# Things That Bother Me in Science Fiction Movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [October 24, 2023, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bother-me-in-science-fiction-movies/992001 "2023-10-24T08:55:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 17
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2023, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bother-me-in-science-fiction-movies/992001/321 "2023-11-13T21:35:42Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Kirk’s glorious future had no art on the walls of the ship, and minimal art anywhere. The cabins/quarters had art. So did the rec rooms. The corridors didnt. And note, people cosplay as people from a good number of fantasy or SF worlds. They even have cons. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2023, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bother-me-in-science-fiction-movies/992001/322 "2023-11-13T23:53:45Z")
But they don’t live it as their everyday lives. Temporary play is one thing. Giving yourself over to it wholesale is something else. That’s why people didn’t buy the premise of **The Village** , you know. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2023, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bother-me-in-science-fiction-movies/992001/323 "2023-11-14T02:42:12Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > But they don’t live it as their everyday lives. Have you met some trekkies? And some of my SCA friends… but yeah you have a point. ---
**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:** [November 14, 2023, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bother-me-in-science-fiction-movies/992001/324 "2023-11-14T02:55:03Z")
> [@Tripler](#): > > - Just who the hell is doing all this industrial-level reloading? I’d love AI to run through the series to compute a shot count of all the firefights so far (I’m in Season 6). Granted, Rick Grimes’ team’s fire discipline has gotten _much_ better through the Seasons, but they don’t seem to be hauling around enough spare ammo for some of these sustained firefights. I would think that caches of spare ammo would _not_ have been left around for finding. If the collapse happened quickly enough (a month?) there would still be a LOT of ammunition around. This is 'Murica. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2023, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bother-me-in-science-fiction-movies/992001/325 "2023-11-14T03:04:57Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > If the collapse happened quickly enough (a month?) there would still be a LOT of ammunition around. This is 'Murica. I have ammo from guns I dont even own, and havent owed for decades and decades. We tried to donate some to the police once, and they asked a bunch of suspicious questions. And you cant just dump it in the trash. ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2023, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bother-me-in-science-fiction-movies/992001/326 "2023-11-14T21:03:01Z")
The few friends I have who are still actively shooting routinely order ammunition in lots of 1000 rounds and up. I’d guess that most of them keep over 10K rounds on hand. These are not preppers or doomsday types. It’s just that a session at the firing range will probably see them expending 200 to 500 rounds. ---
**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:** [November 15, 2023, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bother-me-in-science-fiction-movies/992001/327 "2023-11-15T00:54:20Z")
My late Department Chair and I always used to joke about the news stories about some nutjob that always listed the weapons he owned and “5000 rounds” of ammunition. Our reply was always "“5000 rounds? Sounds like there was a sale at [Turner’s](https://www.turners.com/).” I haven’t fired a weapon in years but there’s still a shit-ton of ammo in the gun safes. Including some, like **Dr. Deth** , for which the weapon is long gone. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2023, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bother-me-in-science-fiction-movies/992001/328 "2023-11-15T01:24:37Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > > [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > > > Kirk’s glorious future had no art on the walls of the ship, and minimal art anywhere. > > The cabins/quarters had art. > > So did the rec rooms. The corridors didnt. > > And note, people cosplay as people from a good number of fantasy or SF worlds. They even have cons. Why would Kirk’s Enterprise have art on the walls? It’s basically a warship / exploration vessel. Picard’s Enterprise is basically a warship / exploration vessel decorated like a Courtyard by Marriott. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2023, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bother-me-in-science-fiction-movies/992001/329 "2023-11-15T02:16:12Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > > [@DrDeth](#): > > > > > [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > > > > > Kirk’s glorious future had no art on the walls of the ship, and minimal art anywhere. > > > > The cabins/quarters had art. > > > > So did the rec rooms. The corridors didnt. > > > > And note, people cosplay as people from a good number of fantasy or SF worlds. They even have cons. > > Why would Kirk’s Enterprise have art on the walls? It’s basically a warship / exploration vessel. Exactly. The submarine I served on had virtually no art to speak of on the walls. I think there might have been a commemorative painting of the ship’s namesake in the officer’s wardroom and maybe a nature scene in the crews mess, but that was about it. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2023, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bother-me-in-science-fiction-movies/992001/330 "2023-11-15T16:47:41Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Picard’s Enterprise is basically a warship / exploration vessel decorated like a Courtyard by Marriott. I do remember one episode had a _Captain Picard Day_ banner decorating a wall. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2023, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bother-me-in-science-fiction-movies/992001/331 "2023-11-15T17:13:48Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Why would Kirk’s Enterprise have art on the walls? It’s basically a warship / exploration vessel. Art on the walls of warships is rather common. It’s usually paintings of that particular ship or of historic ships that bore the same same name. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2023, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bother-me-in-science-fiction-movies/992001/332 "2023-11-15T17:30:55Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Why would Kirk’s Enterprise have art on the walls? It’s basically a warship / exploration vessel. Because it is also a diplomatic ship showing the flag, a colony resupply ship, a “wellness check” ship for outposts, and a “we haul visiting dignitaries around” ship. On a five year mission. This isn’t some cramped nuke sub or destroyer\* out on a months-long cruise. The crew doesn’t each have a 6x2 bunk space, they have actual rooms, with doors and their own bathroom. People would want to decorate their living space. Unless they’re cosplaying as Spartans. > [@msmith537](#): > > Picard’s Enterprise is basically a warship / exploration vessel decorated like a Courtyard by Marriott. But it IS decorated. Even Data has paintings in his quarters. Picard has his fish. Worf has that bubble chair-thingy. \*eta: Even destroyers had wood paneling and plush chairs in the NCO lunge. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2023, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bother-me-in-science-fiction-movies/992001/333 "2023-11-15T18:54:37Z")
