Do you want e-mail alerts about a rise in neutrino bombardment? Of course you do, if you want to get a head-start looking for a supernova.
Neutrinos are one of the products of a supernova. Though they are produced all the time by stars, a much greater number of them result from a supernova. Since neutrinos are weakly interacting particles, they don't bounce around as much as photons and other particles. This means that they get a head-start on the explosion. Usually an increase in neutrinos means there's somethings up, and it's time to turn your telescope to the sky or head to a bomb shelter. That's because a sudden spike in neutrinos might be caused by a nuclear explosion.
In 60 years there will be a unshaven single man playing World of Warcraft here yelling at his mom that he is too busy to empty the freakin' cats' litter box.
People go out to protest, march, or make a statement. It is their right,
and good for them. It is also their right to be inane, illiterate, and
incompetent. Let us look at a few examples . . . .
A classic. I think he's protesting the lack of brains?
Didn't know the English had a monopoly on Lanaguages.
Protestor fell down and couldn't finish his thought.
According to the Star Trek blueprints there is a six lane bowling alley at the rear of the star ship on Deck 21. It includes spectator seating and a cafe. I guess it's for all of those Federation bowling tournaments. What Starfleet officer doesn't want to spend a relaxing evening knocking back beers and scoring strikes? I'm sure Spock has a good game, and he can't play multidimensional space chess every night. I do worry about when the Enterprise is bombarded by Klingons--you know--when everyone gets thrown around on the bridge? Does this mean there's unsecured bowling balls bouncing around the ship? Probably.
The bowling alley is mentioned on the episode The Naked Time. Everyone on the Enterprise gets drunk off of space water and goes crazy. One of the engineers takes command of the ship and declares a dance to held at the bowling alley. Unfortunately we never see this.
But we do see this.
2. Scotty can't flip off Romulans.
200 years of wrench advancement.
James Doohan lost his finger during World War II. Scotty was actually a Canadian officer that landed at Normandy on D-Day. It was shortly after this that he lost his finger. There are conflicting stories on how this happened. According to Doohan, the Nazis almost killed him. Wikipedia says that it was friendly Canadian fire. Whatever the case, Doohan nearly pulled an away-team red-shirt when he was shot at least six times. A wound to his finger resulted in it being amputated.
During the Star Trek series and movies, he disguised the fact that he was missing a finger, so it is rarely noticeable. It never came up during any story, and why talk about fingers when there were more interesting stories to tell about Scotsmen in space.
No stereotypes here. Move along.
3. What is Mr. Spock's first name?
Vulcan pon farr spot found.
Just like the word Ewok in Return of the Jedi, Spock's first name is never mentioned during Star Trek. At most it's alluded to as supposedly unpronounceable Vulcan in This Side of Paradise. Harold Spock has also been suggested.
Probably the best case we have is from a non-canon novel. By that reference his full name is S'chn T'Gai Spock, which sounds like something on the menu that you never order at a Chinese restaurant.
"Ladies, I'm in a band."
4. There's a Star Trek cereal.
Rockin' the eye shadow, Mr. Spock.
Yes and no. There have been plenty of tie-ins since the 60s. I mean, where else are you going to get space energy from? But wait! As of the new Abrams reboot, Kellogg's produced a new Star Trek cereal. Which is a lot like Lucky Charms--in space.
I'm sure a replicator could do better than this.
5. There's lyrics to the opening song.
Just about anyone who has had a television would remember the iconic Star Trek theme song. It's about :30 into the opening, after Shatner's monologue.
Beyond The rim of the star-light My love Is wand'ring in star-flight I know He'll find in star-clustered reaches Love, Strange love a star woman teaches. I know His journey ends never His star trek Will go on forever. But tell him While he wanders his starry sea Remember, remember me.
The theme song lyrics illuminate two things. First, Star Trek really is about Captain Kirk flying around the galaxy learning about "love" from green women. Second, Gene Roddenberry is kind of a dick. He wrote the lyrics so, through a contractual loophole, he could collect royalties every time the theme song is played. Like during a syndicated rerun.
Basically this screwed the composer, Alexander Courage, out of half of the royalties. This is at odds with Roddenberry's vision of a scarcity-free utopian future and I think someone owes a composer some gold-pressed latinum bricks.
