Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Black Sabbath

2016-01-20T03:10:26Z

AmigaCarl:

'''Black Sabbath''' is an [[English]] [[rock]] band, often credited with being the first [[heavy metal]] band. Its music has had a considerable, extensive influence over the genre, from the band's formation in [[Birmingham]] in 1968 to the present day. Originally, the band's music was a dark amalgamation of [[blues]] and psychedelic rock, but quickly developed into the sound recognizable today, setting the template that would be adhered to by many heavy metal and rock bands in the 1970s and 1980s.

It is known to non-fans primarily for the controversy arising from the perceived gloominess of its music and lyrical themes and, more specifically, the erratic on-stage (and, eventually, off-stage) behaviour of frontman [[Ozzy Osbourne]]. It is also known for having undergone numerous line-up changes. Surprisingly, however, the band is currently comprised of three of the original members; Tony Iommi, Terence "Geezer" Butler and Osbourne.

==Discography==

* Black Sabbath (1970)
* Paranoid (1970)
* Master Of Reality (1971)
* Black Sabbath, Vol. 4 (1972)
* Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973)
* Sabotage (1975)
* Technical Ecstasy (1976)
* Never Say Die (1978)
* Heaven And Hell (1980)
* Mob Rules (1981)
* Born Again (1983)
* Seventh Star (1986)
* The Eternal Idol (1987)
* The Headless Cross (1989)
* Tyr (1990)
* Dehumanizer (1992)
* Cross Purposes (1994)
* Forbidden (1995)
* 13 (2013)

[[Category:Heavy Metal]]

Black Sabbath

2016-01-20T03:08:29Z

AmigaCarl: Added their latest album

'''Black Sabbath''' is an [[English]] [[rock]] band, often credited with being the first [[heavy metal]] band. Its music has had a considerable, extensive influence over the genre, from the band's formation in [[Birmingham]] in 1968 to the present day. Originally, the band's music was a dark amalgamation of [[blues]] and psychedelic rock, but quickly developed into the sound recognizable today, setting the template that would be adhered to by many heavy metal and rock bands in the 1970s and 1980s.

It is known to non-fans primarily for the controversy arising from the perceived gloominess of its music and lyrical themes and, more specifically, the erratic on-stage (and, eventually, off-stage) behaviour of frontman [[Ozzy Osbourne]]. As often happens, this controversy has eclipsed the cultural significance of the band's music. It is also known for having undergone numerous line-up changes. Surprisingly, however, the band is currently comprised of the four original members: Tony Iommi, Bill Ward, Terence "Geezer" Butler and Osbourne. The line-up from the album "mob rules" recently toured as Heaven and Hell, but due to the death of Ronnie James Dio Heaven and Hell are no longer touring. The original band members are planning to tour again in 2012.

==Discography==

* Black Sabbath (1970)
* Paranoid (1970)
* Master Of Reality (1971)
* Black Sabbath, Vol. 4 (1972)
* Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (1973)
* Sabotage (1975)
* Technical Ecstasy (1976)
* Never Say Die (1978)
* Heaven And Hell (1980)
* Mob Rules (1981)
* Born Again (1983)
* Seventh Star (1986)
* The Eternal Idol (1987)
* The Headless Cross (1989)
* Tyr (1990)
* Dehumanizer (1992)
* Cross Purposes (1994)
* Forbidden (1995)
* 13 (2013)

[[Category:Heavy Metal]]

National Basketball Association

2015-12-22T04:37:51Z

AmigaCarl: Updated the commissioner of the NBA

The '''National Basketball Association''' (NBA) is a professional [[American]] [[basketball]] league. The current commissioner of the NBA is Adam Silver.

The first incarnation of the league was founded in 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). In these early years, there were numerous leagues that competed to be the one true professional association, yet none really stood out. In 1949, the BAA made the decision to merge with the National Basketball League (NBL) to form the National Basketball Association. By 1954, the League had contracted to only eight professional teams. The NBA was considerably strengthened, however, by the fact that its franchises moved and expanded to the more populated areas. (Minneapolis Lakers to Los Angeles, etc.) By the 1970's, the NBA had gained in popularity, growing from eight franchises to eighteen. And after the merger with another competing league, the American Basketball Association (ABA), the NBA grew to twenty-two teams. Today, the NBA consists of thirty franchises, with all but one (Toronto Raptors - [[Canada]]) located throughout the [[United States]].

==External Links==
*[http://www.nba.com/ Official Website of the NBA]
[[Category:Basketball]]
[[Category:Sports leagues]]
{{NBA}}

RMS Titanic

2015-12-22T04:33:10Z

AmigaCarl: /* Description */ Removed the bit about it being unsinkable. It was never advertised as such and the footnote link even says that information is false.

