Tribble Trouble

Star Trek's Trouble with Tribbles was on. The chance to observe soft, fuzzy, little critters emitting charming purring sounds had a strangely relaxing effect on me. Filled with fun, wit, engaging arguments and action packed scenes, this episode is one of the favourites and left me in good spirits. The creature known as "tribble" had me mesmerised.






"They seem to be gorged!"






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Star Trek TOS
Memory Alpha.



KIRK: Good. Mister Chekov, this flight is supposed to provide both experience and knowledge. How close will we come to the Klingon outpost if we continue on our present course?
CHEKOV: One parsec, sir. Close enough to smell them.
SPOCK: That is illogical, Ensign. Odours cannot travel through the vacuum of space.
CHEKOV: I was making a little joke, sir.
SPOCK: Extremely little, Ensign.

Copyright belongs to
Paramount Pictures and or CBS
The Trouble with Tribbles.

Trouble with Tribbles is a great episode because this harmless little tribble critter is the center of much devotion on the USS Enterprise and the Deep Space Station K7. Spock being a vulcan, naturally, would'nt admit to being affected by the little animals trilling.

" Most curious creature Captain. Its trilling seems to have a tranquillizing effect on the human nervous system, fortunately of course, I am immune to its effects."
Spock's crewmates looked at him in amused, sheer disbelief.





"As captain. I want two things done. First find Cyrano Jones and close that door!"




Copyright belongs to
Paramount Pictures and or CBS
The Trouble with Tribbles.

Uhura was the first to be held in its spell at K7 in 2267.This warm-blooded little animal with no teeth had a special charm that Uhura found adorable. Born pregnant and reproducing a family of ten every 12 hours eventually became a problem aboard the Deepspace Station K7 where numbers jumped to 1,771,561. The U.S.S Enterprise NCC - 1701 too fell victim to tribble infestation where Uhura's pet had its offspring.

Interstellar trader Cyrano Jones removed tribbles from its predatory filled homeworld where this highly perceptive creature lived in persecution from reptiles. Sold as pets to unsuspecting earthers, these mites liked to eat and reproduce.


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Paramount Pictures and or CBS
The Trouble with Tribbles.
Memory Alpha.

Deep Space Station K7 had plenty of food. To be more precise quatrotriticale, a genetically engineered Earth grain crucial for the development of Shermans Planet which only the Federation had. This created a dispute in 2267 between Klingon and Earthling.

Under the terms of the Organians Peace Treaty, only the most efficient could assume ownership of the planet which was near the Klingon border. The tribbles soon discovered K7's quatrotriticale storage compartments and skillfully bypassed Kirk's clueless guards. The feasting was about to begin! Whoopee!



Image Copyright belongs to
Paramount Pictures and or CBS
The Trouble with Tribbles.
Memory Alpha.

Tribbles coo when their feeling happy, especially when around Humans and Vulcans. This moving, purring ball of fur is hard to ignore when seen ambling accross a counter top. Picking one up and patting it is generally the human response however you will never see a Klingon do this. The reason?

The little animal is a highly sensitive, perceptive creature and can detect unwellcome people in a flash. The poor mites become badly affected and scream their little lungs out with a high pitched screech, a definate sign of an agitated animal in distress and a warning to others.

When tribbles are near, klingons have plenty to fear. In 2267 Klingons looked human and some even behaved without honour but this was due to a Klingon Augment Virus developed in 2154 which spread throughout the Klingon Homeworld, Kronos. It twarthed Klingon DNA and affected facial features for over a century. (Read my post on Worf's Bumpyhead Secret)

Tribbles were good detectives. Spotting Klingons was easy. Spotting poisoned grain was not so easy ... but this discovery soon led to another startling revelation. A Klingon spy! Our furry friends are indeed resourceful.


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Paramount Pictures and or CBS
The Trouble with Tribbles.
Memory Alpha.

Spock and McCoy are men of science. There is however a divide that can never be bridged that takes its shape in the form of cold logic (as Dr McCoy has described it) vs. human emotionalism. The following dialogue is hilarious and excellently performed by Leonard Nemoy and DeForest Kelley, classic Spock vs McCoy.

" Spock, I don't know too much about these little tribbles yet but there is one thing I have discovered.." - McCoy.
" What is that Doctor?"- Spock.
" I like them ... better than I like you." - McCoy.
" Doctor." - Spock.
" Yes?" - McCoy.
" They do indeed have one redeeming characteristic"- Spock.
" What is that?" - McCoy.
" They do not talk too much. If you'll excuse me sir." Spock leaves the room.

