10 things some guy from the internet hates about Star Trek

posted on October 15th, 2011, 5:06 pm

well about the seatbelts... You have to admit... this looks like fun 

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posted on October 15th, 2011, 6:04 pm

Well, about the exploding consoles -

I work on electric battery powered forklifts.  All of the controls are powered by 15 amp fuses, while the motors and high power stuff runs off of 400+ amps.  We call the low power stuff control voltage, and high power stuff the power side.  In reality, there would never be any reason or need to connect them - no surge in the power side of the operation could send high amperage through the controls because they aren't connected.  Control and power systems are seperated by relays, contactors, SCR's and other such devices that are turned on by control voltage, and then control high power through a seperate circuit.

Aside from that, there are ways to control voltage spikes - capacitors to absorb them, solid state breakers that open when the amperage goes to high, then automatically close again when it drops, and even static straps (or voltage lines to carry the extra voltage somewhere it won't cause damage).  That's all stuff we have now - think of what we'll have in a couple hundred years.  There would never be enough power near a control console to cause an exposion - sorry.  If somehow that level of amperage hit control circuits, the wiring would be too small to carry it and would itself become a fuse.  I wouldn't even expect to see any high power lines near the bridge, since there's nothing there that needs it (except maybe the independent shielding idea).

posted on October 15th, 2011, 6:24 pm

well about the seatbelts... You have to admit... this looks like fun 

Granted, that explsion was caused by a torpedo hitting and asploding ze bridge, not by over ampage..... lolol...........

I',m FLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYING

posted on October 15th, 2011, 6:44 pm

Well, about the exploding consoles -

I work on electric battery powered forklifts.  All of the controls are powered by 15 amp fuses, while the motors and high power stuff runs off of 400+ amps.  We call the low power stuff control voltage, and high power stuff the power side.  In reality, there would never be any reason or need to connect them - no surge in the power side of the operation could send high amperage through the controls because they aren't connected.  Control and power systems are seperated by relays, contactors, SCR's and other such devices that are turned on by control voltage, and then control high power through a seperate circuit.

Aside from that, there are ways to control voltage spikes - capacitors to absorb them, solid state breakers that open when the amperage goes to high, then automatically close again when it drops, and even static straps (or voltage lines to carry the extra voltage somewhere it won't cause damage).  That's all stuff we have now - think of what we'll have in a couple hundred years.  There would never be enough power near a control console to cause an exposion - sorry.  If somehow that level of amperage hit control circuits, the wiring would be too small to carry it and would itself become a fuse.  I wouldn't even expect to see any high power lines near the bridge, since there's nothing there that needs it (except maybe the independent shielding idea).

that all assumes that star trek uses electricity in the way we do. power in trek went around in ep systems rather than metal wires. the tech could be vastly different.

[robin1983]

posted on October 15th, 2011, 8:58 pm

Last edited by robin1983 on October 15th, 2011, 9:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.

but the federation is known for their safety systems.

In the ds9 episode Destiny where Cardassian scientists wanted to work on a subspace relay. O'Brien is assisting Gilora, the Cardie Scientist, with the work needed to interface the transceiver with the station.  Gilora gasps  at the sight of the modified conduits.

O'Brien explains he had to make some modifications in order to meet Starfleet regulations which require a secondary backup system

so you would have thought that the consoles where extra extra safe as well

posted on October 15th, 2011, 9:01 pm

but the federation is known for their safety systems.

In the ds9 episode Destiny where cardassian scientists wanted to work on a subspace relay. One of the Scientists complained at O'Brien about the extra fail safe systems...

so you would have thought that the consoles where extra extra safe as well

that assumes that there is a way to make these consoles safe from exploding without damaging other systems in the way i described. i'm not saying my explanation is canon, i'm saying it is a possibility of why they dont have the consoles safe. if they could make the consoles safe with little risk then i agree the feds would do so, but they might not have that capability.

also 'splosions are kewl for tv.

posted on October 15th, 2011, 9:07 pm

Theres no point trying to come up with explainations of why there MIGHT have been explosion, they were there because explosions make for dramatic effect.

Worf: romulan warbird has fired torpedoes

riker: brace for impact

...... "wobble"

not very exciting is it.

same synario

Worf: romulan warbird has fired torpedoes

riker: brace for impact

...... BOOOM worf flys over picards bald head and lands on his face.

some random loser behind worf's normal spot just got his face exploded by a random panel and riker fell off his chair.

better no?

posted on October 16th, 2011, 7:43 am

What kind of job let's anyone work at a highly explosive console for 8 hours? Risk pay must be huge! oh, right, they don't have monnies.


