Persistent, Niggling Questions

[Nate the Great]

PNQ: Why did the Bajorans choose to apply the name "Prophets" to the wormhole aliens?



After all, generally speaking prophets speak for gods, they aren't actually gods themselves. Sisko better fits the definition of "prophet", doesn't he?

[Nate the Great]

I just saw another image of the NX-01 with the added stardrive section...


PNQ: How does that make sense?


The ship was designed based on the center of gravity being in a certain place, the warp and shield bubbles being of a certain shape and size, etc. Adding a stardrive would muck up all of these factors and yield a less efficient ship, wouldn't it?

[Nate the Great]

So I'm watching the SF Debris review of "Indiscretion" again, and Chuck notes that Bajor is stronger and united since the end of the Occupation...


PNQ: When did that happen?


It's hammered into our heads over and over throughout the series that it's a provisional government. Something that's supposed to be temporary as the people pull themselves together and sort out what they want the real government to be.


Sure, Bajor's economy has been strengthened by the wormhole, but that doesn't equate to the people as a whole. We saw what amounted to a civil war at the start of Season Two, that doesn't seem "united" to me.


Somehow we're supposed to believe that Shakaar taking over fixed everything, but it really didn't. And all of a sudden Bashir is about to join the Federation, when did they get ready for that?


Frankly there should've been an official announcement that there's a new constitution and that the government is no longer "provisional", then an announcement that Bajor will enter a one year transitional period to join the Federation, then Sisko and the Prophets telling them that it's not time yet. Then a new civil war between those who believe Sisko and those who think he's a false Emissary. Then when the war is over the Prophets say that Bajor can join the Federation.

[Nate the Great]

It's days like today that I'm reassured that I'm not the most obsessed Trekkie in existence. On Reddit someone asked how Harry Kim can have his own quarters when it was clearly stated in "Lower Decks" that ensigns have to share quarters.



PNQ: Opinions?


This particular nit never occurred to me. And now that it has I'm willing to explain it with "ensigns who are senior officers are exceptions to the rule."


Then again, having Harry and Tom be roommates would've introduced some interesting subplots.



For that matter, having a bunch of the quarters being damaged by the Caretaker wave and forcing everyone except Janeway to have roommates also would've introduced interesting subplots for the first few years.

[Nate the Great]

So I'm watching a Trek clip where a character's luggage consists of a single hexagonal box the size of a duffel bag (I think we saw it on screen in that binary number episode). The only actual luggage we see is one uniform and a PADD...


PNQ: What is realistic luggage for a junior officer on a starship?


It occurs to me that the uniform is unnecessary, the replicator can make a new one and your precise measurements would be part of your computer profile that follows you as you transfer ship to ship (replicator presets, preferred decorations, etc.). And let's assume that you only need one PADD that is only used as a netbook equivalent: most of it is just an Internet access device, very little onboard storage required.


So what else? Presumably any religious or cultural decorations would be shipped via cargo pod and beamed into your quarters. Maybe I could understand taking one physical book with you in your luggage, but no more. A small selection of nonreplicable snacks? I don't know.


How much gold pressed latinum would a junior officer be expected to carry with them? For that matter...


PNQ: If uniforms don't have pockets, how do Starfleet officers carry their latinum?


I mean, do Ferengi only insist on hard currency for transactions with other Ferengi? How often did we see Starfleet officers on DS9 handle latinum, other than Dax during Dabo games, of course.

[Nate the Great]

So I see that another YouTube video has been made with the premise of "which is the best Star Trek captain", and once again I ask myself...


PNQ: How do you define the best Starfleet captain?


I'm sure at least some of you have heard the fandom expression "you bring Picard to win a negotiation, Kirk to win a battle, and Sisko to win a war." But note that these require different skillsets, ones that can't be overlapped altogether. There will always be deficiencies.


There are situations where I'd want Janeway to be in command, others for Spock or Kira or Maxwell or freaking Matt Decker! But which would be above competent for any possible mission?


Feet to the fire, I'd choose Kirk if I had the guarantee that Spock would be right there beside him. As a team they're more versatile than any of the other captain/first officer teams in my opinion.

[NAHTMMM]

As for captains, allowing for the era in which they were written, I take Kirk as the best. As one of the fivers says, it's a law of the universe that it's impossible for him to lose.

But eras really play a factor, both in our world and in the Trek universe. What was expected of a captain, what training and technology were available, what TV viewers expected of a great leader. Picard may be a better captain than Kirk in the same way that a decent major league batter today is better than Babe Ruth, but is that really the answer we're looking for? A general today has access to far more training, theory, and technology than Alexander the Great ever did, but only one of the two will be remembered by history. And as you say, it's also about personal preferences.

[NAHTMMM]

Originally Posted by Nate the Great

So I'm watching a Trek clip where a character's luggage consists of a single hexagonal box the size of a duffel bag (I think we saw it on screen in that binary number episode). The only actual luggage we see is one uniform and a PADD...


PNQ: What is realistic luggage for a junior officer on a starship?


It occurs to me that the uniform is unnecessary, the replicator can make a new one and your precise measurements would be part of your computer profile that follows you as you transfer ship to ship (replicator presets, preferred decorations, etc.). And let's assume that you only need one PADD that is only used as a netbook equivalent: most of it is just an Internet access device, very little onboard storage required.


So what else? Presumably any religious or cultural decorations would be shipped via cargo pod and beamed into your quarters. Maybe I could understand taking one physical book with you in your luggage, but no more. A small selection of nonreplicable snacks? I don't know.


How much gold pressed latinum would a junior officer be expected to carry with them? For that matter...


PNQ: If uniforms don't have pockets, how do Starfleet officers carry their latinum?


I mean, do Ferengi only insist on hard currency for transactions with other Ferengi? How often did we see Starfleet officers on DS9 handle latinum, other than Dax during Dabo games, of course.

I think some decorations would be more than decorations. Something your parents gave you before you shipped out. A delicate statuette that you don't trust anyone but yourself to carry. It's interesting to consider how people might treat unique items in a world where anyone can just replicate an exact Mona Lisa.

The uniforms could also be designed to be "broken in" like a baseball glove. I think they're supposed to keep you warm when it's cold and cool when it's hot, while looking like fabric you'd wear today, so we're clearly into technology indistinguishable from magic. We can't say how such technology would be implemented. Maybe the fabric adapts to your specific body temperature over time, to optimize comfort. Might simply need to be worn for a while to get microscopic burrs to either close on each other or get abraded off. I don't know.