Why are bridge consoles always exploding?

[Captain Rob]

By no voltage being present I mean there's no presence of electrons or flow of electrons in the fiber. Just a flow of photons. Fiber optics work by having a laser diode or LED at the transmitting end sending a light signal down the fiber. At the other end the signal is converted back into an electrical signal by using a photo transistor or photocell. Which create an electrical signal by having it's material stimulated by the presence of photons. The light signal is measured in microwatts or milliwatts. But first it must be converted to an electrical signal to be measured. This is how a fiber optic network interface card works.
We know that the ODN conduit is an optical fiber because we've seen large bore fibers in use on the shows. The only way an optical fiber is going to harm you is if you accidentally stick one through your finger. I've known people that have done fiber cable splicing. And they say it's incredibly painful. The actual fibers are very tiny. Just like a very thin glass needle.

 

[T'Girl]

^ Okay.

But has no baring on "a low powered optical conduit go from the bridge consoles to" elsewhere in the ship to control incredible amounts of energy, That energy shouldn't need to pass directly through a bridge console.

On a nuclear aircraft carrier, the high pressure steam that drive the turbines (analog for the plasma) doesn't pass through the control room that controls it.

Whatever is causing the consoles to explode, it likely isn't plasma from a plasma conduit.

+

 

[MarsWeeps]

Whatever is causing the consoles to explode, it likely isn't plasma from a plasma conduit.

Of course, explosions always add to the excitement, or so Hollywood thinks. As far as an in-universe explanation, there aren't any that make a bit of sense at all. I can't think of any, I've read the dozens or more other explanations but sorry, I just don't buy them. I guess it's one of those things I've learned to ignore otherwise it would ruin the episode/movie.

 

[SWHouston]

What ruins it, is those stupid sensational unrealistic events

 

[Captain Rob]

Somebody needs to have StarFleet write a new regulation for bridge crews:
Stop storing your personal fireworks at your workstation. They may be considered a fire hazard.

This sounds like a job for "Mythbusters". But they are gone now.

 

[Avro Arrow]

The Federation is a utopia. People are at peace, no one wants for anything, most diseases have been cured, and life expectancy is way up.

So what's the problem? There's no downward pressure on population. And if population continues to grow unchecked, then eventually you start to get resource shortages, overcrowding, and perhaps even war. Then the Federation is a utopia no longer.

So Starfleet is the "safety valve" of the Federation. It's basically there to send citizens out to die. When it started, it was enough just to send the people out into space. Odds were that most of them wouldn't come back. "Disease and danger wrapped in darkness and silence", and all that.

But then a funny thing happened. Starfleet officers learned from their predecessors... and they started to not die quite so much. So Starfleet responded the only way they could... by making the ships themselves flying deathtraps. If alien microbes or angry BEMs weren't going to take out your crew, then the ship would have to damn well do it on its own. Exploding consoles are just one weapon in that arsenal.

Well, out of all the unlucky junior officers that have gotten killed by exploding consoles, at least none of them were as unlucky as alternate universe Riker getting pelted in the neck with chunks of asphalt from an exploding terminal.

Starfleet Safety Engineer #1: I don't know what to do.

Starfleet Safety Engineer #2: What's the problem?

SSE1: We've made these ships as dangerous as possible. We've fed raw plasma directly into the control consoles, and removed the surge protection. We've made sure none of the seats have safety restraints. We've convinced everyone that the best way to get around is to convert their bodies to energy and then wirelessly transmit it somewhere. We've programmed the warp core ejection systems to automatically go off-line whenever there's a problem with the warp core, and the holodeck safety systems to go off-line as soon as someone says "run program". None of our guns have safeties. We've outfitted every ship with a huge tank full of anti-matter. And the starboard power coupling is really just an old Folger's can that someone filled with marbles and wrote "power coupling" on with magic marker. And still, inexplicably, crews keep coming back from their missions mostly intact!

SSE2: Hmmm... reinforced concrete.

SSE1: What?

SSE2: Reinforced concrete. We line every control console with reinforced concrete between the plasma tap and the user interface. We say it's to provide shielding from overloads. But really, when the console explodes, there will be enough force behind it to shoot out fragments of concrete. So if the explosion itself doesn't kill them, the flying rocks will. If they fly far enough, we may even be able to take out bystanders, and people at other, unexploded, consoles!

SSE1: That makes no sense whatsoever... I love it!

 

[KhanSolo]

Starfleet Safety Engineer #1: I don't know what to do.