I’m going to take it a step further and ask why the Enterprise has “holodecks” instead of holodeck technology being ubiquitous throughout the ship? The technology allows you to instantly create what feels like physical objects (to the point where they can actually kill you if the safeties are turned off). It seems to me there would be a lot of uses cases for that technology like changing the decor of entire rooms or creating specific workspaces with a single command. The only thing the Enterprise crew uses it for is cosplay and indulging in sexual fantasies. Maybe setting up a space-racquetball court. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2023, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bother-me-in-science-fiction-movies/992001/334 "2023-11-15T20:04:26Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > I’m going to take it a step further and ask why the Enterprise has “holodecks” instead of holodeck technology being ubiquitous throughout the ship?…_ **The only thing the Enterprise crew uses it for is cosplay and indulging in sexual fantasies.** _ This actually seems like the most plausible representation of a post-scarcity society where people appear to be only marginally educated (Lt. Data is constantly expositing about things that people who have graduated a 24th century equivalent of secondary school would be expected to understand) and are encouraged to indulge themselves or ignore the chain of command with impunity. It probably doesn’t help that approximately 85% of the flag officers in Starfleet are either engaged in conspiracies or have been taken over by alien beings, and the galaxy is so full of indomitable hostile cultures, alien artifacts of indescribable power, and existential threats that Earth and the entire dominions of “The United Federation of Planets” could be reduced to cosmic ash at any time. The nihilism of the _Star Trek_ universe is only rarely touched upon explicitly but underlays much of the canon from the original cast movies onward, and the only rational response is to live as if there is no tomorrow because you may be consumed by a giant energy-cloud, rendered into component atoms by a passing quantum filament, or subsumed into some cybernetic hive-mind culture without warning, not to mention all of the random spaciotemperal anomalies which litter the _Star Trek_ universe like turds in a dog park. As for why they don’t just outfit the entire of their spaceships with holographic systems, it appears that in the future of _Star Trek_, Lucas Electronics won out in the Third Consumero-Corporate War in the mid-22nd Century and now has exclusive rights to providing all of the essential power, control, and lighting systems in Starfleet spacecraft, which not only results in unreliable functioning but also random data consoles regularly emitting near-lethal electrical shocks and spontaneously exploding in a shower of sparks and small rock-like fragments, so you can just imagine how dangerous a full-ship interior holosystem would be; the individual holodecks are dangerous enough to cause Captain Picard to have to write at least half a dozen “I deeply regret to inform you…” subspace letters per patrol cycle. The Lucas Holoprojector Division has tried to expand into the Vulcan, Romulan, and Cardassian markets but the sheer unreliability and incidental lethality in Starfleet service made their bids an automatic disqual during initial down-select of bidders. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2023, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bother-me-in-science-fiction-movies/992001/335 "2023-11-15T20:37:04Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > Because it is also a diplomatic ship showing the flag, a colony resupply ship, a “wellness check” ship for outposts, and a “we haul visiting dignitaries around” ship. On a five year mission. This isn’t some cramped nuke sub or destroyer\* out on a months-long cruise. The crew doesn’t each have a 6x2 bunk space, they have actual rooms, with doors and their own bathroom. Well, each cabin does have art. The officers certainly have their own cabin, but lower decks? ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2023, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bother-me-in-science-fiction-movies/992001/336 "2023-11-15T21:07:51Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > The officers certainly have their own cabin, but lower decks? According to every cite I’ve seen, yes. Remember, there were no “enlisted man” types in the 23rd century. Even the guys in the jumpsuits walking the halls were officers. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2023, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bother-me-in-science-fiction-movies/992001/337 "2023-11-15T21:29:37Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > And note, people cosplay as people from a good number of fantasy or SF worlds. They even have cons. Can you imagine the equivalent of a Ren Faire except all the particpants are dressed as people from the the late 18th century through the 24th centuries? And during the Faire they have fun activities and shows about mass shooting, lynching, and they lump AIDS, the Spanish Flu, and COVID all together. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bother-me-in-science-fiction-movies/992001/338 "2023-11-16T01:26:32Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > I’m going to take it a step further and ask why the Enterprise has “holodecks” instead of holodeck technology being ubiquitous throughout the ship?…_ **The only thing the Enterprise crew uses it for is cosplay and indulging in sexual fantasies.** _ The Holodeck… humankind’s last invention. By the way, they might have racquetball tournaments, or heck, curling bonspiels on the holodeck. But as an audience member, I don’t want the writers to cut away from an interesting plot just to watch Starfleet officers dink around (or for that matter, poop!). ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bother-me-in-science-fiction-movies/992001/339 "2023-11-16T02:43:22Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > > [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > > > Because it is also a diplomatic ship showing the flag, a colony resupply ship, a “wellness check” ship for outposts, and a “we haul visiting dignitaries around” ship. On a five year mission. This isn’t some cramped nuke sub or destroyer\* out on a months-long cruise. The crew doesn’t each have a 6x2 bunk space, they have actual rooms, with doors and their own bathroom. > > Well, each cabin does have art. > > The officers certainly have their own cabin, but lower decks? The Enterprise D has order of magnitude more internal living space than the largest modern cruise ships that can comfortably carry thousands of passengers in their own private cabins. I’d be very surprised if it didn’t have rooms to spare. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bother-me-in-science-fiction-movies/992001/340 "2023-11-16T02:48:13Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > The Enterprise D has order of magnitude more internal living space than the largest modern cruise ships that can comfortably carry thousands of passengers in their own private cabins. I Well, when I taught tax classes on a cruise for a free boat ride, my cabin was about the size of Groucho’s. But it was all mine. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bother-me-in-science-fiction-movies/992001.md?page=16) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bother-me-in-science-fiction-movies/992001.md?page=18)