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Vulcan (Star Trek)

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Vulcans , or sometimes Vulcanians , are a humanoid species in the fictional Star Trek universe who evolved on the planet Vulcan , and are noted for their attempt to live by reason and logic with no interference from emotion . They were the first extraterrestrial species officially to make first contact with Human species, and later became one of the founding members of the United Federation of Planets . Vulcans appear in all six Star Trek series, three of which featured either a Vulcan or a half-Vulcan as a main character.

• 1.1 Physical appearance
• 1.3 Mating drive
• 1.4 Other characteristics
• 2.1 Emotion
• 2.2.1 Mind melds
• 2.2.2 Katra
• 3.1 Language
• 3.3 Marriage
• 3.5 Fighting and self defense
• 3.6 "Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations"
• 4 Homeworld
• 5.1 Vulcan High Command
• 5.2 Star Trek (2009) alternate timeline
• 6 Character development
• 7 In other media

Biology [ ]

Physical appearance [ ].

Vulcans are depicted as similar in appearance to humans . The main physical differences are their eyebrows and ears: the former are arched and upswept, while the latter feature pinnae which taper into a point at the top. Vulcans can be classified into various races . Most caucasianoid -like Vulcans typically appear with a subtle greenish hue to their skin , due to Vulcans' copper-based blood (not blue as in Horseshoe Crabs ), which aside from being green in color is also referred to as being as cold as ice water. Other features described include an inner eyelid, or nictitating membrane , which protects their vision from bright lights, an adaptation for their bright and hot home world. In addition, their hearts are located on the right side of the torso, in between the ribs and pelvis, as Dr.McCoy once says about Spock:“he is lucky that his heart is where his liver should be, or he’d be dead!” (ST:TOS, A Private Little War )

Vulcans are vegetarians by choice and were omnivores in ages past. In the Star Trek original series (TOS) episode " All Our Yesterdays ", Spock willingly consumes meat; partly due to the effects of time-travel 5,000 years into the past, and partly because he reasons there is no other suitable food available given the harsh, ice-age climate in which they are trapped. Vulcans are repeatedly stated to be herbivorous in the TAS episode " The Slaver Weapon ", by the carnivorous Kzinti . Vulcans do not like to touch their food with their hands, preferring to use utensils whenever possible (though there are numerous cases where Vulcans have broken this rule). It is a Vulcan custom for guests in the home to prepare meals for their hosts (“Star Trek Enterprise” episode: “Home”).

Vulcans are said not to drink, though they are depicted indulging on special occasions or as a storyline warrants. In the Star Trek: Voyager episode " Repression ", Humans and Vulcans are shown drinking a Vulcan alcoholic drink called "Vulcan Brandy ". In the TOS episode " The Enterprise Incident ", as part of his diversionary role during an espionage mission against the Romulans , Spock shares a drink known as romulan ale (blue colour beverage) with the female Romulan commander. In a later TOS episode " Requiem for Methuselah ", Spock specifically requests a Terran brandy after Dr. McCoy , while serving himself and Captain Kirk , observes that he had no expectation that Spock would be joining them in a drink for fear that the alcohol would affect his logic faculties. In Star Trek: First Contact , when the Vulcans first met Zefram Cochrane , he served them alcoholic beverages, which they took in lieu of dancing. In "non-canon" Trek-related literature, such as the novelization of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home , Vulcans are depicted as immune to the effects of alcohol, but become inebriated by ingesting chocolate (this is also quickly alluded to in DS9 when Quark offers a Vulcan client some Vulcan Port or chocolate, in speaking of which he implies something sexual).

Mating drive [ ]

Approximately every seven years, Vulcan males and bonded females experience an overpowering mating drive known as pon farr . Once triggered, Vulcans must have sexual contact with someone, preferably their mate, or else face insanity and death.

If a mate is not available, there are other ways to relieve the effects of the pon farr . The first is meditation , by means of which the Vulcan must overcome the urge to mate through mental discipline. The second is violence. This is seen in the Voyager episode " Blood Fever ", when B'Elanna Torres and Ensign Vorik fight in the traditional Vulcan manner. The violence ends the pon farr. The other option is extreme shock; in the TOS episode " Amok Time ", Spock believed he had killed James T. Kirk , his best friend, thus providing sufficient shock to nullify the effects of pon farr. When he experienced pon farr, Tuvok of the USS Voyager made use of a holodeck simulation of a temporary mate which resembled his wife to relieve his condition. This holodeck simulation was created because The Doctor was unavailable; the dialog of this episode suggests that The Doctor had prepared a medicine to help Tuvok overcome the effects of pon farr. Infection is another mechanism writers have used to induce pon farr in Vulcan characters. Template:Citation needed