Live Long and Prosper, Trekkers!

Phoenix Warp Ship

Dr Zefram Cochrane revolutionised space travel with the invention of the warp drive in 2061. This technology was integrated into Earth's first Warpship Protype built by the doctor and engineer Lilly Sloane. The story goes it was Cochrane's vision that inspired a handful of scientists and engineers to meet him in North America where they found an abandoned intercontinental ballistic missile silo in Montana.

The Phoenix was born using Earth's limited resources left over from WWIII and converted from an old Titan V nuclear missile, similar to Titan II. The warpship prototype, Phoenix became a symbol of hope for Earths beleaguered ball of beings and a springboard of salvation for all humanity.


Copyright Belongs to Paramount Pictures.
Voyager Drone.
Memory Alpha.

Galactic history was made on April 5th 2063, when Cochranes Phoenix launched from earth, she was the first spaceship to reach warp speed in earthling history. She travelled faster than light which successfully demonstrated to all extraterrestrials, earths knowledge of warpdrive technology and light speed.

The Phoenix was repaired by the Enterprise E engineering teams after the Borg's ship attacked with the intension to change the timeline. Cochrane's marvel of technology reached for the stars on schedule and escaped the earths gravity without any further Borg occurences from its North American, Montana launchpad.

Geordi La Forge was stationed at the Engineering console , Commander Riker was seated directly behind the pilots chair.

Zefram Cochrane controlled the ship as pilot with the warp drive activation unit on standby and monitored the ships systems using the pilots monitor.


This is the Phoenix Cockpit. The ship was one man's dream. Zefram Cochranes.

Length of Titan V Rocket prior to liftoff 35 meters. The rocket in the picture includes the Phoenix in two stages. Encased in titanium casing which Data described as imperfect, its outstanding features are easily identifyed by the cylindrical shape and painted star on its side.


Image Copyright Belongs to Paramount Pictures.
First Contact. Memory Alpha.

The first stage of the rocket (lower) carries the liquid fuel, such as liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. Using a combination of fuel can give a rocket more blast-off power which once ignited cases flames and pushes the Phoenix into Outerspace. The second stage of the rocket (top) carries the crew inside the Phoenix . Once in space the casing protecting the warp nacelles is discarded along with the second stage of the rocket which has run out of liquid fuel by now.


Image Copyright belongs to Paramount Pictures.
First Contact. Memory Alpha.

Length of Phoenix after seperation 20 meters. This pioneering technological advance of human engineering is now ready for its first historic spaceflight. Geordi, William and Doc are excited. The twin warp nacelles are deployed and charged. Their range will bring the spacecraft to the outersolar system and back before returning to sublight speeds in a controlled safe approach to earth.

In First Contact, Zefram Cochrane left Deanna's ears ringing goodo at liftoff and he actually did a Picard! or is it Picard doing a Zefram?


Various ship systems and criteria had to be checked and met before engaging the Phoenix's engines at warpspeed in the Star Trek movie, First Contact. These included:

1. Extending the Warp Nacelles.

2. Making sure the Plasma Injectors were online.

3."Everythings looking good. I think we're ready" Geordi making good on other system checks which he does'nt have time to mention.

4."We've got to break the warp barrier in the next five minutes if we're going to get their attension" - Commander Riker.

5. Nacelles charged and ready. This is the all systems operational and on standby signal to the pilot. The last of the initial checks before Cochrane did the Picard. He gave the verbal instruction "Engage" to alert the crew that he was activating the Warpdrive. To make it so.

6.Warp Field looking good - Geordi.

7.Structural Integretity holding - Geordi.

8. Speed 20,000 Kilometers Per Second - Commander Riker.

9. Thirty seconds to warp threshold - Commander Riker.

10. Approaching lightspeed, we're at critical velocity - C.R.

11 Warp. Horray!! Little did the Phoenix crew know that the borg Queen wanted nothing more than to blow them to smithereens.


Image Copyright Belongs to
Paramount Pictures.

Heres the Borg Timeship that tried to destroy the Montana Missle launch site and alter the course of earths history. Hero worshipped by Geordi La Forge and Reginald Barclay, Dr Cochrane confessed to Commander Riker as they sat in the Phoenix cockpit prior to the launch sequence.

