14 Dumbest Things In Star Trek Generations

8. That’s Some Mighty Stellar Cartography, Mr. Data

Star Trek Data
Paramount

There’s zero indication that the Federation has much understanding at all of the Nexus, so how is it that Data can get the computer to project how the destruction of the Veridian star will alter its trajectory?

Of course, the simple, logical solution is staring us right in the face, but the movie misses it. While in stellar cartography, Data and Picard are trying connect the implosion of the Amargosa star to the Nexus, and had Data noticed that the Nexus was not quite where it was projected to be based on previous data, then we could buy that he could deduce that the alteration of gravity resulting destruction of the Amargosa star was the key the Nexus’ deviation. And from that he could logically project how the potential destruction of the Veridian star would alter its course to skim Veridian III. Simple.

But, no. Who needs to show the characters figuring things out when Picard can just make a mental leap and Data can inexplicably project a course with no real, er, data?

 
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Contributor
Contributor

Maurice is one of the founders of FACT TREK (www.facttrek.com), a project dedicated to untangling 50+ years of mythology about the original Star Trek and its place in TV history. He's also a screenwriter, writer, and videogame industry vet with scars to show for it. In that latter capacity he game designer/writer on the Sega Genesis/SNES "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — Crossroads of Time" game, as well as Dreamcast "Ecco the Dolphin, Defender of the Future" where Tom Baker performed words he wrote.