In the TOS episode " This Side of Paradise ", Leila Kalomi hints at having had a special relationship with Spock some six years earlier, which may suggest an encounter between them during pon farr. Likewise in the film Star Trek III: The Search for Spock , the regenerated adolescent Spock went through at least two pon farrs at accelerated speed. As his mate was not available on the Genesis planet (where Spock underwent the accelerated pon farrs), it was implied that he mated with Lt. Saavik, a female Vulcan scientist on the crew of the Enterprise who accompanied him during the accelerated pon farr.

Despite popular opinion, TOS writer and story editor, Dorothy C. Fontana , insists that Pon Farr is not the only time that Vulcans feel sexual desire or engage in sexual activity: "Vulcans mate normally any time they want to. However, every seven years you do the ritual, the ceremony, the whole thing. The biological urge. You must, but any other time is any other emotion - humanoid emotion - when you're in love. When you want to, you know, when the urge is there, you do it. This every-seven-years business was taken too literally by too many people who don't stop and understand. We didn't mean it only every seven years. I mean, every seven years would be a little bad, and it would not explain the Vulcans of many different ages which are not seven years apart." [1]

Other characteristics [ ]

Vulcans are typically depicted as stronger, faster, and longer-lived than humans (although discrepancies have occurred). Vulcans are about three times as strong as an average human, though their durability is about the same. There are instances of them living over two hundred and twenty years. Having evolved on a desert world, Vulcans can survive without water for longer periods than humans.

Psychology [ ]

Emotion [ ].

Vulcans, as a matter of custom and policy, suppress or think past all emotional influence by living lives of rigid emotional self-control through meditative techniques and training of mental discipline. Vulcans are not depicted as having no emotions; although they themselves make this claim, Vulcans are an exceptionally emotional people. They developed techniques to suppress their emotions precisely because of the damage they can cause if unchecked. In one episode of Star Trek: Voyager , Tuvok explains that Vulcans' natural emotions are "erratic and volatile"; if Vulcans do not strongly repress emotions, they can get violently angry in an instant. T'Pol once stated that paranoia and homicidal rage were common on Vulcan prior to the adoption of Surak 's code of emotional control. In the original series episode "The Savage Curtain", Spock meets Surak and displays emotion, for which Surak reprimands him, and he asks forgiveness.

The advanced ritual of Kolinahr is intended to purge all remaining vestigial emotion; the word also refers to the discipline by which this state is maintained. Only the most devoted and trained Vulcan students attain Kolinahr ; most Vulcans do retain control over their emotions, but do not completely eliminate them as Kolinahr attempts to do. In Star Trek: The Motion Picture , Spock was unable to complete this ritual after receiving powerful telepathic signals from space and experiencing strong emotions as a result. The Vulcan masters conducting the trials concluded that since Spock's human blood was touched by these messages from space, he could not have achieved Kolinahr, and the ritual was halted.

The term for the purge of emotion is arei'mnu. It is stated that it does not translate properly into any Earth language. In Diane Duane 's novel Spock's World, it was suggested that arei'mnu closely translates into "mastery of emotions", but that linguist Amanda Grayson , Sarek 's wife and Spock's mother, in her work on the universal translator , had mistranslated the Vulcan word to mean "lack of emotions".

Some Vulcans, such as T'Pol, Sarek (in his later years, due to a rare disease which can affect Vulcans over the age of 200 years), and Soval , carry their emotions close to the surface, and are prone to emotional outbursts, even without outside influences or illness; T'Pau certainly displayed restrained but definite emotions in the TOS episode " Amok Time ", including suspicion of the Human visitors followed by admiration and approval of their friendship for Spock, and contempt for Spock's humanity. There is some evidence to support the hypothesis that Vulcans in close contact with Humans for an extended period of time may become more emotional than Vulcans who do not. Established canon has yet to make a definitive case for this.

Not all Vulcan characters follow the path of pure logic; some instead choose to embrace emotions. A group of renegade Vulcans who believed in this was encountered in the Star Trek: Enterprise episode " Fusion ", while Spock's half-brother Sybok , seen in the film Star Trek V: The Final Frontier , was also fully emotional. An episode of Enterprise titled " E² " featured an elderly T'Pol in an alternate timeline who had embraced emotion and allowed her half-Human son, Lorian, to do likewise.

