Fourteen science labs?

[Warped9]

This has been probably been discussed before over the years, but it was something I was mulling over idly recently. Mind you, it wasn’t something keeping me up at night.

In “Operation—Annihilate” Kirk mentions there are fourteen science labs aboard ship. Now my knowledge of the various sciences studied is rather thin, but it did have me wondering: what are the different sciences that could be studied and researched in those labs?

Usually they just made a reference like, “Take this to the lab to be analyzed.” And only once do I recall a specific reference to a “nuclear physics lab” made by Spock in “Who Mourns For Adonais?”

Ideas anyone?

 

[Oddish]

Botany - Assorted alien flora
Xenobiology - Assorted alien fauna
Geology - Anslyzing soil samples from strange new worlds
Stellar Phenomena - Black holes, supernovae
Microbiology - Alien microbes
Planetary Studies - Atmospheric composition, meteorology, etc.
Archaeology - Analyzing alien artifacts.
Warp Mechanics - Ways to make the ship faster or operate more efficiently, especially with knowledge gained from other cultures.
Unknown Phenomena - ???

 

[M'Sharak]

This has been probably been discussed before over the years, but it was something I was mulling over idly recently. Mind you, it wasn’t something keeping me up at night.

In “Operation—Annihilate” Kirk mentions there are fourteen science labs aboard ship. Now my knowledge of the various sciences studied is rather thin, but it did have me wondering: what are the different sciences that could be studied and researched in those labs?

Usually they just made a reference like, “Take this to the lab to be analyzed.” And only once do I recall a specific reference to a “nuclear physics lab” made by Spock in “Who Mourns For Adonais?”

Ideas anyone?

Sticking strictly to natural sciences, it doesn't take many subdivisions to add up to fourteen.

Biology could easily be divided into plant, animal, and marine biology. Physics and chemistry could each be divided several times. Earth sciences could be easily be divided into three or more sub-disciplines (geology, soil science, etc.) Astronomy / astrophysics could have one. The Sick Bay we see often no doubt has the capacity to function as a medical biology lab.

Sure, some disciplines might have some shared equipment & resources, but they still add up quickly. Any way you choose to slice it, fourteen is not a terribly unlikely number of labs to have on a ship with a mission to explore strange new worlds.

 

[Ronald Held]

Why not 14 science labs that can be configured, as needs for the mission?

 

[M'Sharak]

Why not 14 science labs that can be configured, as needs for the mission?

Seems likely that some of them could be mission-configurable, while others might be dedicated, operating closer to full-time regardless of mission.

 

[David cgc]

Why not 14 science labs that can be configured, as needs for the mission?

I know I always imagined them being fairly generic since they were always described as “fourteen science labs.”

 

[BK613]

Off the top of my head, i remember that McCoy called the Biopsy Lab in "The Naked Time" and then harried off to it when no one answered. Only one I can think of without going to look.

 

[NCC-73515]

Each field can also have several groups with different topics

 

[ZapBrannigan]

The main deflector dish can do double duty, feeding a Radio Astronomy lab.

I totally agree with @Ronald Held and @M'Sharak: the ship is meant to go off on various science missions, so it has some versatile lab spaces to host the guest specialties that come aboard. You don't build a Constitution class starship without building in some versatility. It's too expensive.

Fun fact: the 1975 Franz Joseph Blueprints package gives the ship 14 science labs, if you count both labs (port and starboard) in the full-circle Sickbay.

 

[BK613]

Another one came to mind, although it is the mirror Enterprise. Marlena mentioned cleaning up in the Chem Lab because of the ion storm.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Another one came to mind, although it is the mirror Enterprise. Marlena mentioned cleaning up in the Chem Lab because of the ion storm.

She has a master's degree in Mirror Chemistry from Evil U.

 

[blssdwlf]

FWIW, I did a quick check of dialogue and found 8 specific labs mentioned.

Science Lab(s) (Generic/umbrella name)
1. Geological Lab
2. Medical Lab
3. Biochemistry Lab
4. Nuclear Electronics Lab
5. Astrophysics Lab has Electromagnetic Section
6. Chemistry Lab
7. Biochemistry Lab * duplicate of 3 - good catch @Henoch
7. Pharmacology Lab
8. Biopsy Lab