"You want to know what my vision is? Dollar signs, money. I did'nt build this ship to usher in a new era for humanity. You think I want to go to the stars? I do'nt even like to fly, I take trains."
Commander Riker is enjoying the moment as the Zefran continues.
" I built this ship so I could retire to some tropical island filled with n---d women. Thats Zefram Cochrane. Thats his vision. This other guy, this historical figure, I never met him. I can't imagine I ever will."
Commander Riker makes a suggestion.
" Don't try to be a great man, just be a man and let history make its own judgements."
The good doctor is unconvinced.
" Thats rhetorical nonsense, who said that?"
"You did Doc."

Live Long and Prosper, Trekkers!

Bring Back Captain Kirk!

Bring Back Captain Kirk has an awesome mix of dynamic characters
who fight the great cause of saving the Federation. The United
Federation of 150 planets now face a warring doomslayer. Who will
save them? The answer has been here all along! Will they succeed?


 


 This video has exciting imagery and special effects with a story to tell that'll bring you back in time. The movie is about to start. Enjoy the journeys which was never meant to end, so sit back and get strapped in for the thrill!



James T. Kirk hero worship burns in the blood of Star Trek Fans. The fans follow their stars. William Shatner's star is alive and Burning Bright waiting for Paramount to say All Right! You're in the Movie!!!

Live Long and Prosper.

Space Doctor Game.

Venture into the entertaining parameters of our universe on a 150 day mars mission with Space Doctor. Earthlings get to see mysteries in space and on other planets, all of which is filmed out of this world, maybe even by the astronauts themselves!

Watch the crew of the spaceship Pegasus working in space as the mission progresses towards mars. It's a fun way to learn about lengthy deep space missions, the effects on the crew, solars flares and radiation, and treatments used to keep the astronauts optimistic and well.

Play Space Doctor Game

At the start you will see NASA's Space Shuttle lifting off whereby you as the Space Doctor and the rest of the three astronauts will rendezvous with the Pegasus to live for the next 30 months. This will be your new home.

The game uses real video and real human images which give it a more thrilling appeal. The object of the game is to get your crew safely to mars. Illnesses and health issues will plague the crew. It is your duty as ships doctor to enjoy yourself and treat the crew keeping two alive to win.

Space Doctor keeps the doctor informed about the astronauts health status and mission status, volunteering information about the current video footage of the Pegasus crew, the spaceship, crew activities, crew quarters, experiments aboard the Pegasus, satelites in space and more which all makes for an exhilerating experience.

Mission Alerts will take you, the Space Doctor by complete surprise. This is an emergency situation. No communication will be possible with mission control. Oh no! This is a time when making medical decisions to save life and limb will involve relying on your gut instincts alone. I hope you feel up for the task. Have fun playing around with the game. Enjoy!

Live Long and Prosper Trekkers!

Asteroids from the Deep Dark.

Duncan Steel, Vice President of Spaceguard has acknowledged that based on recent evidence the chances of an asteroid doing catastrophic damage in the next century are 1 in 5000 but theres no need to panic. Do earthlings live in a happy state of asteroid oblivion? Find out with Mr Steel.
BBC Asteroid Experts This website will get you amped! Its full of games and quizzes also. Check it out!


Image Credit: NASA/JPL-CALTECH
(Read my Post on the Vega Star System)

Seemingly, Earth has no international plan yet and governments are sadly lacking in this area. Asteroids are rocks and metal and comets are dirty snowballs which evaporate once they enter the earths atmosphere. Diverting an asteroid on a possible collision course would involve nuclear weapons to nudge it away from the planet gently. A global asteroid space search programme is required like yesterday.. Its possible to see asteroids from the day side of earth using telescopes in space

Funding doesn't exist to carry out ground based, telescope research, which is cheaper than space based telescopes. Spaced based are better because your can search with high technology, 24/7.

NASA's space "Spitzer Telescope" has an infrared multi-band imaging photometer, excellent for locating even the faintest sources of heat at long distances. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory(JPL), Pasadena, California manages Spitzer for NASA's - Science Directorate in Washington. This kind of telescope is ideal for discovering and identifying celestial bodies. The Hubble Space Telescope is another which has found 600 stars adrift in space between the Virgo Cluster galaxies. The vast majority of asteroid discoveries are made using telescopes which belong to the US Air Force.