In the pilot episode " The Cage ", Spock showed much more emotion. " Number One ", played by Majel Barrett , was supposed to be the emotionless character. Although the test audience indicated they liked the actress, they hated the character because they could not relate to a female who was so "cold". As a result, the character of Christine Chapel was created for Barrett and the "coldness" was transferred to the Spock character.

Telepathy [ ]

Many Vulcans are contact telepaths , and have been observed taking part in a number of telepathy-related actions and rituals, including an instance where Cmdr. Spock was telepathically aware of the simultaneous deaths of 400 other vulcans on a far-away ship (in 2nd season episode, "The Immunity Syndrome").

Mind melds [ ]

A "mind-meld", is a technique for sharing thoughts, experiences, memories, and knowledge with another individual. It usually requires physical contact with a subject, though instances of mind-melds without contact have been seen (for example, in the episode " The Devil in the Dark "). Vulcans can perform mind melds with members of most other species, most notably Humans , with Jonathan Archer being the first known Human participant in such a ritual in 2154. Even the Earth Humpback Whale can be successfully melded with. The Ferengi are one of the few races known to be impervious to the mind meld; mentally disciplined Cardassians may also be resistant to mind melds if properly trained. It is not established if this potential ability is inherent to Cardassians, or if members of any race could be trained to resist a mind meld. Machines, such as the Nomad probe, have been melded with even if only through complete contact. Though not canon, in the Star Trek: The Animated Series episode " One of Our Planets is Missing ", a touch-less melding of a gaseous nebular entity was depicted.

Mind melds have been used to erase memories, as Spock performed on James T. Kirk in the TOS episode " Requiem for Methuselah ". Mind melds can also allow more than one mind to experience memories and sensations, and sometimes even interact with the memories, as seen in the Star Trek: Voyager episode " Flashback ".

The mind meld can be considered a terrible intimacy because of the strength of Vulcan emotions and the strict psycho-suppression disciplines in which they are trained, and thus not one to be taken lightly. In the Star Trek: The Next Generation installment "Sarek", when the diplomat proves to have Bendii's syndrome and thus to be incapable of completing his last great mission without assistance, he executes a mind meld with Captain Jean-Luc Picard , gaining enough emotional stability from this to complete his mission—but Picard himself almost goes insane from the direct onslaught of Sarek's powerful emotions as a result.

Though mind melds are frequently portrayed as a consensual act, that is not always the case. In the TOS episode " Mirror, Mirror ", Spock of the Mirror Universe performed a forced mind meld on Dr. Leonard McCoy in order to learn what McCoy was keeping secret. Mind melds can also be very violating and potentially harmful under certain circumstances. In Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country , Spock forcefully used the technique on Valeris in order to discover information she had that could be used to prevent a war; Valeris began screaming just before Spock broke the connection.

The use of the mind meld was taboo for a period of time. In the Vulcan timeline, this changed when experienced melders were shown to be able to cure Pa'nar Syndrome , a condition passed on by melders who are improperly trained. Within a week of the Kir'Shara incident in 2154, the stigma against mind-melders was evaporating, and sufferers of Pa'nar were being cured in large numbers. By the mid-23rd century, the mind meld is a fully accepted part of Vulcan society, and was even used once to rejoin Spock's katra with his healed physical body ( see below ).

As originally depicted in TOS, mind-melds were considered dangerous and potentially lethal. Over the course of the original series, however, the element of risk was no longer mentioned, although it was revived on Star Trek: Enterprise with the revelation that Pa'nar Syndrome can be transmitted this way.

For a number of years, it was held that not all Vulcans are genetically capable of initiating a mind-meld, such as T'Pol . However, the overthrow of the Vulcan High Command in 2154 revealed that this is not the case, and T'Pol conducted her first mind meld soon after.

Some Vulcans appear with advanced mental abilities. For example, in the TOS episode " A Taste of Armageddon ", Spock was once able to induce uncertainty in the mind of a prison guard on Eminiar VII , and in the episode " The Devil in the Dark ", he was able to perform a limited mind meld with a horta without actually making physical contact with the being. It is made apparent that a touch-less meld is limited in effectiveness compared to physical melds. During more intense melds, the melder is sometimes shown using both hands.

