10 More Classic Star Trek Episodes Based On Real-Life Events

Since the days of Thomas Malthus, the dangers of overpopulation had been a public concern. By the 1960s, the issue had become a household word. Star Trek took the idea to the absurd extreme of positing a planet so overpopulated that its entire surface was standing room only. If you think that such a planet could never exist because there'd be no place to grow the food, then you're thinking about it more than the writer did.

But supposing that such a planet could exist, how might it try to solve its problem? Perhaps by moving some of its population to another world? Or heavier use of birth control? Both of these ideas are discussed and rejected.

In their place, the episode comes up with a solution as absurd as its premise. The Gideonites, a civilization that has had no direct contact with the Federation, builds a full-scale mockup of the Enterprise (on a standing room only planet, mind you), which is accurate enough to fool the ship's captain, right down to the personal effects in his own quarters.

Kirk and the Ambassador's daughter are isolated together in the mockup in the hopes that Kirk will impart to her a deadly disease that their people have no immunity to, that will then wipe out half the planet, thus relieving the overpopulation problem. Thanks for the suggestion, Trek. We'll take it under consideration.

In the end, the Gideon's plan is not thwarted, only modified. The Ambassador’s daughter is cured so she can perform the Typhoid Mary role, allowing Kirk to leave. Does this go down as a win, a loss, or a draw in Kirk's book?