Question: What caused Captain Garth to go mad?
What Are Little Girls Made Of? - S1-E7
Question: When the Enterprise is in orbit, it uses the Impulse engines to maintain orbit. The Impulse engines are located on the back (aft) of the primary saucer. Why were these not on or lit up? Unless they're using gravity, but there are the familiar engine sounds.
Movie NutChosen answer: If they're in orbit, they're being pulled along by the planet's gravity well, therefore, impulse engines would only be used for minor corrections and would be "on standby" while in orbit, but not active. (Like keeping your car idling without revving the engine and creating plumes of exhaust).
Captain Defenestrator
Answer: It most likely represents varying power levels. Think of fire; as its temperature rises, its color changes. Energy weapons are likely similar.
Jason HoffmanAnswer: There's no explanation. It could be that there are a variety of uniforms that personnel can wear, or regulations have changed. Most likely, it was a production choice to make subtle changes to the costumes.
raywestQuestion: Has it been overlooked that in this episode Spock seems to intuitively know that the sword Sulu is wielding is of the 16th (or 17th) century? It is made clear that Sulu is chasing crewmen with 'a sword' but the type of sword and the manner in which Sulu challenges the men, is not known. Later Spock gives an 'overview' of what is happening on the ship describing Sulu as a 16th (or 17th) century swashbuckler - but the bridge crew had no prior knowledge of what sword Sulu was using or how he was speaking... Was that just one of Spock's "best guesses"?
Chosen answer: It is never revealed how Spock knew this. This is either an educated guess on his part, or else Spock, who is intellectually superior to most humans, has a particular interest in or knowledge of ancient Earth history and is familiar with different types of weapons.
raywestQuestion: In this episode, the computer says that Spock's rank is Lieutenant Commander. If he is First Officer of the ship, wouldn't he be a full Commander?
Movie NutChosen answer: Rank and position aren't directly correlated. An officer may be promoted to a higher rank, but maintain his/her current position. And an officer may be assigned new duties without a promotion. Spock is eventually promoted to full commander, but it isn't a requirement for the job.
Jason HoffmanQuestion: It's generally accepted that Warp Drive makes a bubble of space around the vessel and accelerates the outer bubble around the space surrounding the ship. Given the nature of the warp drive enveloping a pocket of space, can the warp drive be used offensively to capture part of another vessel in the space surrounding the Enterprise and use the acceleration to tear the enemy ship apart?
Chosen answer: It's never been stated how far outside the ship the warp field can extend. Excessive use of warp technology can cause subspace rifts, which is why maximum speed in non-emergency situations is Warp 5. So, whether out of impracticability or potentially a criminal act, nobody uses warp fields offensively. Proton Torpedoes travel at warp, but they don't go past Warp 5 either.
Captain DefenestratorThe Corbomite Maneuver - S1-E10
Question: In this episode, the navigator, Mr. Bailey, has an earpiece only for the length of time it takes to notify the crew of the message coming in over the navigation beam. Why is it that no time before, or since, that anyone at the conn or navigation positions never had one?
Movie NutChosen answer: This was an early episode and TV shows often make small changes to set design, props, equipment, and so on as the program progresses. Most likely it was felt that this particular prop was not effective and the producers decided to eliminate it.
raywestQuestion: If Uhura can be re-educated in a few days, (after Nomad wipes her memory) why is there a Starfleet Academy? Couldn't you train an ensign in a week and then send him off on a ship to get practical experience?
Grumpy ScotChosen answer: I'd say the difference is re-educated versus educated. The total of an education at any institution is more than what is taught in classes.
RlvlkQuestion: Why don't any of the Treks to come use any of the useful things that Enterprise discovers? A psychotricorder can record your memories! Scalosian water speeds up humanoids to the point they can dodge energy beams! A veinful of kironide makes you a powerful telekinetic a few minutes after injection! If Picard, Sisko and Janeway had just read Kirk's logs, the Borg and Dominion wouldn't have had a chance.
Grumpy ScotChosen answer: They do use much of the technology, just not the particular items you mention. There are many reasons: perhaps the technology was deemed too dangerous and outlawed (as with the planet Talos), or found impossible to reproduce. The Prime Directive would prohibit them from stealing the technology too, no matter how valuable.
Jason HoffmanQuestion: What was the fate of all five series' captains?
Chosen answer: According to on-screen text visible in one episode, Jonathan Archer served as Chief of Staff at Starfleet Command, then was appointed Federation ambassador to Andoria. He then served on the Federation Council, before finally holding the office of Federation President for eight years. According to additional biographical text that ultimately never appeared on-screen (and therefore may not be canon), Archer died peacefully at home in 2245, the day after attending the launch ceremony of the Enterprise NCC-1701. James T. Kirk died on Veridian III in 2371, 78 years after he was believed killed on the Enterprise-B, as seen in Star Trek: Generations (although novels written by William Shatner have resurrected the character for further adventures, these are of uncertain canonicity at best). Jean-Luc Picard remains in command of the Enterprise-E; while a future version has been seen as an ex-Federation Ambassador suffering from the lethal irumodic syndrome, this remains only a possible future. Benjamin Sisko was taken into the Celestial Temple by the Bajoran Prophets; a series of follow-up books reveals that he eventually returns and lives on Bajor with his family, but, as with Kirk, the canonicity of these novels remains unclear. Kathryn Janeway was promoted to Vice Admiral upon Voyager's return from the Delta Quadrant and, when last seen, held a position at Starfleet Command.
TailkinkerQuestion: As Captain Kirk didn't die until the film 'Star Trek: Generations' (1994), what happened in the last episode of the series?
Chosen answer: The original series didn't have an ending, it was just cancelled. The last episode was "Turnabout Intruder" where Kirk and Dr. Janet Lester switch bodies and then switch back.
MyridonChosen answer: Not every Vulcan male has an arranged marriage. For example Sarek, Spock's father, was not promised and was thus free to marry a human, Amanda. This is part of the reason Spock was so resentful towards his father.
Grumpy ScotQuestion: How in the world did Hikaru Sulu, whom under all circumstances is Japanese, end up with that last name? Even in the novelization of the Star Trek IV, he meets his great (great.) grandfather named Akira Sulu. (Question is aimed more for a production explanation than a story-based one.)
Chosen answer: Production explanation: Gene Roddenberry took the name Hikaru from the legendary Japanese novel "Tale of Genji" and Sulu from the Sulu Sea, located in Southeast Asia. Roddenberry wanted a universal-Asian name and said, "[Since] the waters of a sea touch all shores," the name Sulu was perfect. Story-based explanation: presumably somewhere in Sulu's family line there was a non-Japanese (probably Filipino) male whose surname was passed on.
Sierra1Question: Does anyone have an idea how the Klingons - quite human-looking in the original series - have got their forehead furrows for which they are now famous (and easily recognizable)? I've heard rumors so far that the whole issue would be explained in the current 'Enterprise' series, but so far I haven't caught the clue.
Chosen answer: It was discussed in "Enterprise". The Klingons try to make augments (super-klingons), but to do so they used the human augments DNA. This caused the Klingons whom were tested to look partly human (hence the lack of forehead ridges). It then turned into a virus which spread to many of the Klingon population. Causing them to look 'human-like'.
Craig BryantTomorrow is Yesterday - S1-E19
Continuity mistake: When Kirk and Sulu enter the records room, they pick the lock. Later when they beam the officer back down, he enters the room without unlocking the door. The room should be locked since they beamed him down in the "past" erasing their having been on Earth and in the records room.
Mandi3939Trivia: Gene Roddenberry created the transporter as an easier (and cheaper) way of getting Enterprise crew members onto a planet's surface, rather than landing the ship on the planet.
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Chosen answer: He was seriously injured during a rescue mission, the result of the accident and his injuries also left his mind unstable and he began a descent into madness. While not a lot of detail is given, you can compare it to war veterans who experience shell shock or PTSD.
Bishop73