What was "The Burn" and what caused it?

The new intro is up already? I thought it wasn't going to be broadcast in its entirety until tomorrow.

And if you're referring to the blue crystals in the intro from last season, those were time crystals from Boreth (used to power the Red Angel suit), not dilithium. If the crystals are now red, then that may very well be an allusion to dilithium being the source of the "Burn" problem, or at least a contributing factor. Then again, we've seen orange and yellow (and possibly purple?) dilithium over the years too, so who knows? Might be something else entirely.

 

CBS released the title sequence, they did the same with Seasons 1 and 2.

And I think Picard and Lower Decks? I'm not sure.

 

And the producers have to pass everything through the license holders. Which means they approved of it being the Prime Timeline.

 

If the rumors of warp travel being unusable are true, then now's the time to bring in the Iconians and their gateways. Iconian rumors have haunted this show from the start, so now it's time to bring them in for real.

 

That just sounds awful, and like they haven't upped the game on Burnham's dialogue.

 

Its been three years. Either get the fuck over it or stop watching and complaining about it.

 

Nor the publicity stills. This one in particular shows a kind of weirdly serene "Farewell, everyone. I've given myself over to a death cult that really makes me feel good about myself" visage on Burnham's face:

 

Looking at the picture with that quote in mind makes the expressions on everyone else's face more amusing if you imagine them reacting to that line. In particular Stamets, who you can see as the guy so high that you can say something downright awful but he'll just grin and say "cool."

 

Burnham: Booker, you're the kindest, most wonderful guy I've ever met and I in no way believe the widespread rumors that you're a pah-wraith single handedly responsible for the Burn.

Discovery crew: ...

 

Take it down a notch. Let him have his wrong opinion.

 

So it looks as though dilithium...

Spoiler

...will factor into things insofar as "The Burn" is concerned.

From the New York Post:

 

Spoiler

this makes me think the article saying the dilithium exploded was partially true.

 

Book: "About 100 years ago, all dilithium exploded and warp travel stopped."

Burnham: "That sucks. Where I come from, the 23rd century, we just used normal lithium sometimes to power the warp drive."

Book: "What?! You can just use lithium? You are the Saviour of the Federation!"

 

Burnham: Yep! The Vulcanians figured it out!

Book: Who?

 

Spoiler

mostly, yes

 

Spoiler

I look forward to finding out why Dilithium is actually so important given it's not really needed.

Heck, it's not even needed for Matter Anti-Matter reactors, it just makes them easier.

 

Spoiler

IIRC, it is needed in Disco. What's the source that it is not needed on Starfleet ships?

 

Spoiler

You're confusing "need" with "make things easier".

Remember, all a ship actually needs to go to warp is "power", how that "power" is generated doesn't matter.

 

and what's the source for that?

 

I guess Romulan Warbirds not using it.

The Dilithium crystals are used to help regulate the matter/anti-matter reaction. Romulans don’t use those kind of power sources, so logically they wouldn’t use dilithium