# Things that bug you about Star Trek **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 13, 2017, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-star-trek/782109 "2017-03-13T19:08:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**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:** [March 14, 2017, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-star-trek/782109/101 "2017-03-14T20:18:35Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > The transporter really works by creating a sort of quantum tunneling effect, where the transporter creates the situation where the probability of you being both on the transporter pad and the destination point are equal, and then the system waits until you are “there” rather than “here”, and then stops. This is how I’ve always envisioned the transporter, and it has the advantage of avoiding the “transporter kills people” paradox. Re. beaming warm clothes to Sulu: they should have said (or shown) that the malfunctioning transporter was now producing randomly split-into-pieces objects. ---
**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:** [March 14, 2017, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-star-trek/782109/102 "2017-03-14T20:19:22Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > Roddenberry also envisioned her as a hermaphrodite at one point. Riker gets it on with a hermaphrodite in a later episode, but “she” gets better. ---
**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:** [March 14, 2017, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-star-trek/782109/103 "2017-03-14T20:31:09Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Riker gets it on with a hermaphrodite in a later episode, but “she” gets better. It was that jealous “bull” partner who ruined everything. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2017, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-star-trek/782109/104 "2017-03-14T20:38:12Z")
> [@sciurophobic](#): > > The idea of shuttlecrafts hadn’t been developed in the series yet. This doesn’t excuse why they didn’t think of beaming down a heater, or a tent, or a coat, or even some freaking gloves and scarves. This is true; however, the idea of shuttlecraft was played with in early drafts of the first pilot. They even came up with a docking system for them. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2017, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-star-trek/782109/105 "2017-03-14T20:43:26Z")
> [@Helena330](#): > > It’s not the military, it’s a TV show and could’ve done so much better at not objectifying and demeaning women. > > I didn’t want to go down this road in this thread, but I can’t let thinly veiled sexism stand, either. So in your universe, it’s demeaning just for women to have to serve coffee? 😕 You must not eat at Denny’s much. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Pantastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3bc359/32.png) [@Pantastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantastic)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2017, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-star-trek/782109/106 "2017-03-14T20:43:51Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Too many tapes. Yes, it’s unfair to mock the technology of half a century ago, but surely someone could have dreamed up something more advanced than tapes. I think at the time it seemed like “tape” was on it’s way to being a generic term - you had reel to reel tapes, 8-track tapes, cassette tapes, and paper tape all as a form of ‘tape’. Things obviously didn’t pan out that way, but I don’t think it was an unreasonable guess in the TOS timeframe. ---
**Author:** ![Pantastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3bc359/32.png) [@Pantastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantastic)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2017, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-star-trek/782109/107 "2017-03-14T20:57:17Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > For a future interplanetary federation, a lot of things seem to be centered around [del]Earth[/del] [del]Western[/del] [del]American[/del] 20th Century American culture. It’s almost always the case that if someone is coming up with three historical events, one will be in the 20th century, one will be an older reference familiar to 20th century Americans, and one will be future history for the viewer. This happens in a lot of other science fiction, once you see the pattern it’s hard to miss. It’s also interesting sometimes when they miss an obvious 20th or 21st century reference that happened after the real filming but before the show is set. The most glaring example I can think of is a bit in Babylon 5 where they’re talking about famous terrorist attacks, follow the ‘one old, one modern’, one future’ rule, but 9/11 would have made much more sense as an example (if it hand’t happened half a decade after the show finished). ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2017, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-star-trek/782109/108 "2017-03-14T21:00:15Z")
> [@Pantastic](#): > > I think at the time it seemed like “tape” was on it’s way to being a generic term - you had reel to reel tapes, 8-track tapes, cassette tapes, and paper tape all as a form of ‘tape’. Things obviously didn’t pan out that way, but I don’t think it was an unreasonable guess in the TOS timeframe. We don’t know what “duotronic” technology was like, so we can’t say whether or not tapes were obsolescent. For all we know, they could have been the cornerstone of the entire system (though they had obviously been superceded by Picard’s time). I’m watching _ **TNG** _ right now, the one with the reptile and mammal diplomats. It’s quite amusing to see Troi sitting at her “post” on the bridge, tapping her knee and looking bored. If a more pointless character was ever conceived, I’m at a loss to name them (though Wesley comes close). ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2017, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-star-trek/782109/109 "2017-03-14T21:08:39Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > This is true; however, the idea of shuttlecraft was played with in early drafts of the first pilot. They even came up with a docking system for them. One might also have noticed that the shuttlecraft hangar doors were visible at the stern of the \*Enterprise \*from Day One of the series. 🙂 ---
