Myths and Misconceptions in Star Trek

[Agenda]

I thought I'd form a thread where we could list things that many fans believe, but are not necessarily true.

I have one. It concerns language. Every time I read fanfiction, people talk about "Standard" or "Federation Standard". This is supposedly the common language that everybody speaks in the Federation.

Maybe Standard exists in the books, but canonically speaking, there is no such thing, or at least not according to memory-alpha, because I can't find an entry on it. If someone can find evidence to contradict me, that's cool.

 

[Luther Sloan]

My theories of Enterprise and the Animated Series being separate alternate time lines is a myth. But they are plausible or believable myths (i.e. theories) based on the available information at hand, though.

It's either that or choose to either ignore the facts of their existence or make up your own theories or myths on how these series fit within the Prime Trek Universe.

 

[TiberiusMaximus]

I have always thought the whole point of Enterprise was that the original timeline was being messed with by several factions. Daniels told Archer a few times that something 'shouldn't have happened.'


I think there has to be something like Federation Standard because many times characters speak 'English' but intersperse it with words from their original language in a way that would not make sense if they were using a translator, unless maybe they just decided not to translate those words? There's a scene with Garak and Odo in The Way of the Warrior where Garak and Odo are speaking "English" and a Klingon insults Odo in Klingon. Garak understands him and Odo is surprised that Garak speaks Klingon. So what exactly were they speaking before? Was Odo speaking Bajoran and Garak Cardassian but using Universal Translators that we couldn't see? Then wouldn't they translate the Klingon speech? So 'Standard' is never spoken of onscreen, but I think the evidence suggests it very probably exists in some form. But you're right, it's never officially stated to exist in so many words.

Andorians are never actually stated to have four genders, that idea is conjecture based on Data's line about Andorian marriage but is accepted as 'fanon'. Not that I don't think it makes sense, but it's not stated.

 

[Agenda]

Memory Alpha says that English is a "major operating language" of the Federation. Maybe they both knew it, so that was what they were speaking. Or, indeed, maybe they were both speaking Bajoran, which the television audience would understand as English (obviously for the purpose of dramatization).

 

[Luther Sloan]

I have always thought the whole point of Enterprise was that the original timeline was being messed with by several factions. Daniels told Archer a few times that something 'shouldn't have happened.'

Tiberius:

We have confirmation that Enterprise exists within the wake of First Contact (In Regeneration). We also know that Picard's return to the 24th Century (from First Contact) did not have a major effect on the time line either. So it's possible that both the incidents at First Contact and the Temporal Cold War we see on Enterprise have erased the Original Prime Time Line (as they happened) and simply have been corrected later down the road by some Future Protective Temporal Agency.

or...

We are looking at separate diverging time lines that co-exist within an infinite number of parallel time lines (Temporal Multi-verse).

or...

We can do what Janeway does and take two Advils and choose not to think about time travel all together.

 

[C.E. Evans]

- Spock is the first Vulcan in Starfleet. This wasn't even true in TOS, especially in light of the all-Vulcan USS Intrepid.

- Kirk was always some kind of a maverick. No, he frequently did things by the book in TOS. He really didn't become Starfleet's bad boy until the "Genesis trilogy" in Star Treks II-IV, in which there was a little bit of retconning of his otherwise grim and no-nonsense Academy days.

 

[T.D. Possum]

- Kirk was always some kind of a maverick. No, he frequently did things by the book in TOS. He really didn't become Starfleet's bad boy until the "Genesis trilogy" in Star Treks II-IV, in which there was a little bit of retconning of his otherwise grim and no-nonsense Academy days.

True. Also, he didn't get as much sex as some people assume.

 

[TiberiusMaximus]

We can do what Janeway does and take two Advils and choose not to think about time travel all together.

Where's the fun in that?

 

[SFRabid]

Star Trek fans are nerds who sit in the basement of mom's house dreaming of space flight, wearing a uniform and hoping to date Seven of Nine.

