Ex Astris Scientia
  Home  Info  Starships  Fleet Yards  Treknology  Episodes  Database  Fandom  Community    Bloopers & Oddities   FAQ   Site Map 

Inconsistencies

No one can expect that everything in 700 episodes and ten movies is logically correct and complies with everything that has been shown elsewhere in Star Trek. Inconsistencies are inevitable. Among them are rather insignificant errors during the shooting such as missing rank pips that reappear only a few seconds later. A number of more general blunders, however, require and deserve further consideration. Note that many if not most of the following are "light-hearted" inconsistencies. I may have come up with explanations but unless otherwise stated I don't insist on them being the only possible truth. Please keep that in mind before contacting me about errors, negligences or omissions.

 

General Issues

The Realism of (Science) Fiction - whether Star Trek is really "bordering on silliness"

What is Canon? - definitions, reasons, interpretations and the EAS canon policy

False Canon - accounts which are incorrectly regarded as canonical in fandom or in official Trek

 

Exobiology

The Klingon Forehead Problem - the history of the legendary continuity problem and its new twist in Enterprise

The Evolution of Klingon Foreheads  - fairly complete gallery and commentary

The Trill Problem - how much they really changed from TNG: "The Host" to DS9

Vulcan Mind Melds - "The culture you've come to know isn't the one I helped to create." (Surak)

Races with Changing Faces - Major Races - make-up inconsistencies of Romulans, Andorians, Tellarites, Bolians, Bajorans

Races with Changing Faces - Other Races - Gorn, Tholians, Nausicaans, Talarians, Tarkaleans, Rigelians, Coridans, Yridians, etc.

Re-Used Make-ups - the same make-up for different races in different times or quadrants

In Alien Hands - variations of alien hands in Star Trek

Sexual Dimorphism of Star Trek Aliens - differences between male and female aliens

Aliens with Human Appearance - why so many aliens look like humans

T-Races - Tarellians, Terellians, Terrellians, Terrelians, Tyrellians galore - including a "T-Race Generator"!

Other Exobiology Inconsistencies - about humanoid kinship, evolution, "strong aliens", pon farr, Changelings, Klingon blood, etc.

 

History & Cartography

Warp Drive and Romulan History - how a throwaway line from TOS continues to cause unwarranted confusion

21st Century Earth History - thoughts about early interplanetary travel, the Eugenics Wars and the Third World War

Other History and Cartography Inconsistencies - about the size of the Federation, first contact with the Borg, etc.

Real Stars and Bayer Names - why Epsilon Indi is correct, "Ceti Alpha" is wrong and "Delta Vega" is crap

Planet Mutations - recurring planets whose appearance varies

 

Physics & Engineering

Power & Propulsion - about the right intermix ratio, warp inside a star system, how to stop a starship etc.

Computers & Communication - about gigaquads & nanometers, holographic backups, universal translators etc.

Transporter, Replicator & Holodeck - about how transporters, replicators and holodecks may work, their limitations and problems

Weapons - about inconsistent weapon and shield efficiencies etc.

Other Technology Inconsistencies about structural integrity, inoculations, contending hardest substances, forgotten technologies etc.

 

Props & Sets

Uniform and Rank Inconsistencies - problems with changing uniform styles, emblems and rank signs

The Evolution of the Federation Emblem - exhaustive survey of all variants

The Evolution of the Cardassian Emblem - exhaustive survey of all variants

The Evolution of the Dominion Emblem - exhaustive survey of all variants

Forgotten Alien Emblems - obscure Klingon and Romulan emblems of TOS

Variations of the TOS Desktop Monitor - investigation of its evolution and all variants, including TOS-like monitors in ENT

Variations of the TNG Desktop Monitor - investigation of its evolution and all variants, including the TNG movie monitors

Variations of the DS9 Desktop Monitor - investigation of its evolution and all variants, including other monitors of the series

Variations of the VOY Desktop Monitor - investigation of its evolution and all variants, including related monitors

Re-Used Props - Medical & Engineering Instruments - medical instruments, engineering tools

Re-Used Props - Computers & Displays - displays, consoles, hand-held computers

Re-Used Props - Miscellaneous Equipment - containers, other equipment

Re-Used Props - Furniture & Decoration - furniture, art

Re-Used Props - Costumes & Badges - costumes, badges or jewelry

Re-Used Props - Weapons - pistols, rifles, blade weapons, other weapons

Variations of the Runabout Interior - a detailed look at the changes to this regular DS9 set over the years

Re-Used Interior Sets - starship interiors and other building sets

Re-Uses of the Barkonian Village Set - tracking the evolution of this set through five episodes

Re-Used Planet Sets - different planets that are amazingly alike

Re-Uses of the Angel One Matte Painting - observations about Star Trek's most frequently used matte painting

Re-Uses of the New York Streets Set - in-depth investigation of the set that appeared in 13 episodes

Re-Uses of the Vasquez Rocks Location - observations about Star Trek's most famous filming location

The Thieves of the Delta Quadrant - re-used props and sets on the Mari homeworld (VOY: "Random Thoughts")

 

Series-Specific

Planets in TOS and TOS Remastered - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 - survey of the TOS planet models and how they were remastered

Planet Surfaces in TOS and TOS Remastered - survey of the TOS matte paintings and how they were remastered

The Library Computer Scene of "The Cage" in TOS and TOS-R - shot-by-shot comparison

Voyager Inconsistencies - including the famous Voyager shuttle count

Movie Inconsistencies - nitpicking in "Star Trek II...VI", "Generations", "First Contact", "Insurrection" and "Nemesis"

Enterprise Continuity Problems - where the series is in contradiction to established history

Enterprise Inconsistencies - other problems of Series V

A Close Look at 22nd Century Technology - complete analysis of its continuity and plausibility in Enterprise

Re-Used TNG Scenes in ENT: "These Are The Voyages" - screen cap comparison and "preview" (sort of) of TNG-R

The Problems of Canonizing TAS - dealing with possible continuity and compatibility issues

Star Trek (2009): Reboot or Multiverse? - thoughts on the continuity and the canon status of the movie premise

Star Trek (2009) Inconsistencies - continuity issues and nitpicking in the latest movie

 

Miscellaneous

Biography Inconsistencies - gaps in biographies and other anomalies

Spot the Difference - animals with changing faces

Bloopers and Oddities - funny mishaps and imperfections

In-Jokes - deliberate in-jokes on displays and props and from other movies

Star Trek Clichés - recurring oddities that deserve to be mentioned, but are not necessarily inconsistent

 

Ethics and Society

Genetic Engineering and Cloning - about the different ethical implications of this technology

Artificial Lifeforms - how their rights are gradually acknowledged

Alien Monocultures in Star Trek - Are the members of most alien species all alike, or is this impression deceptive?

Religion in Star Trek - Roddenberry's atheism and its impact on the series

Homosexuality in Star Trek - essay about the ongoing struggle to portray gay relationships

The Economy of the Federation - on the existence of money and free enterprises

Cultural Inconsistencies - inconsistent names, customs etc.

Human Names in Star Trek - evidence for lacking cultural diversity on Earth

Bad Ethics in Star Trek - episodes that relay the wrong message

 


Investigating Trek @ Star Trek Dimension
for more about Trek vs. real science
 

Talking Points @ Trekmania
for more on the most popular problems in Trek
 
  Home   Top 
Last modified: 14.11.09 
http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/inconsistencies.htm