# TOS: The Apple **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 6, 2008, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tos-the-apple/440277 "2008-03-06T03:08:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**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 6, 2008, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tos-the-apple/440277/1 "2008-03-06T03:08:37Z")
I just watched _The Apple,_ generically TIVOed G-d knows when. The digitally enhanced planets look cool. However, when the Enterprise fires it’s main phaser battery against Vaal, Kirk still steps behind a tree that is 6" in diameter for protection from the blast. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_and\_a\_Half\_Inches\_of\_Fun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea666f/32.png) [@Two\_and\_a\_Half\_Inches\_of\_Fun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_and_a_Half_Inches_of_Fun)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tos-the-apple/440277/2 "2008-03-06T03:10:59Z")
[QUOTE=carnivorousplant] I just watched _The Apple,_ generically TIVOed G-d knows when. The digitally enhanced planets look cool. However, when the Enterprise fires it’s main phaser battery against Vaal, Kirk still steps behind a tree that is 6" in diameter for protection from the blast. [/QUOTE] Here is what I do not get. Vol is powered by rocks. How can this produce enough energy to overwhelm the matter/antimatter energy of the Enterprise? ---
**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 6, 2008, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tos-the-apple/440277/3 "2008-03-06T04:02:24Z")
Well, they are **BIG** rocks. Really, really, really big rocks. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tos-the-apple/440277/4 "2008-03-06T04:02:37Z")
[QUOTE=Two and a Half Inches of Fun] Here is what I do not get. Vol is powered by rocks. How can this produce enough energy to overwhelm the matter/antimatter energy of the Enterprise? [/QUOTE] They are **mighty** rocks! ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tos-the-apple/440277/5 "2008-03-06T12:20:01Z")
[QUOTE=Two and a Half Inches of Fun] Here is what I do not get. Vol is powered by rocks. How can this produce enough energy to overwhelm the matter/antimatter energy of the Enterprise? [/QUOTE] From the [Wikipedia article on the episode](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Apple_%28Star_Trek%29); > [@](#): > > The party later observes them as they perform a ritualistic “feeding” of Vaal, carrying loads of the explosive rocks down into the underground tunnel. The picture is now clear; the people live only to service Vaal, to dance, and to gather food. They don’t even do their own agriculture, since Vaal controls the environment right down to “putting the fruit on the trees” Basically the polystyrene rocks on this planet go bang if you step on them, so there’s some sort of fantastic physics at work there. The same sort of physics that mean that the anti-matter warheads on the Enterprise never seem to go with as big a bang as you think they should. If you want a view on how anti-matter works in the Star Trek universe I recommend (and I can’t recommend this episode enough, really) [The Alternative Factor](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Alternative_Factor). ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tos-the-apple/440277/6 "2008-03-06T15:50:20Z")
[QUOTE=Pushkin] If you want a view on how anti-matter works in the Star Trek universe I recommend (and I can’t recommend this episode enough, really) [The Alternative Factor](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Alternative_Factor). [/QUOTE] I agree that overall, **The Alternative Factor** is a very good episode but the ending always bothered me. Why are they stuck there forever? Why couldn’t they die in the portal? ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tos-the-apple/440277/7 "2008-03-06T16:05:12Z")
[QUOTE=Pushkin] Basically the polystyrene rocks on this planet go bang if you step on them, so there’s some sort of fantastic physics at work there. [/QUOTE] As it happens I just watched part of this episode a couple of days ago (I bought all three seasons of TOS on DVD awhile back and am only now finding time to watch them as something to do while on my treadmill). I think I’m getting too old for this series, because my first thought was: “Okay…if you step on them they blow up, but Spock can pick one up and _break it in half_ with his bare hands and it doesn’t go boom right in his face?” ---
**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 6, 2008, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tos-the-apple/440277/8 "2008-03-06T16:52:12Z")
[QUOTE=winterhawk11] “Okay…if you step on them they blow up, but Spock can pick one up and _break it in half_ with his bare hands and it doesn’t go boom right in his face?” [/QUOTE] The remastered episode I watched apparently solved this problem by editing out the exploding rock scenes. It may also be a compression, not tension thing. :rolleyes: Maybe they were feeding Vaal virgins. It would explain forbidding the “touching and holding” thing. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tos-the-apple/440277/9 "2008-03-06T17:10:57Z")
