Overused Silly Sci-Fi Science.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by efindel

At, say, a Star Trek: The Next Generation level of technology, where you no longer have to store food as food, but simply create it from raw matter on demand, you could probably get rid of pests. If you're dealing with, say, a Firefly level of tech, though, you'll still have them.

Are you kidding? I guarantee all Trek starships are infested by bugs that crawl all through those Jeffries tubes! I would've loved to see someone crawl a few feet into one of those tubes, scream like a girl and crawl right back out. "Did you see the size of that Rigellian Roach? I'm not going in there... you go!"

[GlennD]

No way, there aren't any bugs on a starfleet ship....all you have to do is have the transporters lock on to each undesirable lifeform and beam it into space. If that doesn't work, there's always a tachyon pulse. That seems to cure everything. I'd suggest clearing the ship and then opening the air locks but that would be far too simple for Star Trek vessel. Unless of course, a bug colony is considered a civilization, and the prime directive prohibits interference. Alternatively, it's not a bug infestation. It's a way of raising food for the Klingon crew members.

[andyh2000]

Just one word - 'tribbles'.

Andrew

[sabredog]

Originally Posted by andyh2000

Just one word - 'tribbles'.

Andrew

"Aye, sir. Before they went into warp, I transported the whole kit'n kaboodle into their engine room, where they'll be nay tribble at all..."

Lt Cmdr Montgomery Scott

[teh603]

Originally Posted by andyh2000

Just one word - 'tribbles'.

Andrew

Y'know they ended up being brought through time to Deep Space Nine, right? They went straight to Quark's and ate everything. One was even sitting on top of Quark's head.

Don't ask me where they got the original Tribble props, though, although it was nice to see them recycle old TOS footage.

[VydorScope]

Originally Posted by efindel

At, say, a Star Trek: The Next Generation level of technology, where you no longer have to store food as food, but simply create it from raw matter on demand, you could probably get rid of pests. If you're dealing with, say, a Firefly level of tech, though, you'll still have them.

No, you can't... not if you have anyone alive that enters or exits the ship. Star Trek actually dealt with this in a few different episodes. In TOS you had Tribbles (as mentioned), Enterprise dealt with several cold/flu out breaks, and so on. The real deal is people bring pests with them where ever they go...

They are missing in a large part from most sci fi because unless there is a plot point, its just normal boring stuff that gets in the way of the story.

[VydorScope]

Originally Posted by teh603

Y'know they ended up being brought through time to Deep Space Nine, right? They went straight to Quark's and ate everything. One was even sitting on top of Quark's head.

Don't ask me where they got the original Tribble props, though, although it was nice to see them recycle old TOS footage.

Isn;t that the one where Worf went back in time to the TOS?

[teh603]

Originally Posted by VydorScope

Isn;t that the one where Worf went back in time to the TOS?

Might've been. They were back on K-7 and dealing with the (rather horribly- explained) human-alien hybrid Klingons. Worf was definitely there, and got really upset when he got within sight of them. At which point Odo began taunting him about the "Great Tribble Hunt."

We never did get to see what a Glommer looked like, though.

[sabredog]

Originally Posted by teh603

Y'know they ended up being brought through time to Deep Space Nine, right? They went straight to Quark's and ate everything. One was even sitting on top of Quark's head.

Don't ask me where they got the original Tribble props, though, although it was nice to see them recycle old TOS footage.

That was the best of the original series anniversary tie-ins.

[Xanthe]

Originally Posted by teh603

Y'know they ended up being brought through time to Deep Space Nine, right? They went straight to Quark's and ate everything. One was even sitting on top of Quark's head.

Don't ask me where they got the original Tribble props, though, although it was nice to see them recycle old TOS footage.

Heck, I've got a Tribble on the shelf in my hall closet. Got it as a gift from someone once; makes the tribble sound and all. Still just one of them there - keep it tightly boxed which seems to have inhibited the born-pregnant aspect of their existence.

The DS9 episode is called "Trials and Tribble-ations" (S05/E06).

A side-by-side comparison of the bar fight:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6KGOkzbf_c

[VydorScope]

Originally Posted by Xanthe

Heck, I've got a Tribble on the shelf in my hall closet. Got it as a gift from someone once; makes the tribble sound and all. Still just one of them there - keep it tightly boxed which seems to have inhibited the born-pregnant aspect of their existence.

The DS9 episode is called "Trials and Tribble-ations" (S05/E06).

A side-by-side comparison of the bar fight:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6KGOkzbf_c

That was a great link! Thanks!

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by GlennD

Alternatively, it's not a bug infestation. It's a way of raising food for the Klingon crew members.

[Penforhire]

The Tribble sound? I figured that was a modification of old Flipper recordings.

[QuantumIguana]

The tribbles are over the top cutesy, but basically what they are is an invasive species that reproduces our of control do to having no predator. Their native planet would likely have predators that kept the population in control. Tribbles are something like rabbits in Australia.

Then again, how do the tribbles get to the food? They seem to just sit there.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by QuantumIguana

Tribbles are something like rabbits in Australia.

More like furry Kudzu.

Which brings to mind another silly SF item: The giant man-eating plant.