tech-questions/521889.md?page=11)