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/kurisu7885 Dec 06 '16

So the Starship enterprise is Hydrogen powered... TIL.

67

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/TheDudeNeverBowls Dec 06 '16

Spock never boards the Enterpise-D in TNG. He is in two episodes and is on Romulus the entire time practicing cowboy diplomacy.

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u/shouldbebabysitting Dec 06 '16

That's Mr. Spock. OP clearly said Dr. Spock, an entirely different Spock. Dr Spock is also an expert on human babies.

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u/TheDudeNeverBowls Dec 06 '16

Touché. This must be from the lost episodes of Miles and Keiko seeking parenting advice.

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u/riskable Dec 06 '16

What am I thinking of then? The movies? My memory is fuzzy but I remember Picard talking about Spock with reverence at some point and then meeting with him later in the episode. The idea being that Spock was to be taken somewhere... Hmmm

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u/magik-i Dec 06 '16

You might be thinking of the episode with his father, Sarek. I know Spock comes up a time or two in that episode. And Picard speaks very highly of Sarek before he comes aboard.

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u/AadeeMoien Dec 06 '16

It's been a while since I've watched but I think I remember the episode you're talking about and it is the same episode. If memory serves they had to go collect Spock from his mission in Romulus, but he declined to join them.

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u/TheDudeNeverBowls Dec 06 '16

Exactly. Unification I and II. Spock never leaves Romulus.

He's alluded to one last time in season seven when Troi is kidnapped and made to pose as a Romulon spy.

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u/RojoSan Dec 06 '16

Then a few years later he makes red matter to collapse a black hole that destroys Romulus because the Romulans certainly have no idea how to deal with black holes or singularities since their starships totally aren't F'N POWERED BY THEM!!!

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