{{Ship
| name=R.M.S. ''Titanic''
| image=Rms2.jpg
| flag=Government Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg
| flag-caption=Merchant Navy (UK - RNR)
| port=[[Liverpool]], [[England]]
| owner=White Star Line
| built=Harland & Wolff Shipyard [[Belfast]], [[Northern Ireland]]
| authorized=July 31, 1908
| keellaid=March 22, 1909
| launched=May 31, 1911
| retired=
| status=Sunk after iceberg collision April 15, 1912
| type=Ocean liner ''Olympic''-class
| displ=66,000 (max)
| length=882.75 ft.
| beam=92.5 ft.
| draft=34 ft. 7 in.
| speed=cruising:21 knots max:23.75 knots
| test=
| armament=
| crew=891
| pass=1,317 (maiden voyage) First-class: 324 Second-class: 285 Third-class: 708
|}
}}'''[[R.M.S.]] ''Titanic''''' was a luxury passenger liner which sank after striking an iceberg on the night of April 14, 1912, while on its maiden voyage from [[Southampton]], [[England]], to [[New York City]], resulting in the deaths of 1,517 passengers and crew. This disaster has been the subject of films, plays, literature, and scientific scrutiny.

==Description==
''Titanic'' was built to sail the highly-competitive North [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]] route by White Star Line. Its chief competitor was Cunard, whose vessels recently garnered attention for their speed and luxury. Designed and built by the Belfast firm Harland and Wolff, ''Titanic'' was at the time of her launch and outfitting the largest ship afloat: its gross tonnage was 46,329 tons, and displaced 66,000 tons fully-laden; it was 882.5 feet long and 92.5 feet across the beam. For safety it was built with a double-bottom hull, which was further divided into sixteen watertight compartments, which would not affect the ship's stability if four were flooded.

==Flag==
[[British]] merchant vessels normally fly the Red Ensign. However, as the captain and at least 12 crew were members of the Royal Naval Reserve (RNR), a special warrant was issued to fly the Blue Ensign.<ref>http://www.nava.org/Flag%20Information/articles/Titantic/titanic.htm</ref>

==Maiden voyage==
''Titanic'' left Southampton on April 10, 1912, picking up additional passengers at Cherbourg, France, and Queenstown (now Cobh), Ireland, before heading out into the Atlantic.

==The sinking==

A later investigation showed that the ship had failed to follow all safety procedures. Besides traveling through dangerous waters at high speed (after receiving repeated warnings concerning the presence of icebergs), the Titanic also had aboard an insufficient number of lifeboats for the passengers and crew. <ref> [http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/today.html] </ref>

On April 14, the Titanic's wireless operators received seven iceberg warnings, but the ship continued sailing through the North Atlantic at 23 knots. Conditions were clear and the water was calm, which should have helped the lookouts spot an iceberg well in advance. <ref>http://www.historyonthenet.com/Titanic/titanic_timeline.htm</ref>

At 11:40 p.m., while sailing 400 miles off the coast of [[Newfoundland]], lookout Frederick Fleet spotted a large iceberg directly ahead of the ship, and alerted the bridge, calling "Iceberg, right ahead!" First Officer William McMaster Murdoch ordered the engines stopped and reversed, and ordered the tiller hard to starboard. The large ship could not slow down and turn quickly enough and its starboard side hit the iceberg, resulting in a long scrape below the waterline.<ref>http://www.cincymuseum.org/information_center/press_room/titanic/sinking_timeline.asp</ref>

The collision ruptured six watertight compartments on the starboard side, resulting in flooding of the bow, eventually flooding each watertight compartment. Water levels in the bow reached as high as 14 feet just 10 minutes after the impact with the iceberg.<ref>http://www.historyonthenet.com/Titanic/titanic_timeline.htm</ref>

At midnight, Captain Smith was informed that the the ship was so badly damaged that it would stay afloat for just two more hours. Smith ordered radio distress signals sent and for deckhands to begin loading lifeboats. Wireless operator Harold Bide began sending the standard [[CQD]] distress call, before switching to the newer [[SOS]]. Contrary to popular myth, ''Titanic'' was not the first ship in history to send the SOS distress signal.<ref>http://www.snopes.com/history/titanic/sos.asp</ref>

The crew quickly began loading lifeboats, but at far less than capacity. The first lifeboat was launched with just 26 people on board, despite having room for 65. By the time the last lifeboat left the ship, 1500 people remained on board.

As the lifeboats disembarked, the bow continued filling with water and the stern of the ship was slowly lifted out of the water. Witnesses in lifeboats recalled seeing the stern lift to almost a 45-degree angle above the water before snapping in two between the third and fourth funnels and sinking at 2:20 am on April 15. The 706 survivors were rescued by the Cunard liner ''Carpathia'', which was more than 50 miles away when it first heard the distress calls; she arrived some eighty minutes after the Titanic went down.