Also if you like explosions, watch a Michael Bay movie

but i have to agree... exploding is more fun... but there is a limit...  this has too much explosions:

that assumes that there is a way to make these consoles safe from exploding without damaging other systems in the way i described. i'm not saying my explanation is canon, i'm saying it is a possibility of why they dont have the consoles safe. if they could make the consoles safe with little risk then i agree the feds would do so, but they might not have that capability.

also 'splosions are kewl for tv.

posted on October 16th, 2011, 10:16 pm

Theres no point trying to come up with explainations of why there MIGHT have been explosion, they were there because explosions make for dramatic effect.

Exactly.  It would have made sense if they had conduits overloading in engineering, but I guess it would have costed more to shift the focus from the bridge every time weapons impact the shields.

The reall puzzler is that the consoles still work AFTER they explode...

Oh well, at least in Nemesis they blew a hole in the bridge to justify people flying around.

posted on October 17th, 2011, 5:31 pm

The reall puzzler is that the consoles still work AFTER they explode...

I never noticed that. 

Have you guys ever thought about eye cancer? ST universe obviously never heard about standby mode either, or just "turn off the display if not needed".
And why are people standing in front of their consoles all day long? That can't be healthy.


P.S.: *cough* the firefly quote is wrong */cough*

posted on October 18th, 2011, 5:01 am

Theres no point trying to come up with explainations of why there MIGHT have been explosion, they were there because explosions make for dramatic effect.

Worf: romulan warbird has fired torpedoes

riker: brace for impact

...... "wobble"

not very exciting is it.

same synario

Worf: romulan warbird has fired torpedoes

riker: brace for impact

...... BOOOM worf flys over picards bald head and lands on his face.

some random loser behind worf's normal spot just got his face exploded by a random panel and riker fell off his chair.

better no?

You guys are forgetting the magnitude of the enemy attack. Here's a real-world example:

Say you have an electrical box. Now say you stick a piece of dynomite into said box. There will be electrical feedback.Things are going to explode.
Basically the only difference is a super-powerful energy field protecting the electrical box. After all, it has been stated many many times that a single torpedo could destroy an entire starship, and this was seen more than once. You need to remember that this is a matter/antimatter collision, with pretty severe destructive potential. Even the best dissapators couldn't fully block such an attack.

posted on October 18th, 2011, 11:09 am

Just saying...
of course it makes sense that such a powerful energy explosion might cause severe damage, but why are there highly capazative power lines behind a computer console in the first place? That's like having a 380k volt power line in your kitchen to power your toaster... o_O

posted on October 18th, 2011, 1:33 pm

I don't know about you, but I like to burn my toast quickly so I can give up and have a pot noodle quicker.

posted on October 23rd, 2011, 3:41 pm

just one hint about all the electric stuff here:
Remeber that the energy-weapons at least use a few K Voltage ... so there wouldnt be any normal fuse that can hold this (same at a lightning btw).

The explosions just totally dont make any sense when:
A) being hit by a torpedo (those just make boom and dont deliver charges)
b) there is no bomb in the console  . It would just melt down or burn but not explode an throw humans a few meters away. Exept the would put there main powersource behind that panel.

Just saying...
of course it makes sense that such a powerful energy explosion might cause severe damage, but why are there highly capazative power lines behind a computer console in the first place? That's like having a 380k volt power line in your kitchen to power your toaster... o_O

totally right 

[robin1983]

posted on October 23rd, 2011, 5:18 pm

Last edited by robin1983 on October 23rd, 2011, 5:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I am not an electrician but the high voltage can be registered right? So it should be able to divert it, like a lightning rod, switch or some high tech Rechargeable battery. Or put a small shield around the connection. Those things seems to absorb energy. Or better yet.... That ablative armour stuff seem durable...  Or disassemble a phaser or phaser array... they seem to have have materials/circuits that can transmit like 85,000 TeraWatts (if you pick a type XII phaser array.) Hell that doesn't even count for other more powerful weapons.

Doesn't the warpcore contain lots of energy?

just a snippet from Memory alpha about warpcores:

Antimatter containment is achieved through the use of magnetic fields, which guide and direct the antimatter through the antimatter engine to injector coils, which precisely compresses and streams the antimatter into the form which enters the dilithium articulation frame. Deuterium, stored in the ship or attracted by the Bussard collectors, is funneled in a stream from the opposite deuterium injector. The molecules enter the lattice matrix of the crystallized dilithium, reacting within it and releasing a tuned energy stream in the form of electro-plasma, a highly energetic form of plasma. The electro-plasma is carried by magnetic plasma conduits throughout the power transfer system. In the Federation power transfer grid, this is the electro-plasma distribution network, comprised of EPS conduits and EPS taps. The most energized stream created is the warp plasma, which exits in twin power transfer conduits connected to the warp nacelles.

(yeah doesn't make sense to me either... but it works)

Gawd i feel like a nerd now!

Brainwave: Imagine you are the producer/inventor of those consoles... HOW the hell can you sell/mass produce those things. Vulcans would say: Highly illogical