Beam Me Up: Talking About Star Trek

This word comes from a very specific Star Trek phrase that became a part of popular culture: “Set phasers to stun!” This was actually a decent thing to do, since the alternative was setting them to kill. If a Starfleet officer hit someone with a phaser set on stun, it knocked them unconscious, similar to how a linebacker can stun a quarterback. People are also stunned by bad or shocking news. To be stunned is to be knocked out: literally or metaphorically.

Originally a fleet was a group of ships in the navy, but since Star Trek’s space forces are modeled on naval tradition, words like fleet (and first officer) were borrowed by writers. The Enterprise isn’t just part of a fleet of spaceships: it’s part of Starfleet, the organization that sent the Enterprise on its five-year mission. Starfleet is often mentioned in the term Starfleet regulations, which Spock is often quoting and Kirk is often ignoring.

The universe is everything that exists. A solar system is a group of planets orbiting a sun, just like Earth and Mars and Jupiter and the rest orbit our little sun, or Sunny, as I like to call her. The unit in-between is the galaxy: a galaxy is made up of many solar systems. As best I can tell, the adventures of Star Trek take place all or mostly within our galaxy, the Milky Way.

The opening lines of Star Trek’s original series are famous: “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." A mission is a purpose and goal: a reason for doing something. You could say you’re on a mission to find the perfect cheeseburger. People on a religious mission are dedicated to helping (and possibly converting) people.

A hybrid combines two things: a restaurant could be a hybrid of Mexican and Chinese food, while a hybrid car runs on both gas and electric. Animal hybrids include the mule (the offspring of a donkey and horse). Mixed dog breeds could also be called hybrids, such as the labradoodle (Labrador and poodle) and puggle (pug and beagle). Mr. Spock is often referred to as a hybrid because his father is a Vulcan and his mother is an Earthling.

Anything prime is the best or highest example something. In Star Trek, the prime directive states that Starfleet ships shouldn’t be meddling in other planet’s cultures just because they feel like it or think they know better.

By the 1700s, the word had gained its more contemporary meaning: as a type of explosive, in the shape of a cigar, launched from a submarine.

Dilithium crystals power the Enterprise, but only the dilithium part is made-up. Crystals are real solids found in nature that have geometrical patterns described as crystalline.

Engineers design and build many things, but in Star Trek, the engineer has a more literal job: taking care of the engines.

Logic is a specific type of reason that can be demonstrated or proven. Mr. Spock, like other Vulcans, is devoted to logic, as opposed to emotion.

To be neutral is to not have a side: neutral parties aren’t rooting for anyone, whether in politics, war, or sports. In Star Trek, the Neutral Zone is an area of space not controlled by the Federation, Klingons, or Romulans.

Regulations are rules, especially specific rules for a particular group or organization. Captain Kirk is well-known for flouting Starfleet regulations.

When something is warped, it’s distorted or bent. The Enterprise’s engines warp space to go faster than the speed of light.