Livescience.com's author Tariq Malik mentions a high ranking Federal Space Agency Official as having told reporters that Russia would step up to save the planet, but that the effort had to be an international endeavor. Theres an interesting link within Tariq Malik's article that leads to Space.com

The International Community involving Prague Astronomers, The International Astronomical Union, Nasa'a Space Guard, New IAU Task Force, U.S. Congress, and the National institute of Astrophysics are striving towards monitoring asteroids more closely and ultimately creating an early warning system. Warned in advance, the Earth can send up a rocket and deflect any intruder. Thats the theory. The demand for astronomers now is going to be greater than ever!



The largest Earth approaching asteroid is the EROS. It's 20 miles across. Nasa landed a spacecraft on it. It cannot hit Earth. Asteroids crossing the path of the Earths orbit do occur, the largest of which was 5 miles across. Asteroids orbit the sun, sometimes falling out of orbit and coming close to one of the planets. It takes time to plot the trajectory of an asteroid.

The largest group of asteroids is located between Mars and Jupiter numbering in their thousands. Astronomers call it the Asteroid Belt. Another group called the Apollos, orbits between Earth and Mars. One asteroid, Ida, has a satellite. The best place to look for asteroids is directly overhead at night, opposite the sun. We need more larger telescopes to scan the night skies, especially if we are to spot the smaller asteroids.

Its a small world in a big universe with the moon and the sun shielding earth. We've been lucky so far.... The flagship of the Federation won't be coming to our rescue when the big one hits our harmless little world. Instead, earthlings will be eating cookies and watching Star Trek on tv.

Live Long and Prosper Trekkers!

Scientists Create A Cloaking Device

Will the Treaty of Algergon break the Federation? This agreement ended Romulan Wars and brought peace between the Federation and the Romulans.


Copyright Belongs to Paramount Pictures

However it forbid U.F.P. to develop cloaking device technology!! Those sly devils! (The Pegasus TNG)

The Klingons and the Romulans have had the upper hand in the galaxy for over 50 years!

Find out how 21st century experts are working to perfect a 24th century scientific miracle technology! Scientists are creating cloaks of invisibility that will effect change in our century!

Scientists Partial Cloak of Invisibility

Now what would Captain Picard have to say about that?
"Interfering scientists, now put away your butcher knives and let history take its course." Possibly.
The Klingons would say
"We have a weapon of ultimate power."
Star Treks United Federation of Planets would say
"We have the Treaty of Algeron, best not risk war with the Romulans."
The Marquis would probably say, "Lets go get those suckers!"

Live Long and Prosper Trekkers!

Klingon Bird of Prey ( B'rel Class ) HMS Bounty.

The Bounty's Voyage Home in Star Trek IV, is a great story arc where the Enterprise crew find themselves in exile on Vulcan after destroying the USS Enterprise NCC 1701 in Star Trek III, The Search For Spock. Captain James Tiberius Kirk together with his gallant Enterprise crew mates, heroically decide to return to Earth in a Klingon B'rel-class, Bird of Prey to face charges of theft, damage to a starship, destruction of the USS Enterprise NCC 1701, saving Mr Spocks life, and the small matter of saving earth from the strange spaceship probe.

Klingon Empire Spaceships


The odds of returning in a rundown, clapped out Klingon ship did little to inspire Dr Mc Coys confidence. The HMS Bounty so aptly named by the good doctor, had all the toys of the 23rd century, courtesy of the Klingon Empire. A marvel of technology by today's 21st century standards, if we ever hope to power a ship without rocket technology, look no further. 23rd century inspiration has arrived over 200 years, ahead of our time! The year was 2285 and the earliest known bird of prey was the B'rel Class, D-12 Scout. Despite her chronic condition, it was a technologically advanced ship.


She was capable of carrying 12 to 36 crew.
Maximum speed of warp 9 for 6 hours.
Maximum cruising speed of warp 7.
Normal ships speed warp 5.
Landing Struts for set down; Yes.
One Tractor Beam Emitter.
One Cloaking Device.
No Hangar Bays.
No Separation Ability.
Armament defences: 2 disruptor cannons.
1 Photon Torpedo Launcher.
Deflector Shields and Sensor Array.
Maximum Core Output 32,350 Terawatts.
Tonnage 36,000.
Subspace Radio: Standard Klingon High Band.
Traditional Radio: RF Transceivers.
Escape Hatches and one Access Boom.
Ships Length: 109 metres long,
This early bird of prey was retired from service due to faulty plasma coils. Here she is with her wings lifted to enable her to set down.


