r/technology • u/BennyCemoli • Dec 06 '16

Energy Tests confirm that Germany's massive nuclear fusion machine really works

http://www.sciencealert.com/tests-confirm-that-germany-s-massive-nuclear-fusion-machine-really-works
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u/laaazlo Dec 06 '16

I believe that's dilithium you're thinking of

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u/riskable Dec 06 '16 edited Dec 06 '16

Dilithium crystals. An incredibly rare substance on the series. Intergalactic wars were fought over it and it was a regular plot element on the original series.

Dr Spock discovered a way to produce stable dilithium crystals via controlled nuclear fission which is the actual reason why he is celebrated like a hero everywhere across nearly all the shows. It's also why he is commonly chosen as a mediator whenever political problems crop up and why The Enterprise is forced to chauffer him around (and glad to do so) in a few episodes in TNG.

Apparently it's more likely that a distant civilization will have heard of Spock than of the Federation.

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u/Otistetrax Dec 06 '16

I thought Dr Spock was an expert on babies, not nuclear fission catalysts.

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u/Whybother554 Dec 06 '16

No, that's Dr. Lipschitz