What's the most improbable aspect of the Trek universe?

[Mikey]

Right - IIRC, the Riker incident had something to do with a combination of the transporter function and some property unique to the planet.

[Sionnach Glic]

Hell, you could probably throw in all sorts of stuff into it as well. Direction and speed of the wind, if Riker moved slightly at the time, how fast the ship was going, the temperature, etc. There're a shitload of a factors that may very well affect how the transportation thing goes.

[Tyyr]

The transporters are just magic and like all magic they can do whatever the hell you want them to as the story demands a cheap and stupid plot device.

[Captain Seafort]

Hell, you could probably throw in all sorts of stuff into it as well. Direction and speed of the wind, if Riker moved slightly at the time, how fast the ship was going, the temperature, etc. There're a shitload of a factors that may very well affect how the transportation thing goes.

The only particular conditions observed were partial reflectivity of the the atmosphere replicate that (if possible) and you have a cloning machine.

[Mikey]

It's been a while so I may be wrong, but I thought it was mentioned that the atmospheric phenomenon was peculiar to that planet.

[Sionnach Glic]

Set up a station in orbit of the planet to begin experimenting?

[thelordharry]

What I find the most improbable aspect of Trek is that the human race could ever become that enlightened.

[McAvoy]

Me too. I think WW3 may have caused a chain reaction that Cochrane's warp fight only accelerated.

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

Me too. I think WW3 may have caused a chain reaction that Cochrane's warp fight only accelerated.

Along with First Contact. Might be improbable... but something I'd love to see happen in RL.

[Deepcrush]

What I find the most improbable aspect of Trek is that the human race could ever become that enlightened.

Sorry, I don't see Trek humans as much better then RL humans. They are ahead of us in someways but by our debates here we've clearly seen they've fallen behind us in other ways.

[McAvoy]

I'd agree with that. Maybe it's the humans on Earth that are high and mighty but other humans outside Sol, would be the familiar humans that we know. Flaws and all.

[The piman]

I think this is highly probable. is it becasue of WW3 that humans on Earth decided to work more together, hence the dramatic increase in amazing technology in a relatively short amount of time?

[Lighthawk]

The deflector dish. Seriously, is there anything one of these can't be rewired to do? The ultimate ship would be covered in nothing but deflector dishes, all premodified so that the computer can automatically rewire them to whatever task is needed. The USS Deflector would be the closest thing to god man could make.

[McAvoy]

I ran across a fan design that was nothing but a huge nacelle with a huge deflector on the bottom. Interesting design and at least original.

[Tyyr]

I think this is highly probable. is it becasue of WW3 that humans on Earth decided to work more together, hence the dramatic increase in amazing technology in a relatively short amount of time?

Except that would be counter to everything that's gone before? Attempted mutual annihilation rarely brings people together. Wars are tremendous catalysts for technological advancement but promoting cooperation? Not really.