Science Fiction and Fantasy Stack Exchange
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Questions tagged [star-trek]

For all questions about the Star Trek universe. Including the television series, films, characters, events, and technology in the universe. For more specific questions, use in conjunction with the relevant tags, such as [star-trek-tos] or [star-trek-tng].

The Star Trek franchise

Star Trek is an American science fiction franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, with its first television episodes airing in 1966. The franchise has produced

  • 13 live-action television series spanning nearly 30 seasons with nearly 600 episodes between them
  • An animated television series
  • More than ten theatrical films
  • Scores of novels and comic books
  • A large fan following with conventions worldwide

Each episode of The Original Series (TOS), save for “The Cage” and “Where No Man Has Gone Before”, began with the following narration by Captain James T. Kirk:

Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.

It was later modified for The Next Generation (TNG) with narration by Captain Jean-Luc Picard:

Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its continuing mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before.

Series, film, and subject-specific tags

Questions specific to a Star Trek series or film should use the appropriate specialized tag in addition to the main tag:

Television series

Films

Star Trek Extended Universe

  • (novels, comics, video games, and fan fiction outside of the Star Trek canon)

Subject-specific

Species

  • (the Andorians)
  • (the Betazoid species)
  • (the Borg, a hostile collective of cybernetic organisms from the Delta Quadrant)
  • (the Founders and others of their species, shapeshifters from the Gamma Quadrant)
  • (the Ferengi)
  • (the Jem’Hadar, fighters in service to the Dominion)
  • (Klingon culture and history, the Klingon Empire)
  • (for questions specifically about the fully-developed Klingon language)
  • (Romulan culture and history, the Romulan Star Empire, and the Romulan language)
  • (Q and the Q Collective)
  • (Vulcan culture and history, and the Vulcan language)
  • (the Xindi, residents of the Delphic Expanse)

Characters

Again, use this with the tag.

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Are there any programmers in Star Trek?

Star Trek, for being a show about the distant future and extraordinarily high-tech equipment, sure seems to be lacking a lot of computer programmers. With technology as complex as it is, where are all the starship-based computer programmers…
Zibbobz
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Can anyone explain the Star Trek astrography (i.e. quadrants)?

All throughout Star Trek one hears of exploration of various quadrants. I assume these are of the Milky Way galaxy. Does anyone know how the travels of the Enterprise relate to our universe in physical space? Was the entire series limited to our…
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Why aren't there any fighter carriers in the Star Trek universe?

All of the ships of every species seem to be medium to large vessels with multiple crew members. Why aren't there single fighter craft and carrier ships to transport them in mass? I've just noticed the difference between Battlestar Galactica and…
Jack B Nimble
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In Star Trek, why do Federation / Starfleet ships always seem to delay returning fire until it's almost too late?

I keep seeing this situation in Star Trek series: "Captain, they've raised shields!" "Now they're charging their weapons!" "Captain, they're targeting our engines!" "OK Ensign, evasive maneuvers." BOOM "Shields are holding, Captain, we're…
Matt Moran
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How many episodes of Star Trek "didn't happen"?

I'm curious how many episodes throughout Star Trek, from an in-universe perspective, either didn't happen or may as well not have happened, as in: All the events are forgotten (like in Voyager's "Unforgettable") Events are erased from the timeline…
Durakken
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Why would Vulcans be vegetarian in an era with replicators?

Most vegetarians on Earth abstain from meat because of the treatment of animals as a result of mass proceessing. However in a universe with replicators, there is no ill treatment. A replicator simply aligns the molecules in such a way as to create a…
Jack B Nimble
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Has the phrase 'Star Trek' ever been used in Star Trek?

In all the Star Trek series, the basis of the plot generally is trekking around stars. So, my question is has the phrase 'Star Trek' ever been used in any canon Star Trek works?
Often Right
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What is the point of evasive maneuvers in Star Trek?

Why do star ships employ evasive maneuvers when engaging in battle? Can't targeting systems easily pinpoint targets travelling at non-warp speeds?
Sam Becker
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Is mass surveillance a thing in Star Trek?

When I thought about consequences of mass surveillance, one question came through my mind: There are many dystopias where mass surveillance is one cause for the dark future. But can there be scenarios where mankind evolved to a peaceful…
muri
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How do humans in Star Trek satisfy their desire for fanciful and luxurious stuff in a post-scarcity world where money does not exist?

My understanding of post-scarcity in the Star Trek world is that humans need not worry about their next meal. There will always be enough for the basic necessities. However, I do not think this extends to everything. My understanding of humans is…
user486818
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Who is James R Kirk?

Most people are familiar with the iconic James T. (Tiberius) Kirk from Star Trek. But in the original series episode "Where No Man Has Gone Before" a tomb stone is created for Kirk that shows his name as James R. Kirk. Who was James R. Kirk and when…
Xantec
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Was There Ever an Official or Canon Retcon or Explanation For the Eugenics Wars?

Star Trek is one of the few SF shows to have the distinction of running long enough to make some of their original situations outdated. In the original Star Trek, the Eugenics wars took place between 1993-1996. Star Trek: The Next Generation was…
Tango
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Where does human waste go when going to the toilet in the Star Trek universe?

Even if the society in Star Trek has evolved into a cashless state, that still leaves the matter of stools and other bodily excretions (not sweat or blood) to deal with. Where does that all faecal matter and urine go? Having not seen any depiction…
Eight Days of Malaise
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Why would any Federation starship (such as the Enterprise) have any spouses or youth onboard?

The original Star Trek series and Star Trek movies basically portrayed the Star Fleet culture aboard ship as similar to the U.S. Navy. The culture is predominantly male but women are allowed on most ships, especially in "support" roles such as…
KeithS
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Who invented Star Trek sideburns and why?

In Star Trek, characters generally have pointy sideburns. Clearly a production decision was made in the 60s. What's the history of this? (Related question: Is there any in-universe explanation or reference to why pointy sideburns persisted for…
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