Image Copyright belongs to
Paramount Pictures

Star Trek IV "The Voyage Home" is a light hearted popular Star Trek movie featuring time travel and a space probe as the random element in time. I enjoyed the wit and rhythm of the film. The movie is injected with considerable humor too which works. Kirks "double dumb ass on you" and Mr Spock's "the hell I can't" is the first time we get to hear the Vulcan use swear words which is quite funny coming from him. Even Chekov gets in on the action and in his heavy Russian accent asks a cop "We are looking for nuklear wessels?" Can you imagine what he was thinking? Together four groups set out to rescue "George and Gracie" whales living in 20th century San Francisco which will eventually determine the faith of all humanity. We get to see Spock render a particularly militant punk with his "screw you" attitude quickly silenced by the Vulcan Neck Pinch. Good one Spock!! Who's the best! Who's the best vulchie? Why Spocky is!!! Sorry readers.... Quickly moving on.

In Star Treks VI The Undiscovered Country, a prototype bird of prey launched in 2293 under General Chang's command, attacked the USS Enterprise NCC-1701 A with James Tiberius Kirk calling the shots. (I was shocked silly when Kirk surrendered the Enterprise to the Klingons!) General Chang was having too much fun practising his target shooting skills, blazing fireballs at the Enterprise from the safe comfort of his sophisticated, cloaked bird of prey. Aahh well Kirk, parting is such sweet sorrow but at least you got it together in the end.




Live Long and Prosper! Trekkers.

Star Treks 40th Year : Timetrek Video.

Celebrate captured moments in time with Star Trek's heros and villians. This nostalgic video illustrates over 40 years of Star Trek's hopeful, deepspace exploration adventures with five generations of crew.... Our Federation heroes overwhelm the firey flames of passion within all yearning hearts as they warp towards vast reservoirs of wisdom hidden beyond the Final Frontier.... Enjoy.

Live Long and Prosper. Trekkies and Trekkers!

Pulsar Star Movie

Following up on my last Pulsar post I felt compelled to share this discovery. Here is an image of an artists creation which shows the interstellar remains of space debris, orbiting around the pulsar called 4u 0142+61. Over 100,000 years ago a massive star blew up giving birth to a baby pulsar. The explosion spewed forth a fallback disk of rocks and space dust captured in the orbit of the reborn pulsar. NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope discovered this space marvel 13,000 light years away in the Northern Constellation Cassiopeia.


Image Credit: NASA/JPL-CALTECH.

In Pulsar Rubble you will find fascinating details about the physics of this enticing space phenomenon, star composition, death and re-birth of planets plus a thrilling little space movie! Why didn't the supernova blast disperse all the planets debris and space dust? find out.

Its an awesome inspirational short movie giving an uptake on the unfolding of a giant star in our universe, beyond imagination. It can take 5 minutes to download in Quicktime player, but it is well worth the wait believe me.

How it works. You can see the short movie animation by clicking on the four thumbprint images within the above link, marked the birth of the "Phoenix Planets." Watch for yourself an electrifying rotating radiant super giant star..... well you didn't expect me to tell you the rest of it, did you?

Enjoy the movie, Live Long and Prosper!

Pulsar Star System

Shining brightly, this pulsar PSR B1257+12 greets its neighbouring three planets every day. Alexksander Wolszczan discovered this extreme planetary system and pulsar in 1992 using a Arecibo Radio Telescope. The pulsar, once an impressive massive star is now a collapsed core of a rapidly rotating neutron star. This shadow of its former self is constantly rotating and pulsing radiation.

Pulsar Solar System

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech


Supergiants have a mass 10 - 100 times that of our own sun. The larger the star the faster the fuel burns. The nuclear fusion of hydrogen into helium makes a star shine. When the fuel runs out and the star expands into a red supergiant, it has reached the latter stage of stellar evolution. The core cools and contracts suddenly causing an explosion, called a supernova which blasts away the star's outer layers.

This is one place you don't wan't to be when that happens.

"Mr Crusher, Warp 9 , Engage, Engage! Make it so! Comon Wesley, get us out of here!" Panics Picard.

"I Know, I know, captain, don't pressure me. It's that button is'nt it? " cries Wesley horrified.


If the core survives , which it did here just after the Enterprise made her lucky escape, the explosion cools and contracts further into a small, dense neutron star or pulsar. The pulsars three planets are most likely hatchling planets.

Pulsars

Its logical to assume the shockwave from the once mighty star, blew everything to smithereens in its path, leaving behind planet debris and space dust to form new worlds.

Live long and Prosper Trekkers! Star Trekking is fun.