==Passengers==
Several of the wealthiest and most prominent persons in the world were passengers on the Titanic for its prestigious maiden voyage. To their credit, they voluntarily went down with the ship and died rather than take a spot on a lifeboat from others. Men allowed women and children to go first in filling the lifeboats, and the men in second class sacrificed their lives in greater percentage of all.<ref>http://www.anesi.com/titanic.htm</ref>

Third-class passengers accounted for the bulk of the dead. Due to the size of the ship, many steerage passengers were unable to reach the deck to board lifeboats. There were also reports that crew members actively prevented steerage passengers from reaching the deck. Accordingly, death rates clearly differ between class. Evey child traveling in first class survived the sinking, while only 34 percent of third-class children did. Two percent of first-class females drowned, while over half of third-class women did not survive.<ref>http://www.anesi.com/titanic.htm</ref>

A full passenger list is available that highlights who survived and who did not.<ref>http://www.lva.lib.va.us/whoweare/exhibits/titanic/p2.htm</ref>

Prominent Americans who went down with the ship included Mr. [[Benjamin Guggenheim]], of the family that donated the Guggenheim [[Museum of Modern Art]] in New York City, Major Archibald Butt, a military aide to [[President Taft]], and Colonel J. J. Astor, whose great grandfather was the wealthiest American prior to the [[Civil War]]. Colonel J. J. Astor was an inventor and science fiction writer who helped build three great hotels in New York City: the Astoria (now the Waldorf-Astoria), the Knickerbocker, and the St. Regis.<ref>[http://www.britannica.com/titanic/astor.html Astor]</ref>

==Inquiries==
Inquiries conducted in both Great Britain and the [[United States]] determined a number of factors which contributed to the loss of the ship and passengers.

The watertight compartments were designed without capping at the top; water filling the six ruptured compartments pulled the bow of the ship down far enough that water spilled over the top of the next compartment in line. ''Titanic'' also had 16 standard lifeboats and 4 collapsibles, with enough combined space to carry 1,178 passengers, far short of the 2,224 persons aboard; many of the lifeboats were lowered down the side only partialy filled with passengers (many of those remaining on board initially believed the ship to be "unsinkable"). Although the number of lifeboats was determined to be inadequate,<ref>http://www.titanicinquiry.org/BOTInq/BOTReport/BOTRepRec.php#a2</ref> the Titanic had in actuality exceeded the British Board of Trade's lifeboat regulations, which had been written down for much smaller ships.
[[Image:Titanic.jpg|right]]

Inquiries also revealed a fatal design flaw in the ship's vaunted watertight compartments. The compartments were essentially cubical, so required watertight seals on all six sides in order to remain watertight. However, the compartments were open at the top, which meant that as one compartment flooded, it would spill over into the next, filling that up, and so on, much as one might fill an ice cube tray. The ship was also designed to be able to stay afloat with any five compartments flooded. The iceberg ruptured the first six compartments, essentially dooming the ship.<ref>http://www.titanic-titanic.com/titanic_watertight_compartments.shtml</ref>

Both inquiries also determined that part of the blame for the high loss of passengers rested with Captain Stanley Lord of the liner ''Californian'', which was stopped for the night by an ice field some twenty miles from ''Titanic''. The board members alleged that ''Californian'' could have aided ''Titanic'' had its radio operator been on duty after 11:00 pm, and able to hear its distress signals. Indeed, it was determined that officers on the bridge of the ''Californian'' had seen distress lights from what they considered to be a "large passenger steamer", keeping under observation until the lights vanished after 2:00 am, but doing nothing further than that.<ref>http://www.titanicinquiry.org/BOTInq/BOTReport/BOTRepCalifornian.php</ref>

Of the passengers who went into the water, only six were pulled out alive, and only by efforts of surviving officers in several boats going through a sea of bodies. Hypothermia killed the remainder, as the water was about 29 degrees Fahrenheit. Many of those who perished came from wealthy, prominent families in [[Europe]] and [[America]], among them the heirs to the Straus fortune and the owners of Macy's department store in New York City. The disaster also had its heroes, such as the ship's band assembled on the stern in order to keep remaining passengers calm; and the "Unsinkable" Molly Brown, who forcibly took the tiller away from a rowboat crewman and forced everyone in her lifeboat to go back for people in the water. <ref>http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/titanic_victims/</ref><ref>http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/manifest.php?q=5</ref>

As a result of the loss of ''Titanic'', in 1913 the first International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea was opened in London, England. Among the rules drawn up were requirements that each voyage hold lifeboat drills; that every ship have lifeboat space for each person on board; and ships maintain a 24-hour radio watch. The International Ice Patrol was also created to keep watch on North Atlantic sea lanes and give ships adequate warnings of icebergs found. The United States Congress also passed the Wireless Ship Act in 1912; it stipulated that all vessels carrying more than 50 people and traveling more than two hundred miles off the coast carry a wireless capable of at least a 100-mile range.

==''Titanic'' found==
[[Image:5462536r.jpg|right|thumb|Titanic's bow as seen from the Russian MIR I submersible.]]
The wreck was found on September 1, 1985 at 41°46′ N 50°14′ W, under 13,000 feet of water, by an American/French team led by Dr. [[Robert Ballard]] of Woods Hole Institute and Jean-Louis Michel of Ifremer. Remote submersibles photographed the wreckage, which was in two pieces lying upright, confirming some witness accounts of the ship breaking in two at the surface. Further explorations by Ballard and Ifremer could not find evidence of a long gash caused by the iceberg and cited on the original reports; instead it was postulated that a series of rivet popping combined with separation of seams and brittle fracturing in the hull plating allowed the water to rush in.

==In Popular Culture==
Books and novels have been written about the ''Titanic'' ever since its infamous sinking. The most well-known of these novels is ''[[A Night to Remember]]''. In 1997, director James Cameron produced the highest-grossing film in history, ''[[Titanic (1997 film)|Titanic]]''. However, this film is inaccurate in several areas. For one thing, it depicted the men on board as cowardly. In real life, most of them willingly stood aside while the women and children got into the lifeboats. In the film, they had to be held back at gunpoint, and two were killed. It also showed an officer shooting himself in the head. It also depicts Captain Edward Smith dying in the wheel room. This also is inaccurate, because several survivor accounts actually mention him swimming in the water, encouraging those clinging to a nearby capsized lifeboat before drowning.

The Titanic sinking was also eerily foreshadowed in an 1898 novel by Morgan Robertson, entitled ''The Wreck of the Titan.'' In the novel, a large, luxurious and "unsinkable" ocean liner called the ''Titan'' strikes an iceberg in the North Atlantic. The ship is carrying too few lifeboats, so many passengers drown or freeze in the ocean.<ref>http://www.titanic-titanic.com/wreck_of_the_titan_1.shtml</ref> The book is noted for its many similarities to the Titanic, including the name, the maiden voyage in April, the iceberg collision, the nautical position of the sinking (400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland) and the lack of lifeboats.

== Titanic sisters ==
[[Image:WSL logo.gif|right|Logo]]
* [[RMS Olympic]]
* [[HMHS Britannic]]

Olympic and Titanic were virtually identical. For Britannic many changes to the design were made, because of the sinking of Titanic.

The three "Olympic- class" ocean liners were made on Belfast Ship Yards in [[Belfast]], Northern [[Ireland]] for The White Star Line.

RMS Olympic was the only ship of this line of vessels which had not sunk and which was eventually dismantled in 1935.

==References==

<References/>

==Further reading==
*Ballard, Robert D. ''The Discovery of the Titanic'' Warner Books, New York, (1995)
*Butler, Daniel Allen. ''Unsinkable: The Full Story of RMS Titanic'', Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, PA (1998).
*Collins, L. M. ''The Sinking of the Titanic: The Mystery Solved'' Souvenir Press, London (2003)
*Gardener, R & van der Vat, D ''The Riddle of the Titanic'' Orion, London (1995)
*Kentley, Eric. ''Discover the Titanic'', DK Inc, New York (1997)
*Lord, Walter. ''A Night to Remember'', Bantam, New York (1997).
*Lynch, Donald and Marschall, Ken. ''Titanic: An Illustrated History'', Hyperion, New York (1995)
*Marcus, Geoffrey. ''The Maiden Voyage'', Buccaneer Books, New York (1991)
*Pellegrino, Charles R. ''Her Name, Titanic'' Avon, New York (1990)
*Wade, Wyn Craig. ''The Titanic: End of a Dream.'' Penguin Books, New York (1986)
*Wels, Susan. ''Titanic: Legacy of the World's Greatest Ocean Liner'', Time-Life, New York (1997)

== External links==

*[http://www.titanicinquiry.org/USInq/USReport/AmInqRep03.php United States inquiry]
*[http://www.titanicinquiry.org/BOTInq/BOT01.php Great Britain inquiry]
*[http://www.titanichistoricalsociety.org Titanic Historical Society]
*[http://www.paullee.com/titanic/index.html Titanic essays and links]
*[http://titanic.deep-ice.com/ Titanic Archive]
*[http://www.titanic-titanic.com/ Titanic-Titanic.com]
*[http://www.titanic-online.com/ RMS Titanic, Inc] The official ''Titanic'' archive.
*[http://www.atlanticliners.com/titanic_home.htm ''Titanic Home'' at Atlantic Liners.]
*[http://news.titanic.org.uk/ Titanic News Headlines]
*[http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/ Encyclopedia Titanica]

==Video links==
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFrDhpzigug Only existing film of ''Titanic'' before sinking]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUNfjnbGdYI&feature=related Film taken onboard RMS ''Olympic'', showing ''Titanic's'' captain E.J. Smith]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEYqxTRQS-4&feature=related Film of SS ''Mackay Bennett arriving in Halifax harbor bearing bodies recovered from ''Titanic'' disaster]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQw5RglP5KA&feature=related ''Carpathia'' arriving in New York with survivors]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mjgp7-H-45A&NR=1 ''Titanic'' survivors, 1950's]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Titanic, RMS}}
[[Category:Ships]]
[[Category:Man-made Disasters]]
[[Category:Ship sinkings]]

Star Trek franchise

2015-12-22T04:29:13Z

AmigaCarl: /* Religion in Star Trek */ Removed the word "wrongly" since that is an opinion and not a fact.

''This article is an overview of all the Star Trek productions. For the original television series, see [[Star Trek (original series)]]''
[[Image:startrektoscast.jpg|thumb|right|The crew of the Enterprise from the original 1960s show.]]
The '''Star Trek franchise''' began with [[Star Trek]], a television series produced by [[Gene Roddenberry]] (1966-69), and includes four other TV series and several movies.
These [[television]] series and [[movie]]s are set in a science fiction future when mankind is exploring the [[galaxy]] in [[spaceship]]s and encountering other [[sentience|sentient]] inhabitants of the galaxy.

''Star Trek'' has a large following among [[science fiction]] fans, with books, magazines, websites, and conventions.

== The series ==

{| class="wikitable" style="float:right"
|-
! Series name || Original air dates || Number of episodes
|-
| [[Star Trek (original series)|Star Trek]] (TOS) || 1966-1969 || style="text-align:right" | 80  
|-
| Star Trek: The Animated Series (TAS) || 1973-1974 || style="text-align:right" | 22  
|-
| Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG) || 1987-1994 || style="text-align:right" | 178  
|-
| Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9) || 1993-1999 || style="text-align:right" | 176  
|-
| Star Trek: Voyager (VOY) || 1995-2001 || style="text-align:right" | 172  
|-
| Star Trek: Enterprise (ENT) || 2001-2005 || style="text-align:right" | 98  
|}

Five live-action series have been made, plus one animated series.

=== The original series ===
{{main|Star Trek (original series)}}

The [[Star Trek (original series)|original series]] has the mostly-[[human]] crew of the ''U.S.S. Enterprise'' exploring the galaxy and performing various missions for ''Starfleet'', the authority which controls the ship.
These missions may be diplomatic or defensive, particularly in connection with the hostile races, the [[Extraterrestrial life in Star Trek#Klingon|Klingon]]s and the [[Extraterrestrial life in Star Trek#Romulan|Romulan]]s.

=== The Next Generation ===
''The Next Generation'' followed the theme of the original series, but set about 100 years later with a new crew and a new ship, also named the ''U.S.S. Enterprise'', specifically the U.S.S. Enterprise-D. By this time, the Klingons were at peace with the Federation, and the crew included a Klingon security officer, as well as various other non-human races.
Also on the crew was ''Data'', an android.

The Ferengi were introduced, and were initially meant to be villains. However, as the series went on, they became a more comical foe. A major foe introduced with this series was the [[Borg]], a "collective" of [[drone]]s, beings from various races who were "assimilated" into the collective.
When encountering another spaceship, the Borg would often introduce themselves with the statement "''"We are the Borg. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile!''". The "resistance is futile" phrase has since entered popular culture.

=== Deep Space Nine ===
Unlike each of the other series, ''Deep Space Nine'' was set on a space station near the planet Bajor, about a year before ''Next Generation'' finished it's run.
The station, originally built by the Cardassians, was administered by Starfleet and with a mixed Starfleet and Bajoran workforce.

The space station protected the only known stable [[wormhole]] through which ships could pass to another part of the galaxy.
One of the characters on the space station was a "shape-shifter", a being that could assume any form.

=== Voyager ===
''Voyager'' was the name of a Starfleet ship that became trapped in another part of the galaxy, the Delta Quadrant (with Earth being in the Alpha Quadrant), and the series revolved around the crew's attempts to return home, encountering many new races along the way.
The series was set around the same time as ''Deep Space 9''.

The part of the galaxy ''Voyager'' was trapped in was also the part of the galaxy from which the Borg originated, and the Borg is an enemy they encounter numerous times.
Additionally, one of the characters who joins the series part way through is "Seven of Nine", a former Borg drone, originally human, who is successfully largely transformed back into a human, although retaining some of the Borg implants and struggling to adapt to human society, having been assimilated into the Borg at a young age. ''Voyager'' also featured a female captain, Kathryn Janeway.

=== Enterprise ===
''Enterprise'' is set prior to any other series, at the time when the United Federation of Planets has not yet been formed, and when humans are first starting to travel well beyond Earth, and develop much of the technology that would be common-place in series set later.
The mostly-human crew travel in a ship also named ''Enterprise''

== The Movies ==
Twelve Star Trek movies have been produced. Star Trek I-VI follow the original cast after the events of the original series. ''Star Trek: Generations'' to ''Star Trek Nemesis'' follow the cast of The Next Generation. ''Star Trek'' and ''Star Trek Into Darkness'' act as reboots and prequels to the original series. They are also more action-oriented, and are said by many to be similar to ''Star Wars'' in that sense. They also act as sequels, as an older version of Spock appears in both films, coming from the year 2387, eight years after the events of ''Star Trek Nemesis.'' ''Star Trek Beyond'' will follow the story set up in the previous two films.

{| class="wikitable"
!Movie Name || Date of Release || MPAA Rating
|-
|''Star Trek: The Motion Picture'' || December 7, 1979 || PG
|-
|''Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan'' || June 4, 1982 || PG
|-
|''Star Trek III: The Search for Spock'' || June 1, 1984 || PG
|-
|''Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home'' || November 26, 1986 || PG
|-
|''Star Trek V: The Final Frontier'' || June 9, 1989 || PG
|-
|''Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country'' || December 6, 1991 || PG
|-
|''Star Trek: Generations'' || November 18, 1994 || PG
|-
|''Star Trek: First Contact'' || November 22, 1996 || PG-13
|-
|''Star Trek: Insurrection'' || December 11, 1998 || PG
|-
|''Star Trek: Nemesis'' || December 13, 2002 || PG-13
|-
|''Star Trek'' || May 8, 2009 || PG-13
|-
|''Star Trek Into Darkness'' || May 16, 2013 || PG-13
|-
|''Star Trek Beyond'' || July 22, 2016 || Not Yet Rated
|}

== Extraterrestrial life ==
{{main|Extraterrestrial life in Star Trek}}

The drama of the shows typically arises from the crew's contact with various forms of [[extraterrestrial life]], mostly, but not always, [[humanoid]] (e.g. the "Crystalline Entity"). In various ways, the [[premise]] of the [[ancient astronaut theory]] is used to assert the seeding of [[life]] throughout the [[galaxy]] as brought up in ''The Next Generation'', although not to the overt extent of a later, unrelated, TV series, [[Stargate SG-1]].

== Religion in Star Trek ==
As a [[humanist]], Gene Roddenberry infused Star Trek with humanism's dream of a world (or galaxy in this case) where humanity (and many other intelligent beings) were constantly improving the life quality of all beings both through improving technology and improving societal conditions.
People worked together for the common good, rather than for money, and without any class or other distinctions.
This is a small part of what is expected in the Christian view of [[heaven]], except that humanism believes that mankind can achieve this through its own efforts, rather than with the help of God. In reality, however, God is needed for humanity to reach its full potential.

Roddenberry rarely had the shows overtly reject religion, although some episodes would make reference to it as a part of culture. For instance in an episode with a man who could not die, it was noted that in one of his personas in Earth history he had been [[Lazarus]] (who [[Jesus]] raised from the dead). In another episode a world where the [[Roman Empire]] never fell was now chasing down followers of "the son" (which the crew mistook to be "sun") and their message of peace and love instead of violence and oppression.

Later series, under the control of other producers particularly after Roddenberry died, also brought religious concepts into the show, but seldom with the same direct references to Christianity, but rather to more generic religious thought.

=== The Next Generation ===

An episode of ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' has one major example of anti-religion bias. The third-season episode entitled "Who Watches the Watchers," implies that an alien culture discarding religious beliefs is a positive development.
In the episode "Tapestry", Captain Picard dies and goes to the "afterlife" where he meets his erstwhile adversary "Q" who implies that he is God. Picard refuses to believe this, and makes a comment that "The Universe is not so badly run." However the majority of episodes remain silent on religion. In another episode where the ship is trapped and an alien will perform experiments that will kill up to half the crew, Picard discusses with 'Data' (actually the alien in disguise) what happens after one dies and says some believe in a god who keeps them in their present form forever and others believe that this is all there is. When questioned further, he says that he finds the universe is too orderly to believe that this is all there is and thinks that we will go on existing in a reality that we can not currently comprehend.<ref>Episode [http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Where_Silence_Has_Lease Where Silence has Lease] on Memory-Alpha.</ref><ref>[http://tng.trekcore.com/episodes/scripts/128.txt Episode Script]</ref>

=== Bajoran religion ===

''Star Trek: Deep Space 9'' included religion more than any other series. An overarching theme of the series was the relation of the main character, Captain Benjamin Sisko, to the Bajoran religion in his role as the emissary to the Bajoran prophets. The prophets were beings who lived in a stable wormhole (a unique phenomenon in the Star Trek universe referred to by the Bajorans as the Celestial Temple) that perceived all of time as a single event with no concept of past, present, or future. Despite their immense dissimilarity to other races in the galaxy, the Prophets took unusual interest in Bajor, sending 'orbs' which were used as tools of prophecy by the Bajoran clergy, and in Sisko who it is revealed exists solely to fulfill a predetermined historical path in an Armageddon-like showdown as the avatar of the prophets against the 'Pah Wraiths' (aliens like the Prophets who were expelled from the Celestial Temple).

=== Other religions ===

''Star Trek: Deep Space 9'' also had the Dominion, in which the Founders (shape-shifting aliens sometimes called changelings) are treated as living gods by the races under their control.

The Klingon religion in various series suggests that the first Klingons realized they had no need for their gods, and killed them, although they still hold to an afterlife where the honorable dead join with the deified Kahless and the dishonorable dead are forced to spend eternity on the Barge of the Dead with the demon-like figure Fecklarr.

The Ferengi (mainly in ''Star Trek: Deep Space 9'') had a religion of sorts based on the concept of The Great River (as shown in "Faith, Treachery and The Great River"), which was similar to "[[The invisible hand]]" a phrase coined by [[Adam Smith]]. Ferengi also hold that if they achieve enough profit during their lives, they will meet the Blessed Exchequer who will grant them access to the Divine Treasury, whereas an unsuccessful Ferengi may find himself left in the Vault of Eternal Destitution.

==Political themes==
Producer Gene Roddenberry emphasized his “utopian vision” of humanity’s future. Following this vision, humanity is considered to have achieved perfection in Star Trek. This includes overcoming greed, hate, jealousy, as well as ethnic and national rivalries.<ref name=walker>Walker, J., [http://thiswastv.com/2012/08/29/same-as-it-ever-was-star-trek-after-gene-roddenberry/ Same As It Ever Was?: Star Trek After Gene Roddenberry], ''This Was Television''</ref> In the original series, this vision is illustrated by the use a Russian man and a black woman as regular minor characters (Chekov and Uhura).

