53
votes
Accepted
Why didn't the Federation ever replace the Cardassian systems with their own on Deep Space Nine?
There are a few reasons we can intuit.
DS9 isn't a Federation starbase, it's technically Bajoran. Starfleet was focused on getting it to work, and only replaced the essential systems. They weren't ...
40
votes
Does the Federation have the equivalent of Miranda rights?
Contrary to what you may think from watching TV, police officers are not required to issue the Miranda warning at the time of arrest; only before beginning an interrogation.
The duty to warn only ...
39
votes
Why didn't the Federation ever replace the Cardassian systems with their own on Deep Space Nine?
They were replacing the Cardassian components. Or if they couldn't replace them, at least making sure that they conformed to Federation standards.
ILORA: But these relays don't have nearly as much ...
37
votes
Accepted
Does the Federation have anything resembling intellectual property laws or agreements?
As User22484 notes in his comment, the issue of authorial rights is dealt with in the Voyager episode Author, Author.
In short;
Authors have a right to determine how truly original works of art or ...
29
votes
Accepted
Has any planet accepted into the United Federation of Planets left after technology was shared?
In canon, no planet has ever scammed the UFP in that way because, as you pointed out, the application process is very thorough and lengthy. The UFP can spend years or decades thoroughly reviewing a ...
27
votes
Accepted
Since human lives are more valuable, why doesn't the Federation replace their Starfleet crews with mostly holograms?
In short, the EMH is not "just as competent as a human doctor", at least not until he's had a chance to go beyond his original programming. In the earlier episodes his lack of bedside manner,...
25
votes
Accepted
Why does the Federation prefer mainly space-borne starships?
Why doesn't the modern navy make more of its ships amphibious?
@Varlock hit the nail on the head.
Making a ship amphibious isn't just a matter of putting wheels on it. It also must be able to not ...
25
votes
How do ordinary citizens get around the Federation?
I think we can immediately dismiss your third suggestion, that interplanetary travel is limited. We do see civilians occasionally discussing vacation plans to go to other planets, or specifically not ...
21
votes
Accepted
Cat person in Star Trek crew animated series
Yes, the species' name is Caitian
According to the wikia, they are a member of the Federation and has been serving in the Starfleet in:
Star Trek: The Animated Series (Lieutenant M'Ress, the one you ...
20
votes
Can a Federation colony become a member world?
According to the Star Trek: Star Charts factbook, there are several colony worlds that are full members of the Federation including Deneb V, Rigel X and Cestus III.
We should also mention that there ...
20
votes
Accepted
Are Starfleet and the Federation distinct entities? Why does Saru say they are?
The Federation and Starfleet are two separate entities.
The Federation is a civilian government and a democracy that unites several planets under a singular banner (a similar concept is the European ...
20
votes
Accepted
Does Starfleet still rate personnel on ESP?
At least one other individual was assessed for some sort of ESP rating, the Betazoid telepath Tam Elbrun.
PICARD (V.O.): My immediate concern is with Tam Elbrun. Starfleet considers his unique ...
20
votes
What are the benefits and obligations of a world that joins the Federation?
The two main benefits of the Federation are
Military
Starfleet is a formidable force, with most of its starships capable of posing a threat to almost anything in the Alpha quadrant. In this way, ...
19
votes
Accepted
Do Starfleet regulations and general orders apply to non-Starfleet Federation citizens?
Most of us think of Prime Directive as just prohibition of interference with less developed society. But fact is that Prime Directive is a doctrine of total non-interference with the affairs of other ...
19
votes
How do ordinary citizens get around the Federation?
There are civilian ships with warp capability that operate within Federation controlled space. For example, the civilian freighter Odin from TNG episode Angel One. Cassidy Yates (DS9) is a human ...
18
votes
Accepted
Can a private citizen of the Federation legally obtain a starship?
You can obtain a Federation-made ship for research purposes from non-Starfleet organizations.
The Voyager episode Dark Frontier shows a series of flashbacks giving the back story of Seven's parents. ...
14
votes
Accepted
How can a single-planet species pose a threat to the Federation?
The Klingons and the Romulans control vast expanses of space. They have colonized many planets and have a population that might be rivalling that of the Federation. There's a reason they're called '...
13
votes
Since human lives are more valuable, why doesn't the Federation replace their Starfleet crews with mostly holograms?
Given that humans are not forced into military service by economic circumanstances like many are now, we have to assume other motivations for why humans would join starfleet. That same motivation ...
12
votes
Accepted
Why does the Federation insignia have two acronyms?
According to the show's producer Jordan Nardino it's the French version of UFP (United Federation of Planets) which makes sense since the ceremony was in France.
For those asking, FPU is UFP in ...
12
votes
What are the benefits and obligations of a world that joins the Federation?
There's one benefit that is expressly given:
Citizens of member worlds can attend Starfleet Academy without an endorsement.
This is important for a major point in the life of Nog. In the DS9 episode ...
11
votes
Since human lives are more valuable, why doesn't the Federation replace their Starfleet crews with mostly holograms?
Starfleet tried something like that in Kirk's era (TOS: The Ultimate Computer), and it was a disaster. Large-scale automation may be a lingering taboo, similar to how Earth is unwilling to revisit ...
9
votes
How do ordinary citizens get around the Federation?
The technology to build a warp-capable ship seems to be not terribly uncommon within the Federation itself by the TNG era
Federation citizens of the TNG era seemed to have little trouble sourcing ...
8
votes
Can an individual apply to become a Federation citizen?
Apparently so. The Federation, according to DS9: The Never-Ending Sacrifice, has policies and procedures for the request for, and granting of, Federation citizenship from non-member-species applicants....
8
votes
Accepted
Why did Starfleet not attempt to make contact with the Prophets?
The Prophets don't care about the Federation. They warn Sisko of threats to Bajor. In his role as "The Emissary", Sisko is (in effect) acting as an Ambassador between two non-Federation ...
7
votes
Can a private citizen of the Federation legally obtain a starship?
There are no explicit instances I know of where a Federation citizen in the TNG+ era owns a ship. Though the majority of DS9 doesn't deal with Federation space and Voyager not at all so you can't ...
7
votes
Is Captain Kirk forgetting all the other races in the Federation?
The word "humanity" - however derived from the word "human" - is a property not only of humans, but of other intelligent species, such as those in the Federation. It's a concept which was named "...
6
votes
What is the largest ship in the Star Trek Universe?
If we’re counting non-canon, the DS9 book Objective Bajor revolves around an invading species from another galaxy that arrived in a continent-sized generation ship described as approximately 8,000 ...
6
votes
Is Captain Kirk forgetting all the other races in the Federation?
I took the statement to only mean the human species, on purpose. Krall's biggest point is that he wants humans (as a race) to endure strife in order to grow (what doesn't kill you ...). He believes ...
6
votes
How can a single-planet species pose a threat to the Federation?
A military threat is created when the population and the industrial potential of a species are diverted to military purposes. There is a proverb that in war, nobody is ever killed by a piece of gross ...
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