10 Important Star Trek Details That Are Almost Never Mentioned
The coolest and most ridiculous things that shape Star Trek as we know it.
Star Trek lore is so expansive that it's easy to get confused or surprised at times, even for hardcore fans. There are plenty of details of the franchise's fictional history that are incredibly interesting and important, but barely ever get explored meaningfully on camera for whatever reason.
Sometimes these details are simply fun to think about, like cool parts of the universe that make it feel more real and immersive, but other times they are paradigm-shifting, and, although never brought up, help to shape Star Trek into what we know it to be.
From weird Federation laws that you may not know of, to mind-bending scientific discoveries that are widely ignored, to cool details of Starfleet life that most people don't think of, this list will be looking at all of Trek history and counting down ten of the most important aspects of Star Trek lore that people barely ever talk about.
10. The Genetic Manipulation Ban
Anyone who isn't familiar with the history of Star Trek may be confused by the lack of any advancements in genetic manipulation, considering the fact that we're actually very close to making it a reality in the present day.
However, if you look into the lore, especially the backstory of Khan, the stunted development of this technology actually makes a lot of sense.
Khan, along with many other individuals, were genetically enhanced at the end of the 20th century and turned into genius supersoldiers. This started the Eugenics Wars, one of the most brutal conflicts of Earth's history, during which augmented troops took control of huge parts of the planet and nearly plunged humanity into another dark age.
After this war, humanity decided that the risks of genetic engineering far outweighed the benefits and subsequently banned all DNA manipulation, except to correct life-altering ailments.
Genetic engineering is still practised through a black market, which is how Doctor Bashir was able to get his enhancements as a child, but it is highly illegal, frowned upon, and hard to come by.