[QUOTE=KRM] I agree that overall, **The Alternative Factor** is a very good episode but the ending always bothered me. Why are they stuck there forever? Why couldn’t they die in the portal? [/QUOTE] Yes! I can swallow the whole crazy doppleganger from an anti-universe premise, but the whole eternity-with-a-madman-at-his-throat button just seems unnecessarily bleak. They’re still human(oid), after all. Why couldn’t they kill each other? In any case, they’d eventually die of thirst, right? OK, still bleak, but not eternally so. I just have to tell myself Kirk was wrong about this one. ---
**Author:** ![flex727](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/258eb7/32.png) [@flex727](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flex727)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tos-the-apple/440277/10 "2008-03-06T21:16:30Z")
[QUOTE=carnivorousplant] The remastered episode I watched apparently solved this problem by editing out the exploding rock scenes. It may also be a compression, not tension thing. :rolleyes: [/QUOTE] Don’t confuse the editing for television (to allow for additional commercials in the 1 hr time slot) with the recent remastering process. I’m not aware of any editing of this nature with the remastered episodes. Also, wouldn’t one side of the rock be under compression while the other side is under tension when Spock breaks it in half? ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tos-the-apple/440277/11 "2008-03-06T21:32:47Z")
[QUOTE=flex727] Don’t confuse the editing for television (to allow for additional commercials in the 1 hr time slot) with the recent remastering process [/QUOTE] I’ve heard of one or two important bits being left out. Like Decker’s comments on Vulcans never lying on the bridge. Left in, it adds to the sense of his resignation, without, it would lack somewhat. [QUOTE=flex727] Also, wouldn’t one side of the rock be under compression while the other side is under tension when Spock breaks it in half? [/QUOTE] Maybe it needs some sort of a oxidation to take place, break open the outside and it activates. ---
**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 7, 2008, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tos-the-apple/440277/12 "2008-03-07T00:16:41Z")
[QUOTE=flex727] Don’t confuse the editing for television (to allow for additional commercials in the 1 hr time slot) with the recent remastering process. [/QUOTE] I believe the DVD’s will be unedited, but the ones shown on television are edited differently than we are used to seeing in syndication. Concerning compression and tension, I can only add, “Humor…it is a difficult concept.” 🙂 ---
**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 7, 2008, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tos-the-apple/440277/13 "2008-03-07T00:22:41Z")
[QUOTE=Pushkin] Like Decker’s comments on Vulcans never lying on the bridge. Left in, it adds to the sense of his resignation, without, it would lack somewhat. [/QUOTE] Nit Pick: Decker: “You’re bluffing.” Spock: “Vulcans never bluff.” Decker: “No, I don’t suppose they do.” You are correct, it adds to the scene. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2008, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tos-the-apple/440277/14 "2008-03-07T00:28:31Z")
That’s the one which took place on the “planet of the Aryan Polynesians”, isn’t it? I remember being simultaneously intrigued and grossed out by the white eyeliner all the natives were wearing. ETA: I may have a faulty memory, but I could have sworn they were tossing fruit down Vaal’s gullet. ---
**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 7, 2008, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tos-the-apple/440277/15 "2008-03-07T01:15:41Z")
[QUOTE=teela brown] That’s the one which took place on the “planet of the Aryan Polynesians”, isn’t it? [/QUOTE] Yeah, Daid Soul. I try not to think about that, Thank You Very Much. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2008, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tos-the-apple/440277/16 "2008-03-07T02:04:10Z")
[QUOTE=teela brown] ETA: I may have a faulty memory, but I could have sworn they were tossing fruit down Vaal’s gullet. [/QUOTE] We must share a brain because that’s what I thought too. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2008, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tos-the-apple/440277/17 "2008-03-07T11:49:41Z")
[QUOTE=carnivorousplant] Nit Pick: Decker: “You’re bluffing.” Spock: “Vulcans never bluff.” Decker: “No, I don’t suppose they do.” [/QUOTE] Ack, “bluff” :smack: