Star Trek Tech FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions about Star Trek Tech.
This FAQ about Star Trek Tech
was compiled and written by Joshua Bell inexorabletash@hotmail.com
with numerous contributions by others.
01 "How does it work?" (Holodeck and Computers - Star Trek)- A Holodeck can create simulations in the following ways:...
02 "What about eating on the Holodeck? Does Troi do it to keep thin with all that chocolate she eats?" (Holodeck and Computers - Star Trek)- Any food consumed on the Holodeck would be replicated. If it were ...
03 "What is this 'meat puppet' description I've heard used?" (Holodeck and Computers - Star Trek)- A 'meat puppet' is a old term resurrected to describe a ...
04 "So can you take things off of the Holodeck?" (Holodeck and Computers - Star Trek)- Yes. Any object replicated on the Holodeck may leave. Unfortunately,...
05 "Didn't Picard lie to Moriarty (in "Elementary, Dear Data" [TNG])?" (Holodeck and Computers - Star Trek)- According to various reliable sources, that was Gene Roddenberry'...
06 "What about beaming things off the Holodeck (ala "Ship In A Bottle" [TNG])?" (Holodeck and Computers - Star Trek)- This has never been tried, as explained in the episode, which is ...
07 "Now wait a second. How come something simple like the chair in "Ship In A Bottle" [TNG] wasn't replicated?" (Holodeck and Computers - Star Trek)- They were testing beaming something composed of the 5th type ...
08 "What's this about 'HoloSex'?" (Holodeck and Computers - Star Trek)- If current trends are a pattern for the future to follow, then ...
09 "What if you urinate/defecate/excrete whatever on the Holodeck?" (Holodeck and Computers - Star Trek)- One would hope the Holodeck is smart enough to clean up after you. ...
10 "Can you get hurt on the Holodeck?" (Holodeck and Computers - Star Trek)- Yes. Even when it isn't malfunctioning, the simulation can't ...
11 "But the replicators can't even make unhealthy food!" (Holodeck and Computers - Star Trek)- Replicators can (within limits of technology and energy) ...
12 "What happened to the "arch" they used in the first season?" (Holodeck and Computers - Star Trek)- Its intended use was as a way to program the Holodeck and access ...
13 "How do they manage to keep walking for hours and hours?" (Holodeck and Computers - Star Trek)- The Holodeck has a force field treadmill. If its occupants get ...
14 "But what about the walls seen in "Encounter at Farpoint" [TNG] and "Ship In A Bottle" [TNG], demonstrated by Data?" (Holodeck and Computers - Star Trek)- In Encounter at Farpoint [TNG], Data threw a Holodeck-generated ...
15 "What happens if two real people enter a Holodeck and start running away from each other?" (Holodeck and Computers - Star Trek)- The simplest answer is that the Holodeck compartmentalizes, ...
16 "What if they take a real rock in with them, walk away from each other (past the physical limits of the Holodeck) and then toss the rock back and forth?" (Holodeck and Computers - Star Trek)- This one is too easy. The holodeck could treat the rock in just ...
17 "So what if two people take a long rope, and start walking away from each other?" (Holodeck and Computers - Star Trek)- The answer in this instance could be that the Holodeck hides part ...
18 "Can you go swimming on the Holodeck?" (Holodeck and Computers - Star Trek)- Yes. Cliff diving has been mentioned as a recreation sport aboard ...
19 "How about a Holodeck within the Holodeck?" (Holodeck and Computers - Star Trek)- This is done in Ship In A Bottle [TNG]. They end up with a ...
20 "Can you get the Holodeck to simulate someone?" (Holodeck and Computers - Star Trek)- Yes. Although done numerous times, including Ship In A Bottle [TNG]...
21 "Could you simulate the Enterprise bridge from the Holodeck, and use it to take over?" (Holodeck and Computers - Star Trek)- The simulation would not be a problem - the Enterprise computer ...
22 "Why not just have single-person Holodecks? For interaction, the computer could just link them all together!" (Holodeck and Computers - Star Trek)- According to the TNG Tech Manual, there are four primary Holodecks ...
23 "Why do people get dressed up before going to the Holodeck? Can't it provide the period costumes?" (Holodeck and Computers - Star Trek)- Yes. In First Contact Picard has clothing simulations created ...
24 "How do you fit two entire baseball teams (real people, not holographic extras) into one of Quark's Holosuites?" "Take Me Out To The Holosuite" [DS9] (Holodeck and Computers - Star Trek)- We do know that Quark's holosuites come in various sizes. If you'...
25 "Wasn't there a Holodeck on the original Enterprise? I'm sure I remember...." (Holodeck and Computers - Star Trek)- Not in TOS. However, in The Practical Joker [TAS] the ...
26 Holodoc - Voyager's Holodeck technology- Phage [VOY] describes Voyager's medical holographic technology ...
27 "So tell me about the computers." (Holodeck and Computers - Star Trek)- According to the TNG TM, the Enterprise has three main computers. ...
28 "Why do the displays and touch pads work when the computers are down?" (Holodeck and Computers - Star Trek)- The displays use nanoprocessors - cell sized mechanical computers -...
29 "Why aren't the computers distributed?" (Holodeck and Computers - Star Trek)- The three main computer cores are equipped with low level ...
30 "Why the redundancy in the primary hull? Shouldn't the cores be in the secondary hull?" (Holodeck and Computers - Star Trek)- We're not sure. The TNG Blueprints have the secondary hull ...
31 "How big is a kiloquad?" (Holodeck and Computers - Star Trek)- This hasn't been answered, and in the Encyclopedia, it says:...
32 "But a quad is a unit of energy!" (Holodeck and Computers - Star Trek)- Words can have more than one meaning....
33 "In "The Nth Degree" [TNG] when Barclay was taking over the core, why not just disconnect that core and use one of the other two?" (Holodeck and Computers - Star Trek)- I can't remember the details, but presumably he took over the ...
34 Credits (Holodeck and Computers)- * Michael M. Welch, mwelch@netcom....
35 References (Holodeck and Computers)- See the Reading List FAQ for more details on the reference ...
36 Episode Guides (rec.arts.startrek.tech reading list)- While Vidiot and Hackman have on-line (free) episode guides for ...
37 Official Technical Manuals p1 (rec.arts.startrek.tech reading list)- These are generally accepted by the .tech community as being ...
38 Official Technical Manuals p2 (rec.arts.startrek.tech reading list)- STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION INTERACTIVE TECHNICAL ...
39 "The Making Of" and Other Licensed Works (rec.arts.startrek.tech reading list)- Making Of books are valuable to Treknical discussions because ...
40 Official Technical Manuals p3 (rec.arts.startrek.tech reading list)- STAR TREK PHASE II: THE LOST ...
41 Pretty Pictures p1 (rec.arts.startrek.tech reading list)- These books range from behind-the-scenes photographs of studio ...
42 Pretty Pictures p2 (rec.arts.startrek.tech reading list)- JACKILL'S STAR FLEET REFERENCE MANUAL: SHIPS OF THE ...
43 Pretty Pictures p3 (rec.arts.startrek.tech reading list)- STARFLEET
44 Pretty Pictures p4 (rec.arts.startrek.tech reading list)- U.S.S. ENTERPRISE OFFICER'S ...
45 Blueprints p1 (rec.arts.startrek.tech reading list)- Paramount has only ever officially endorsed three sets of blueprints,...
46 Blueprints p2 (rec.arts.startrek.tech reading list)- Blues
47 Blueprints p3 (rec.arts.startrek.tech reading list)- Galaxy Class Cruiser Interior & Exterior ...
48 Blueprints p4 (rec.arts.startrek.tech reading list)- Regula 1 Space ...
49 Blueprints p5 (rec.arts.startrek.tech reading list)- Publishers and Blueprint ...
50 Blueprints p6 (rec.arts.startrek.tech reading list)- FEDERATION ...
51 Blueprints p7 (rec.arts.startrek.tech reading list)- Other
52 Gaming Materials p1 (rec.arts.startrek.tech reading list)- Last Unicorn ...
53 Gaming Materials p2 (rec.arts.startrek.tech reading list)
54 Gaming Materials p3 (rec.arts.startrek.tech reading list)
55 The of Star Trek (rec.arts.startrek.tech reading list)- While not necessarily related to Treknical discussions, there's been ...
56 Clubs and Periodicals (rec.arts.startrek.tech reading list)- The last purely tech clubs I had listed (the Galactic Engineers'...
57 Isn't There... (rec.arts.startrek.tech reading list)- * There are no official maps. Bummer....
58 Where Can I Get Them? (rec.arts.startrek.tech reading list)- Most of the Pocket Books-published books which are still in print ...
59 Contributors (rec.arts.startrek.tech reading list)
60 Ship Statistics AbsolutelyNonCanon Mini-FAQ- (updated January 19, 1994)...
61 Bird Of Prey Klingon Empire (Ship Statistics AbsolutelyNonCanon)
62 Oberth Class United Federation Of Planets (Ship Statistics AbsolutelyNonCanon)- Introduction:...
63 D-7 (?) Class Klingon Empire (Ship Statistics AbsolutelyNonCanon)
64 K'T'Inga Class Klingon Empire (Ship Statistics AbsolutelyNonCanon)- Introduction:...
65 Constitution Class (pre-2270) United Federation Of Planets (Ship Statistics AbsolutelyNonCanon)- Introduction:...
66 Constitution Class (post-2270) United Federation Of Planets (Ship Statistics AbsolutelyNonCanon)- Introduction:...
67 Galaxy Class United Federation Of Planets (Ship Statistics AbsolutelyNonCanon)- Introduction:...
68 "How does the transporter work?" (Transporters - Star Trek)- While there is no absolute canonical answer, we can piece one ...
69 "Excuse me, Annular Confinement Beam?" (Transporters - Star Trek)- Yes. The ACB is where the phrase Beam me up, Scotty! comes from. ...
70 "How does the transporter know what to take and what to leave?" (Transporters - Star Trek)- In The Enterprise Incident [TOS], the ship's scanners are able ...
71 "So what is this pattern thing?" (Transporters - Star Trek)- The pattern buffer is a cyclotron-like tank (TNG:TM) which holds ...
72 "So what is a Heisenberg Compensator?" (Transporters - Star Trek)- As Mike Okuda said when asked by Time (28 Nov 1994), How do ...
73 "How does that Biofilter gadget work?" (Transporters - Star Trek)- The Biofilter is a good clue as to how the transport patterns work....
74 "What is pattern degradation?" (Transporters - Star Trek)- The pattern is probably highly complex. Pattern degradation ...
75 "Where are you during transport?" (Transporters - Star Trek)- Inside the ACB. Realm of Fear [TNG] shows what it looks like - ...
76 "So was Scotty conscious for 75 years?" ("Relics" [TNG]) (Transporters - Star Trek)- Nope, or he would have starved - if your brain is working, your ...
77 "What happens to the air when you beam in or beam out?" (Transporters - Star Trek)- It is likely that during the beam-out process, air simply ...
78 when beamed in?" ("Tomorrow is Yesterday" [TOS]) (Transporters - Star Trek)- Something similar happened in Bloodlines [TNG] when Picard's ...
79 "How can you transport without a transporter at the receiving end?" (Transporters - Star Trek)- According to the TNG Tech Manual, the Enterprise hull sports ...
80 "So why in TOS episodes/classic films did they beam from transporter room to transporter room?" (Transporters - Star Trek)- Intra-ship transport in the TOS era was not very reliable. (Day ...
81 "What happened at the start of Star Trek: The Motion Picture then, if it's so safe?" (Transporters - Star Trek)- When the power on the receiving end of the transport failed, ...
82 "And why can't Trills be transported?" ("The Host" [TNG]) (Transporters - Star Trek)- Odan said that transport would kill him. However, in The ...
83 "Can you transport through subspace?" (Transporters - Star Trek)- In Data's Day [TNG], the use of a subspace carrier wave ...
84 "Why can't you be transported through shields?" (Transporters - Star Trek)- If you could be transported through shields, they'd be pretty ...
85 "But what about the time O'Brien used the shield frequencies..." ("The Wounded" [TNG]) (Transporters - Star Trek)- Shields must allow some energy through to allow sensors to operate. ...
86 "What about in "Relics" [TNG] - they didn't do anything special!" (Transporters - Star Trek)- One would imagine that shield and transporter technologies are in ...
87 "Could surgery be performed with a transporter?" (Transporters - Star Trek)- It all depends on the surgery. For example - could I suspend you ...
88 "What about souls?" (Transporters - Star Trek)- Heh. Well, if you've already decided that Star Trek transporters ...
89 "Can you transport while in Warp?" (Transporters - Star Trek)- Yes. According to the TM and Best of Both Worlds, Part II, if you'...
90 "What happened in "The Schizoid Man" [TNG] ?" (Transporters - Star Trek)- The Enterprise dropped out of warp for a fraction of a second, ...
91 And in the transporter weaponry category: (Transporters - Star Trek)- Transporter Scramblers: (from Nor the Battle to the Strong [DS9] &...
92 "How do replicators work?" (Replicators - Star Trek)- Replicators are based on transporter technology. A sample object ...
93 "Can replicators transmute elements?" (Replicators - Star Trek)- Yes... sort of. There have been occasions on the show where ...
94 "What about gold-pressed latinum?" (Replicators - Star Trek)- In Who Mourns for Morn? [DS9], latinum is described as a clear,...
95 "What happens to the glasses when they're done with them?" (Replicators - Star Trek)- The empty glasses, plates, etc, are put back in the ...
96 "Why don't they use replicators to do instant ship repair?" (Replicators - Star Trek)- For minor repair, it might be feasible, but we rarely see any sort ...
97 "Can you make two Datas with the transporter?" (Replicators - Star Trek)- No. It is not possible (with 24th century technology, at least) ...
98 "Hey! What about "The Enemy Within" and "Second Chances" ?" (Replicators - Star Trek)- For better or worse, no such device has been intentionally created ...
99 "What about the time when... ?" (Replicators - Star Trek)- Star Trek has broken the rules of transporters a number of times....
100 Phasing (Star Trek)- What is phasing? It seems to be mentioned everywhere these days!...
101 Credits (Transporters, Replicators and Phasing)- Tom ...
102 References (Transporters, Replicators and Phasing)- See the Reading List FAQ for more details on the reference ...
103 A Wrench in the Works (Warp and Subspace - Star Trek)- NOTE: There are two distinct problems to be solved when describing ...
104 "Well, so how does warp work?" (Warp and Subspace - Star Trek)- A powerful, asymmetric subspace field is established around the ...
105 "But, but... that's just what it does! How does it work!!!" (Warp and Subspace - Star Trek)- Alas, there is no canonical answer. The Relativity and FTL ...
106 "So what stops the ship from accelerating and getting faster and faster?" (Warp and Subspace - Star Trek)- Warp travel is non-Newtonian. Without a constant influx of energy, ...
107 "What about 'continuum drag' ?" (Warp and Subspace - Star Trek)- This was an idea proposed in the forgotten past to explain the ...
108 "So how'd the Saucer travel at warp speeds (in "Encounter at Farpoint" [TNG]) ?" (Warp and Subspace - Star Trek)- The Tech Manual states that the subspace field generators coupled ...
109 "This Warp 5 speed limit - what's up with that?" (Warp and Subspace - Star Trek)- In Force of Nature [TNG] it is discovered that within the ...
110 "What is subspace?" (Warp and Subspace - Star Trek)- According to the Encyclopedia, it is a continuum with different ...
111 "What are Tetryons and Verterons?" (Warp and Subspace - Star Trek)- Subatomic particles mentioned in Force of Nature [TNG], and a ...
112 "What are 'warp particles'?" (Warp and Subspace - Star Trek)- These were mentioned in Parallax [VOY], and used to open a ...
113 "What is subspace radio?" (Warp and Subspace - Star Trek)- A means of sending a signal through subspace, so that it is ...
114 "How fast is subspace radio?" (Warp and Subspace - Star Trek)- Under ideal conditions, Warp 9.9997. (TNG TM, page 99) This is ...
115 "Why is it instantaneous in the movies?" (Warp and Subspace - Star Trek)- No ad breaks....
116 "What is a cochrane?" (Warp and Subspace - Star Trek)- According to the Tech Manual, it's a measure of subspace ...
117 "What's TransWarp?" (Warp and Subspace - Star Trek)- According to the Star Trek Chronology, the Excelsior was ...
118 "Transwarp Frogs in Space?" (Warp and Subspace - Star Trek)- And then there's Threshold [VOY] in which Voyager - a ship ...
119 "What about Transwarp drive?" (Warp and Subspace - Star Trek)- Okay, now that the Star Trek writers are back to using this [TECH]...
120 "What is Quantum SlipStream Drive?" (Warp and Subspace - Star Trek)- Article by Jeremy H. ...
121 "Besides TransWarp and Quantum Slipstream, what other alternate forms of FTL travel have we seen?" (Warp and Subspace - Star Trek)- Where No One Has Gone Before [TNG]...
122 Nitty Gritty (Warp and Subspace - Star Trek)- FASA says the Enterprise-D uses UltraWarp, so nyeah!...
123 "Some Starfleet ships use 3 nacelles!" (Warp and Subspace - Star Trek)- In 2269, Starfleet attempted ships with 1 and 3 or more warp ...
124 "Ha! Three nacelle ships are canon!" ("All Good Things..." [TNG]) (Warp and Subspace - Star Trek)- Note that a number of things have changed by the time we see ...
125 "But the Ferengi/Borg/Klingon Bird of Prey don't have nacelles!" (Warp and Subspace - Star Trek)- The Borg probably have subspace field generators (redundantly)...
126 "Why do ships always meet the same way up?" (Warp and Subspace - Star Trek)- I know it's been proposed as a joke, but the idea that warp ...
127 Contributors (Warp and Subspace - Star Trek)- Eur van Andel, eur@xs4all....
128 Glossary (Warp and Subspace - Star Trek)-
129 References (Warp and Subspace - Star Trek)- See the Reading List FAQ for more details on the reference ...
130 In all of the formulas in this FAQ, the following hold (Warp Velocities - Star Trek)- v
131 "Who the heck is Mike?" (Warp Velocities - Star Trek)- Mike is Michael Okuda, a member of the Star Trek television ...
132 "So who's Rick?" (Warp Velocities - Star Trek)- Rick is Rick Sternbach, the other author of the TNG ...
133 TOS-era: The Original Series (Warp Velocities - Star Trek)- The original series warp equation is generally accepted to be:...
134 TNG-era: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager (Warp Velocities - Star Trek)- By the time of Star Trek: The Next Generation, the warp scale ...
135 AGT-era: "All Good Things..." (TNG final episode) (Warp Velocities - Star Trek)- Quoted in the final episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, in ...
136 VOY-era: Transwarp Frogs In Spaaaaaace! (Warp Velocities - Star Trek)- As you may have guessed, the .tech community was less than ...
137 Speed limits (Warp Velocities - Star Trek)- What's this about a Warp 10 barrier?...
138 "What causes fractional warp speeds?" (Warp Velocities - Star Trek)- As you can see from the above chart, travelling at integral ...
139 "Why not use impulse drive within the warp field to create a higher velocity?" (Warp Velocities - Star Trek)- There's no reason to think that a Newtonian drive (Impulse) ...
140 "What about "The Corbomite Maneuver" [TOS] or The Voyage Home?" (Warp Velocities - Star Trek)- Kirk and Sulu use a combination of warp drive and Impulse to ...
141 "Whoah! Hold on! They must be moving faster - look at the stars that shoot past while they're in warp!" (Warp Velocities - Star Trek)- Joseph Haller offers:...
142 Contributors (Warp Velocities - Star Trek)
143 Glossary (Warp Velocities - Star Trek)-
144 References (Warp Velocities - Star Trek)- See the Reading List FAQ for more details on the reference ...