So… why did they need a helmsman *and* a navigator on the Enterprise (NCC-1701)?
Surely the degree of computerization in the 23rd century would be such that after the course is "plotted and laid in" all you'd need to do is set the speed and push "Boldly Go!"
Further, the ship should have been able to run on autopilot for lightyear after lightyear between stars.
And what's with all this staff on the bridge?
You only need a watch officer and maybe a petty officer to monitor the ship's functions, right? (That's assuming the petty officer *isn't* a ship's function; it really should be an AI.)
And why do we need a full-time receptionist?
Sulu, Uhura, and the gang must have been bored out of their minds.
What I never got is why in STNG there were approximately 1000 people on the ship, but the bridge crew did all the work and went on the away missions. What were all the other scientists and engineers doing on the ship? And why doesn’t a star ship have a marine detachment if they’re constantly running into hostile forces?
What!? Are we really starting to apply logic to the series?
OK then, here’s my contribution –
How is it that the crew could wear the same lightweight t shirt type uniforms on EVERY alien world they transported to? After all here on Earth we wear Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter clothes, sometimes within the same week, as the weather and temperature vary. Yet out there in the alien worlds of the universe the Star Ship crew never need thick jackets, rain gear etc etc.
Also I think it is very fortunate that all the aliens speak English. Saves a lot of time that would be wasted trying to find translators.
Doesn’t the episode The Ultimate Computer hint at the reasons why folks in the 23rd Century might be wary of fully computerizing many of the ship’s systems?
Veritas, the clothing is touched in the episode The Enemy Within, where the landing party is stranded on a planet with extremely cold temperatures at night.
As for all the aliens speaking english; the movies mention a universal translator. I don’t think the aliens were speaking english, just that the characters heard it.
Colin, I think the 1,000 people on the ship int the TNG series was due to the fact that families were allowed to travel together.
Star Trek III shows that the crew is needed. The bridge crew steals the Enterprise by having Scotty route all the controls to the bridge computer. One lucky shot by the Klingons and they were stranded.
But enough about Star Trek. Jimmy, what did you think of the Doctor Who finale?
If no one is on the bridge who is going to press all the shiny, flashing buttons? Plus, everyone knows Spock is playing “Angry Birds” when he looks into his scientific viewfinder thingy: “Status alert Mr. Spock” … “Sir, I have just beaten my best score”
Don’t pick on Uhura the only woman to put up with all these guys testerone! She was monitoring all radio waves to see if there was communication the computer wasn’t picking up. Even now on submarines they need the radio man.
And more than one or two needed to be on the bridge in case some alien beamed aboard. It happened!
Although, I’m for someone watching the controls even with the computer in charge why did they need an navigator and a helmsman? I think it was symmetry.
You think Spock was the only one playing “Angry Birds”? The whole rest of the ship must have been bored out of their minds, as apparently (or at least according to “Search for Spock”) the Enterprise can be run by five people and one half-mad acting-science officer.
“Veritas, the clothing is touched in the episode The Enemy Within, where the landing party is stranded on a planet with extremely cold temperatures at night.”
One planet, out of the thousands visited, had cold temperatures and all the rest were just right. Hmmmm…
“As for all the aliens speaking english; the movies mention a universal translator. I don’t think the aliens were speaking english, just that the characters heard it.”
I presume this universal translator was placed inside their ears, because I have never seen it or heard it mentioned in any of the tv episodes. Also when the Star Trek crew reply to the aliens do they also have universal translators inside their ears?
Still, as I said before, since when do we start applying logic to Star Trek – sorry Mr Spock.
i always wondered why no one on the bridge had seatbelts… they all get thrown around and have to hold themselves down… why dont they have seatbelts in the future?