"The Cage" - Geological lab
"Dagger of the Mind" - Science Lab
"The Conscience of the King" - ??? medical Lab?
"Space Seed" - ??? medical Lab?
"This Side of Paradise" - Biochemistry Lab
"Operation Annihilate" - Science Labs, Bio Lab
"Who Mourns for Adonais" - Nuclear Electronics Lab
"Wolf in the Fold" - Laboratory Experts
"The Apple" - Astrophysics Lab, Electromagnetic Section
"Mirror, Mirror" - Chem Lab
"The Deadly Years" - Biochemistry Lab
"The Trouble with Tribbles" - ??? medical Lab?
"Journey to Babel" - ??? medical Lab?
"The Immunity Syndrome" - ??? medical Lab?
"By Any Other Name" - ??? medical Lab?
"Return to Tomorrow" - Pharmacology Lab
"Elaan of Troyius" - ??? medical Lab?
"The Tholian Web" - ??? medical Lab? - refered to as "Your [Dr McCoy's] Laboratory
"The Day of the Dove" - ??? science Lab?
"Wing of an Eye" - Medical Lab
"The Naked Time" - ??? medical Lab? Biopsy Lab
"The Lights of Zetar" - Medical Lab
"Balance of Terror" - ??? Lab?

EDIT: Henoch caught a duplicate that I didn't see when I did the quick check.

 

[Metryq]

Another one came to mind, although it is the mirror Enterprise. Marlena mentioned cleaning up in the Chem Lab because of the ion storm.

That adventure led to the creation of the Chirality Lab.

 

[Metryq]

the ship is meant to go off on various science missions, so it has some versatile lab spaces to host the guest specialties that come aboard.

Forgive posting right after myself.

With the technology seen in Star Trek, how different might a science lab be from those known today? Granted, this is building on top of what was imagined for the show in the 1960s. Today we do many things with computer, virtual simulations that were not possible 60 years ago, such as "wind tunnel" tests. Entire electronic circuits can be built with software. Ultimately, there's a point when a scientist must get his hands dirty, and make real world tests. But even then, Starfleet may have resources that would blow our minds today.

With the various sensors of the ship, or hand-held units like tricorders, the show's characters seem to be able to glean a fantastic amount of information very quickly. Could such "holographic" data sets then be examined and "tested" in a "lab" that is mostly a computer workstation? In "Wink of an Eye" and "Elaan of Troyius" we see McCoy doing the equivalent of bio-chemical and drug tests in mere seconds by feeding "floppies" into some sort of machine.

We know the Enterprise has tractor/pressor beams, as well as phasers, and who knows what other sort of "remote manipulation" facilities. Could the ship, or a remote probe, conduct the "physical" side of scientific tests? That would greatly reduce the space requirements for Large Hadron Colliders and other gear aboard the ship. "Take that outside!" By TNG's time, such "remote manipulation" has reached the subtlety of holodecks and food replicators. (Starfleet caught up to Trelane?)

One could argue for both the traditional and fantastic from what is seen in various episodes, but it is fascinating to contemplate.

 

[Shawnster]

A laboratory can conduct experiments in a controlled environment. Something a tricorder in the field cannot.

 

[Metryq]

A laboratory can conduct experiments in a controlled environment. Something a tricorder in the field cannot.

I said the ship's sensors and portable units, like tricorders, can acquire "holographic" ("whole image") data sets, from which the ship's computers might simulate "experiments" followed by physical tests. I never said anything about tricorders doing experiments.

Isolation and control of variables is certainly necessary to modern science and technology. Suppose the technology and "natural philosophy" of the 23rd century science permits a more synergistic and in situ observation?

 

[Phaser Two]

She has a master's degree in Mirror Chemistry from Evil U.

Ah, yes - their Oiling Traps course is quite popular, I understand.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

Reconfigurable spaces that have their equipment switched out on a regular basis for the needs of the mission makes sense. Portable lab kits to facilitate this, also, or to allow a makeshift lab to be set up on site of any planet's surface.

 

[Oddish]

With Starfleet being a science based organization, having ample science labs makes perfect sense.

I think I heard in one episode that the ENT-D, at one point, had 300+ science experiments of various sorts going on.

 

[Henoch]

FWIW, I did a quick check of dialogue and found 9 specific labs mentioned.

Science Lab(s) (Generic/umbrella name)
1. Geological Lab
2. Medical Lab
3. Biochemistry Lab
4. Nuclear Electronics Lab
5. Astrophysics Lab has Electromagnetic Section
6. Chemistry Lab
7. Biochemistry Lab
8. Pharmacology Lab
9. Biopsy Lab

(Note: Number 3 and 7 are repeated.) In addition to dialog, has anyone tried to read the door labels for labs, too? Two examples:
"The Man Trap" - Life Sciences Department, Botany Section (maybe the Botany Lab)
"And The Children Shall Lead" - Evaluation Laboratory (of what?; note, it was next to Auxiliary Control.)