Starfleet Safety Engineer #2: What's the problem?

SSE1: We've made these ships as dangerous as possible. We've fed raw plasma directly into the control consoles, and removed the surge protection. We've made sure none of the seats have safety restraints. We've convinced everyone that the best way to get around is to convert their bodies to energy and then wirelessly transmit it somewhere. We've programmed the warp core ejection systems to automatically go off-line whenever there's a problem with the warp core, and the holodeck safety systems to go off-line as soon as someone says "run program". None of our guns have safeties. We've outfitted every ship with a huge tank full of anti-matter. And the starboard power coupling is really just an old Folger's can that someone filled with marbles and wrote "power coupling" on with magic marker. And still, inexplicably, crews keep coming back from their missions mostly intact!

SSE2: Hmmm... reinforced concrete.

SSE1: What?

SSE2: Reinforced concrete. We line every control console with reinforced concrete between the plasma tap and the user interface. We say it's to provide shielding from overloads. But really, when the console explodes, there will be enough force behind it to shoot out fragments of concrete. So if the explosion itself doesn't kill them, the flying rocks will. If they fly far enough, we may even be able to take out bystanders, and people at other, unexploded, consoles!

SSE1: That makes no sense whatsoever... I love it!

HAHAHAHA that's the most accurate post I've ever read in my life lol. I got a solid laugh out of that. It wouldn't have the Starfleet stamp of approval if it wasn't full of rocks.

 

[Unicron]

Concrete.

 

[psCargile]

Eh, they explode because of the squibs.

 

[Captain Rob]

Did you ever see WNMHGB? Those are fireworks in the consoles. Sparklers and at least one roman candle on the upper level.
Gone are the good ole days when people could just go out and buy explosives and accidentally blow parts of themselves off and not suffer any legal consequences. If having two or three of their fingers in a box won't teach them. A ticket from the cops sure won't.

 

[shapeshifter]

I am happy someone else noticed and finally mentioned those damn flying rocks.

I suppose they could be melted bits of console structure but heck, if they can explode throwing out shrapnel like then they should at least build in some freaking shielding!

 

[Captain Rob]

They should have made their consoles like the ones aboard the Cylon Basestar on nuBSG. Trays of water with lights under them. You just stick your fingers in.

 

[psCargile]

They should have made their consoles like the ones aboard the Cylon Basestar on nuBSG. Trays of water with lights under them. You just stick your fingers in.

"Control console? Oh, I'm sorry! I thought this was a urine trough."

 

[USS Triumphant]

Starships in general are not safe places to be, IMO. All that electroplasma running through every system...it's liking living in a powder keg and giving off sparks...

(I see what you did there. )

 

[Spot261]

Obviously people need a refresher here on basic health and safety history and the politics of the federation. Health and Safety regulations only exist as a result of trade unionism, which by definition carries left wing political associations. In particular trade unions gain their strength as a backlash against centralised political power and right wing policies.

In the federation there is no political elite or right wing power base, because it's a perfect utopia you see, therefore no real incentive for people to join trade unions in the first place. As a result, all equipment designed since the forming of the federation has not been subject to updated health and safety regulations and is thus has industrial revolution era safety standards, whilst pre federation starship technology was just rubbish and crewed by idiots anyway. Most notably due to some seriously misadvised positive discrimination policies the NX - 01 was crewed only by those who spelt their names wrong on the starfleet application forms, but that's a different matter...

In either case, to truly understand the exploding keyboard we need to understand the wider social and political factors of the day and how they impinge on industrial trade relations and starship production in particular. Now, if Scotty had chose to stand up to Kirk more often, maybe organised a few sit in protests in engineering, things may have been different, but really the message here is that one man cannot be relied on to make a difference. Power lies with the masses and when they are indifferent to the plight of their fellow man then progress belongs to the few (in this case the main cast).

 

[USS Triumphant]

On a nuclear aircraft carrier, the high pressure steam that drive the turbines (analog for the plasma) doesn't pass through the control room that controls it.

Except on the Gerald R Ford, and they did that on purpose, as a joke.

 

[Captain Rob]

I would like to imagine that once the Gerald Ford goes into commission. That they will ban golf for all crew members. And have mandatory 'slip-and-fall' prevention safety meetings daily.

 

[TwoJakes]

^ Maybe they'll get Chevy Chase to do the safety videoes.

 

[lurok]

 

[Mytran]

Awesome

And extra points for using the correct angles of the TOS bridge consoles