**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:** [March 14, 2017, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-star-trek/782109/110 "2017-03-14T21:31:03Z")
When runabouts were introduced in DS9, someone asked me what was the difference between them and a shuttle. I replied “a runabout is big enough to have a toilet”. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Drum\_God](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drum_god/32/44_2.png) [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2017, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-star-trek/782109/111 "2017-03-15T00:03:34Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > TOS had real characters. Scotty liked his whiskey and even got into a bar fight. Tip, never call the Enterprise a garbage scow around Scotty. [Klingon spoiling for a fight] No, I meant that the Enterprise should be hauled away _as_ garbage. [/Ksfaf] ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2017, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-star-trek/782109/112 "2017-03-15T00:30:31Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Nichelle Nichols says the women’s uniforms were “liberating.” I’m not going to argue with her because _ **HEY!** _ she’s freakin’ Nichelle Nichols!\* :o If I had gotten a vote it would have been for the mirror universe Uhura uniform. ---
**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:** [March 15, 2017, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-star-trek/782109/113 "2017-03-15T00:49:01Z")
> [@Pantastic](#): > > I think at the time it seemed like “tape” was on it’s way to being a generic term - you had reel to reel tapes, 8-track tapes, cassette tapes, and paper tape all as a form of ‘tape’. Things obviously didn’t pan out that way, but I don’t think it was an unreasonable guess in the TOS timeframe. I was going to suggest that, but I was afraid that people would laugh at me. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2017, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-star-trek/782109/114 "2017-03-15T01:47:08Z")
> [@Helena330](#): > > It’s not the military, it’s a TV show. And please, let’s just forget the “Starfleet isn’t the military” argument. It’s patently clear that it is, despite Roddenberry’s claims to the contrary. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2017, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-star-trek/782109/115 "2017-03-15T01:59:58Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > **Daystern Institute.** Day **strom**. Dr Richard Day **strom**. Sheesh! :smack: By far, the dumbest logistics point was that the \*Enterprise \*never, \*\*ever \*\*carried any extra dilithium crystals. Something that vital to the ship, there should have been holds full of spare crystals, just waiting to be used in an emergency. What happened to them? Did Scotty eat them for lunch? 😕 ---
**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:** [March 15, 2017, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-star-trek/782109/116 "2017-03-15T02:05:38Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > By far, the dumbest logistics point was that the \*Enterprise \*never, \*\*ever \*\*carried any extra dilithium crystals. Something that vital to the ship, there should have been holds full of spare crystals, just waiting to be used in an emergency. > > What happened to them? Did Scotty eat them for lunch? 😕 Someone replaced the dilithium crystals with Folgers Crystals, and nobody noticed. ---
**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:** [March 15, 2017, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-star-trek/782109/117 "2017-03-15T02:09:54Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Re. beaming warm clothes to Sulu: they should have said (or shown) that the malfunctioning transporter was now producing randomly split-into-pieces objects. That wouldn’t work either. Just beam down a ton of them. Sulu and the others could pile them up and burrow into the pile until they were cozy and warm. No, they just carried the Idiot Ball to the goal line with that episode. ---
**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:** [March 15, 2017, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-star-trek/782109/118 "2017-03-15T02:18:05Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > If a more pointless character was ever conceived, I’m at a loss to name them (though Wesley comes close). 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2017, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-star-trek/782109/119 "2017-03-15T02:44:59Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Someone replaced the dilithium crystals with Folgers Crystals, and nobody noticed. They should have replaced them with Maxwell House. They would be good to the last drop (out of warp). ---
**Author:** ![AnalogSignal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/analogsignal/32/1085_2.png) [@AnalogSignal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnalogSignal)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2017, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-star-trek/782109/120 "2017-03-15T02:46:41Z")
Here’s my list of annoyances from TOS: - Forget about who was serving the coffee. Why are they still using crappy Styrofoam cups in the 23rd century? - Why does Spock have to spend hours bending down to look into that tiny scanner? Are Vulcans immune to backaches? - For precise navigation, is Kirk telling Sulu to press a button “on my mark” going to be accurate? - Ion storms always interfering with transporters. - Should the Captain, First Officer, and Chief Medical Officer beam down together into a potentially dangerous situation? - On most planets, aliens speak perfect American English. - The brig had no toilets. - Why did phaser beams change colors from episode to episode? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-star-trek/782109.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-that-bug-you-about-star-trek/782109.md?page=7)