Negative characteristics are generally found only in alien races. In a typical episode, one alien race is trying to enslave another, and the Enterprise intervenes to restore balance. The principle of equality is thus applied universally, with the Declaration of Independence sometimes mentioned explicitly.<ref>"The Omega Glory", March 1, 1968. Watch Kirk read the Declaration of Independence [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3b56e0u0EgQ here]. It's with feeling; He is obviously an American.</ref> In these episodes, the Federation stands in for the United States, while the villain species stands in for Communists or Nazis.<ref name=Cantor>Cantor, Paul A., ''Gilligan Unbound: Pop Culture in the Age of Globalization'', p. 46.</ref> In other episodes, an alien species is used to comment on imperfections in contemporary America. One episode depicts a species divided into two races by skin color.<ref>“Let This Be Your Last Battlefield”, Jan. 10, 1969.</ref> For one race, the left side is white, and right side is black. For the other race, these colors are reversed.<ref name=Cantor/>

In the original series, the military nature of Starfleet combined with the need for adventure and dramatic conflict were sufficient to limit the influence of Roddenberry's left-wing views. These episodes were recorded prior to the feminist era, so gender relations are according to nature and tradition. The early seasons of ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' suffered severely from the Roddenberry vision. For example, the character Q was used to parody God. Roddenberry’s skeptical view of religion was detailed in several dialogs between Q and Picard.<ref name=walker /> As Roddenberry’s health declined, Rick Berman's influence grew. He was promoted to executive producer during the third season of TNG. ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'', a Berman creation, broke with the Roddenberry vision in several ways. It included various flawed human characters, and we learned that Starfleet has a secret agency called Section 31 that was responsible for various atrocities.<ref name=walker />

As the citizens of the Federation have access to goods in unlimited supply, it does not have a conventional economy. However, various characters are depicted as running small businesses such as vinyards or restaurants, presumably just for the fun of it.<ref>Yglesias, Matthew, “[http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2013/11/18/star_trek_economy_federation_is_only_mostly_post_scarcity.html The Star Trek Economy: (Mostly) Post-Scarcity (Mostly) Socialism]", ''Slate''. Nov. 18, 2013.</ref> On the issue of money, the show is inconsistent. Some episodes claim that the Federation has abolished money, others depict Federation citizens bartering for latinum, the Ferengi currency. The Ferengi are traders and businessmen and have an unfettered free market economy. Although it is never made clear what kind of economy the Federation itself has, the Ferengi and other races are depicted as envious of it.<ref>See e.g. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hdiuRMK3UQ this video].</ref>

== Relationship views ==

In addition to his views on religion and politics, Roddenberry had controversial views on relationships. A kiss between Kirk ([[William Shatner]]) and Uhura ([[Nichelle Nichols]]) was aired in 1968.<ref>“Plato’s Stepchildren,” Nov. 22, 1968.</ref> This is generally considered the first interracial kiss on U.S. television, although Sammy Davis Jr. did give Nancy Sinatra a peck on the check almost a year earlier.<ref>''Movin' with Nancy'', Dec. 11, 1967.</ref><ref>Miss Cellania, "[http://www.neatorama.com/2013/04/10/TVs-First-Interracial-Kiss/#!rjF17 TV's First Interracial Kiss]”, ''Neatorama'', April 10, 2013.</ref> Picard and Lily had an interracial kiss in ''Star Trek: First Contact'' (1996), although this was only a brief goodbye kiss.

Roddenberry was also supportive of same-sex relationships, and wanted to integrate homosexual characters into his second series, ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'', reasoning that by the 24th century "no one would care." According to his personal assistant, Ernie Over, "'''He had an agenda (see [[homosexual agenda]]), which was to get gay people onto 'Star Trek.'"'''<ref name=salon> http://www.salon.com/2001/06/30/gay_trek/</ref> However, this proposal was met with resistance by [[Paramount Studios]] who reasoned that because the show would eventually be syndicated, it would be accessible to young children for whom such material would be extremely inappropriate. There are some hints of Roddenberry's in early episodes of TNG, such as the notorious background extras wearing skirts.<ref>[http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/memoryalpha/en/images/e/ee/Man_in_a_skant.jpg Here] is an image.</ref>

An early episode of TNG, "Blood and Fire," was intended to be an allegory for AIDS and was to feature homosexual characters. It was never produced, but went on to be used in the fan-produced ''Star Trek: Phase II''. <ref>http://spinoff.comicbookresources.com/2013/09/11/tv-legends-revealed-star-trek-tng-wouldnt-air-episode-with-gay-crewmen/</ref> Roddenberry repeatedly promised to broach the issue in later seasons but never did before his death. Notably, Whoopi Goldberg attempted to use [[politically correct]], gender-neutral language when explaining sexuality but was rebuffed. "She said, ‘This show is beyond that. It should be “When two people are in love.”‘ And so it was decided on set that one of the tables in the background should have two men holding hands — or two women, or whatever. But someone ran to a phone and made a call to the production office and that was nixed. [Producer] David Livingston came down and made sure that didn’t happen."<ref name=salon />