 

[C.E. Evans]

Star Trek fans are nerds who sit in the basement of mom's house dreaming of space flight, wearing a uniform and hoping to date Seven of Nine.

Well, that actually might be true for some Star Trek fans, but I think they eventually grow out of it...

 

[number6]

Star Trek fans are nerds who sit in the basement of mom's house dreaming of space flight, wearing a uniform and hoping to date Seven of Nine.

Well, that actually might be true for some Star Trek fans, but I think they eventually grow out of it...

No, they don't.

 

[The Wormhole]

Star Trek fans are nerds who sit in the basement of mom's house dreaming of space flight, wearing a uniform and hoping to date Seven of Nine.

On the contrary, I realize it's impossible for me to date Seven of Nine. She is after all, a fictional character.

 

[T'Girl]

- Spock is the first Vulcan in Starfleet. This wasn't even true in TOS, especially in light of the all-Vulcan USS Intrepid.

Misconceptions. That the Intrepid was a Starfleet vessel, or even had USS in front of it's name. All through the episode it is simply referred to as "the Intrepid."

 

[C.E. Evans]

- Spock is the first Vulcan in Starfleet. This wasn't even true in TOS, especially in light of the all-Vulcan USS Intrepid.

Misconceptions. That the Intrepid was a Starfleet vessel, or even had USS in front of it's name. All through the episode it is simply referred to as "the Intrepid."

That's not a misconception at all. It is perfectly plausible (and likely) that the Intrepid was a Starfleet vessel. Indeed, in TOS-Remastered, it was shown as a Constitution-class vessel in orbit of Starbase 11.

 

[The Wormhole]

Besides, if it were a Vulcan ship, why would it have a human name?

 

[Anwar]

Was it even ever stated that Spock was the first Human-Vulcan hybrid?

 

[Kertrats47]

Was it even ever stated that Spock was the first Human-Vulcan hybrid?

As a matter of fact, he was never referred to as such, and as it turns out, he definitely wasn't the first. The first would most likely have been Elizabeth (from "Demons" and "Terra Prime" (ENT).)

 

[Python Trek]

The biggest misconceptions are based on fanon's assumptions. Stuff like unfilmed biographical info (Bones' past, before Abrams; Uhura's first name, pre-Abrams; Saavik's parentage) or simple speculation. Ever notice how Trill is never explicitly stated to be a UFP member, and the ep. "Equilibrium" strongly implies that it isn't a member, but everyone assumes that it is?

 

[Luther Sloan]

- Spock is the first Vulcan in Starfleet. This wasn't even true in TOS, especially in light of the all-Vulcan USS Intrepid.

Misconceptions. That the Intrepid was a Starfleet vessel, or even had USS in front of it's name. All through the episode it is simply referred to as "the Intrepid."

That's not a misconception at all. It is perfectly plausible (and likely) that the Intrepid was a Starfleet vessel. Indeed, in TOS-Remastered, it was shown as a Constitution-class vessel in orbit of Starbase 11.

In addition, despite the Remastered Version giving us revised physical evidence: Bones is aware of the ship by name and says that it was an all Vulcan crew. So if it was a Vulcan ship: It wouldn't make any sense for Bones to suggest such a statement because it would be redundant or an obvious statement on his part. Also, Starfleet reports that the Intrepid was investigating on it's behalf and they have lost contact with it. Both these statements added to the other little details suggest that the Intrepid was indeed a Starfleet vessel.

As for the USS registry: It is pretty standard for Starfleet vessels of 400 that investigate on behalf of the Federation to have such a beginning registry.

Immunity Syndrome:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-wM0D5b-bw

 

[The Wormhole]

Ever notice how Trill is never explicitly stated to be a UFP member, and the ep. "Equilibrium" strongly implies that it isn't a member, but everyone assumes that it is?

Considering we know of at least three Trills serving in Starfleet at around the same time (Jadzia, Ezri, the conn officer in Insurrection) I'd be very surprised to find out they aren't a member of the Federation.