"Clean" is not a word I would apply to the USS Kelvin, particularly the engineering levels.
To a lesser extent, the STVI Enterprise was a little grimy.
To a lesser extent, the STVI Enterprise was a little grimy.
why is everything so clean?
- Thread starter tangoblue
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Oh, and the Stargazer and Hathaway were dumps, too. That's probably what loads of those old Mirandas seen getting smashed during DS9 looked like inside.
Starfleet's clean and shiny look has often been contrasted with with the used technology of Star Wars and other sci fi universes. Though I think it makes sense that a combination of a sealed environment, automatic cleaning technology and a little human elbow grease keeps the ships very clean.
In sci fi cleanliness often means establishment and used and old technology means anti-establishment, Compare the Alliance ships to Serenity in Firefly.
In sci fi cleanliness often means establishment and used and old technology means anti-establishment, Compare the Alliance ships to Serenity in Firefly.
The air filtration system is highly sophisticated, so dust has little chance to settle. Although we do see a few scenes here and there where someone swipes a finger on the top of something, as though checking for dust.
I imagine there must be a special kind of flooring in the transporter room and shuttle bay, the two main sources of outside traffic, that dispenses with any dirt particles encountered. That's why you don't see people tracking in dirt on the corridor carpets after a dirty away mission.
A good example of how the cleaning systems can break down is in VOY: The Year of Hell.
I imagine there must be a special kind of flooring in the transporter room and shuttle bay, the two main sources of outside traffic, that dispenses with any dirt particles encountered. That's why you don't see people tracking in dirt on the corridor carpets after a dirty away mission.
A good example of how the cleaning systems can break down is in VOY: The Year of Hell.
The real answer is that cleanliness is part of the Star Trek style, just like grubbiness is the style of Firefly and sometimes Star Wars.
I personally like to envision armies of nanobots scuttling around the Enterprise, snarfing up every stray bit of dust and dropped crumb of gagh.
However, the nanobots raise a sticky problem, in that the same technology could and should be used for continuous monitoring of all public and probably also private (with the crew's knowledge) areas of the ship. Which makes it hard to explain the stories that have toxic gases being released into the corridors or alien interlopers sneaking around and taking over...
I personally like to envision armies of nanobots scuttling around the Enterprise, snarfing up every stray bit of dust and dropped crumb of gagh.
However, the nanobots raise a sticky problem, in that the same technology could and should be used for continuous monitoring of all public and probably also private (with the crew's knowledge) areas of the ship. Which makes it hard to explain the stories that have toxic gases being released into the corridors or alien interlopers sneaking around and taking over...
Wesley. He sucked so hard he cleaned all the dust off ships he never even set foot on.
Which leads to the expression, "You don't beam the baby out with the bath water."
Even if a ship is pristine clean, biological critters like humans are just naturally dirty among other things. Although I guess it's logical to say humans of the future have evolved beyond the ability to make a mess.
I'm reminded of a little story about the Apollo 8 moon mission, the one that just orbited the moon but didn't land. At the end of the mission when the capsule was opened up, a guy at the hatch jerked back or otherwise reacted strangely. On of the astronauts later asked him what the matter was. The guy said the stink coming out of the capsule was just unbelievabe.
In addition to the three astronauts being sealed into a small space for a week, one of them, Frank Borman, had gotten pretty sick on the way out to the moon.
Robert
I'm reminded of a little story about the Apollo 8 moon mission, the one that just orbited the moon but didn't land. At the end of the mission when the capsule was opened up, a guy at the hatch jerked back or otherwise reacted strangely. On of the astronauts later asked him what the matter was. The guy said the stink coming out of the capsule was just unbelievabe.
In addition to the three astronauts being sealed into a small space for a week, one of them, Frank Borman, had gotten pretty sick on the way out to the moon.
Robert
Lieutenant D'Sora's quarters were pretty damn messy in "In Theory". Data had to clean up after her.
antiquityscion
Commander
Frequent barium sweeps.
I agree that the ship cleans itself, but that doesn't explain how the Baku were so friggin immaculate. I'm all for there being more dirt and nicks and messes here and there, but I'm apprehensive of the accidental futurism of the cleanliness being replaced with the typical sci-fi mildewy walls and greebles and pipes and going everywhere.
I recall Picard having a messy desk in one of the movies.
The Baku village was ridiculously perfect.
Like most off-Ent settings in TNG. It takes time and energy to make a place look lived-in, rather than an architect's (or production designer's) rendering.
In today’s navies, officers and enlisted personnel alike are required to keep their quarters neat and tidy for the sake of efficiency, safety and morale. I imagine it’s the same in Starfleet, although maybe the rules are a bit looser in the less military environment of TNG and beyond.
Honestly, I don't know what's up with the Klingons. They defy explanation
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