Despite the absence of major homosexual characters, several storylines have indirectly depicted homosexual and other relationships in a positive, or at the very least ambiguous light. For example, in ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'', Commander William Riker (presumed heterosexual from a previous relationship with Deanna Troi) falls in love with an individual from an androgynous race.<ref>''The Outcast'', originally aired Mar. 16, 1992.</ref>
In ''DS9'', Lieutenant Commander Jadzia Dax (a [[Trill]], a being comprising a humanoid host of a member of another, asexual, species) briefly resumes a relationship with a wife from a previous lifetime (a male host of the same symbiont), and they are shown kissing on screen.<ref>''Rejoined'', originally aired Oct. 30, 1995.</ref>

According to Ira Steven Behr, DS9's showrunner, "I know they got a lot of negative feedback, which only goes to prove a point I always believed in, which is that science fiction fans and '''Star Trek fans are much more [[conservative]] than people want to believe, and this whole Gene Roddenberry [[liberal]] Humanistic vision is truly not shared by a significant portion of them.'''"<ref>''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - The Official Poster Magazine'', issue 5 (credit to Memory Alpha for finding the quote)</ref> As of 2013 with the release of ''[[Star Trek Into Darkness]]'' no openly gay characters have been featured and the [[liberal claptrap]] media consider this "a glaring double standard."<ref>http://www.wired.com/underwire/2013/05/star-trek-lgbt-gay-characters/</ref>

== Institutions ==

The ''United Federation of Planets'' is the multi-world government based on [[Earth]], and under which auspices Starfleet operates.

''Starfleet'' is the exploratory and defensive organisation which operates the various starships.

The ''Academy'' is where Starfleet officers and crew are trained.

== Technology ==
The universe of Star Trek has an array of advanced technology, some of which has foreshadowed real developments.
This technology includes computer speech recognition, atom-level fabrication, massive energy production, and faster-than-light travel.

All Starfleet members from the time of ''The Next Generation'' on wear broach-size devices on their uniforms which allow instant two-way communication between crew-members or between the crew-member and the ship's computer.

The ''transporters'', being developed at the time of ''Enterprise'', disassemble and reassemble inanimate and animate things, including people, allowing them to be transported over moderate distances. For example, transporters are frequently used to send people from a spaceship in orbit to the surface of a planet and return.

''Replicators'', introduced in ''The Next Generation'' use similar technology to fabricate inanimate objects from a molecular or atomic level. This includes spare parts for the ships. Specialised ''food replicators'' can fabricate a wide variety of food, which is suitable for everyday use, but can on occasions not be quite as good as the real thing.

''Holodecks'' and ''holosuites'' (the latter on Deep Space Nine) are rooms containing ''holoprojectors'' that project holographic images with solidity, allowing people to interact with the images. A computer controls the images, which includes holographic people who appear just like real people.
The ''Voyager'' series introduced an "emergency medical hologram", a holographic doctor which could be activated in the case of an emergency.
In this case, the ship's real doctor was killed, and the holographic doctor was a regular character, with enhanced abilities including being able to activate and deactivate himself.
He also managed to acquire a portable holographic projector that he could wear, allowing him to leave the confines of the ship's sick bay and its fixed holographic projectors.

''Phasers'' are the classic "ray gun", emitting a beam that, depending on the setting, was capable of stunning or killing the person on the receiving end.

''Tricorders'' were hand-held devices combining the functions of a computer, communicator, and laboratory for sensing and testing objects.
Specialised ''medical tricorders'' were also used by medical officers.

''Warp drives'' allow spaceships to travel vast distances by creating a sub-space 'bubble' around the ship, allowing faster-than-light travel, a necessity when travelling around the galaxy as part of a day's work.

== The Prime Directive ==
Starfleet had The Prime Directive which said that they should not interfere with the natural progression of a species. The directive sometimes clashed with morality or common sense and on many occasions was ignored by Starfleet officers. There was also a Temporal Prime Directive which said that when going into the past (by various means) they should not try to alter the course of history. When someone from Starfleet (or elsewhere) violated the directive officers were justified in working to stop them as long as they did not violate the directive themselves.

== Star Trek in culture ==

[[image:284699main image 1204 946-710.jpg|thumb|Gene Roddenberry and original series cast members at the launch of the space shuttle ''Enterprise''.]]
Various concepts from Star Trek have entered popular culture, including the following:
* The [[Extraterrestrial life in Star Trek#Vulcan|Vulcan]] greeting, ''Live long and prosper''.
* The [[Borg]] warning that ''resistance is futile''.
* The [[Klingon]] language has been developed as a complete [[constructed language|artificial language]].
* The first [[space shuttle]], ''Enterprise'', was named for the ship in [[Star Trek (original series)|the original series]].

==See also==
* [[Charlie X]]
* [[Survivalist fiction]]: [[Dystopia]]

==References==
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