Star Trek HourSep 5, 2023
Q3: Every time Discovery or a Federation ship is damaged, plumes of flame, almost miniature mushroom clouds, can be seen shooting up in the background of the bridge. Is the bridge designed with exhausts that backfire under stress?🤦‍♂️😖 @kcarr2015 #StarTrekDiscovery #StarTrekHour
Show threadIn Search of a Better WorldSep 5, 2023
@StarTrekHour @kcarr2015
Q3 Their tech, canonically, requires raw plasma, straight from the engine core, to work. Plus in space battles they are throwing around enough energy to melt continental planetary crusts (except when the plot says they aren't), so that energy has to go somewhere. Plus, plus, it looks cool as hell. At this point you either accept it in the same way you accept the setting has FTL drive, or you don't. It is just a genre staple. #StarTrekHour
Show threadRichSep 5, 2023

@CrypticMirror @StarTrekHour @kcarr2015

Yeah, but think about that for a second. Why do you need warp plasma to run a touchscreen interface? The only thing those consoles do is send commands to systems that are operating elsewhere in the ship. Why not just run them on electricity (ships have other power sources beyond just the warp core)? #StarTrekHour

Show threadTwerpySep 5, 2023
@rich @CrypticMirror @StarTrekHour @kcarr2015
Doesn’t the warp core make electricity as well? At least that’s the way I understand it.
Show threadRich

@Twerpy @CrypticMirror @StarTrekHour @kcarr2015 I imagine that it can.

But - at least in the 24th century - ships also have micro-fusion generators. Which can probably handle all of the major systems except warp drive and possibly replicators. So, I don't see why you would want to pump raw plasma into bridge consoles to power them when they're essentially the same technology as your phone. #StarTrekHour

Sep 5, 2023 at 8:35pmWeb
Show threadTwerpySep 5, 2023
@rich @CrypticMirror @StarTrekHour @kcarr2015
Or use a power cell for a phaser. Isolated and not as prone to explosions. If they can fire a phaser a few hundred times, surely a simply touchscreen can’t be that bad.