Some Vulcans appear able to "cheat death" by implanting their katra , essentially their living essence or spirit, into an object or another person via a form of mind-meld just prior to death. The history and mechanics of the katra have never been discussed in great detail in canon. It was known at the time of Surak , and Surak successfully transferred his essence into a "katric ark" which remained hidden for 1,800 years until it was recovered by a Vulcan named Syrran in the 22nd century. Syrran melded with the ark and received Surak's katra , which guided him into creating the Syrrannite movement which fought to restore Surak's teachings to Vulcan , but was labeled a terrorist group by the Vulcan High Command .

Syrran was fatally wounded by a lightning strike while escorting Jonathan Archer and T'Pol across a desert region called The Forge in 2154 prior to a short-lived conflict between Vulcan and Andoria . He conducted a forced mind-meld on Archer and implanted Surak's katra into Archer's mind before he died. For a brief time, Archer found himself communicating with the long-dead Surak, and Surak began controlling, or at least strongly influencing, Archer's actions. Surak's katra was so strong that it resisted efforts to be transferred into T'Pau , but once the Syrrannites overthrew the High Command, the katra allowed itself to be transferred into a Vulcan elder. The ultimate fate of Surak's katra remains unknown.

Katras can, on rare occasions, be returned to the body, effectively bringing an individual back from the dead . Such was the case with Spock , who, near the end of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , implanted his katra into the mind of Dr. McCoy prior to sacrificing his life to save the USS Enterprise . (Such was the strength of Spock's mental abilities that he was in fact able to function normally for several minutes despite depositing his "soul" elsewhere). Following Spock's death, McCoy began exhibiting Vulcan-like behavior and was briefly institutionalized. It was later discovered that Spock's body came to rest on the Genesis Planet after his burial in space, and was regenerated. He was recovered and was taken with McCoy to Mount Seleya on Vulcan where a Vulcan high priestess named T'Lar performed a rare, seldom-attempted ritual called the fal tor pan (literally, "re-fusion"), which removed the katra from McCoy and implanted it into Spock's regenerated body. Subsequently, Spock recovered, although it took some time to retrain his mind to where it was prior to his death. Eventually, Spock's original memories apparently reasserted themselves, and he resumed his duties in Starfleet .

Culture [ ]

Language [ ].

The Vulcan language is depicted as developing so much over time that writings from the era of Surak required translation to be understood upon discovery in 2154. Template:Citation needed

According to the DVD commentary of the film, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , actors Leonard Nimoy and Kirstie Alley , portraying Spock and Saavik respectively, spoke their lines in English, and later dubbed in alien dialogue that corresponded with the movements of their mouths in the scene.

The treatment of Vulcan names has been erratic throughout Star Trek 's production history. Early on, female Vulcans were typically given names beginning with "T" followed by an apostrophe then a "p". The earliest reference to Vulcan names following a set pattern dates back to a May 3, 1966 memo from TOS producer Robert H. Justman to Gene Roddenberry (later reprinted in the book The Making of Star Trek ) in which Justman recommended that all Vulcan names begin with "SP" and end with "K", and have exactly five letters. (It is clear from the context of the book, however, that the memo was intended as a joke, as the series of memos ends up discussing the pronunciation of such names as "Spilk" and "Spork".) [2]

Beginning with the Star Trek movies of the 1980s and continuing to today, a greater variety of names have been given to Vulcans beginning with other letters of the alphabet, such as Tuvok , Koss, Mestral, Chu'lak, Valeris , and Xon to name a few (Xon being a Vulcan character created by Gene Roddenberry for the intended Star Trek: Phase II series in the 1970s, and the actress Kim Cattrall , who played Valeris, chose the character's name). Template:Citation needed

Only non-canonical sources have provided any Vulcans with family names, which are usually spoken of as defying attempts at both human pronunciation, especially with English-language phonemes, and human typesetting, especially with the characters of the modern Latin alphabet used for the English language. Hence, no canonical source has given any family names to any Vulcan characters, and indeed, every one of the personal names previously mentioned are all officially described as being only Latin-alphabetical and English-phonetic approximations of the real ones.

Marriage [ ]

Template:Unreferenced section Vulcans practice arranged marriage [3] , in which a male and a female are married or affianced as children, with consummation at a later date. Following adult union, it is customary for the couple to remain on Vulcan for at least one Vulcan year before conducting off-world travel, though it is possible to defer this requirement until a later date, upon negotiation with the male's family. The state of pon farr is not required for marriage to occur. The mating session of a Vulcan (pon farr) includes the private act of sex undifferentiated from the human version of mating.

A Vulcan female can challenge the proposed bonding by calling for koon-ut-kal-if-fee, meaning "marriage or challenge", in which a challenger for marriage engages the bonded male in a fight to the death. Alternately, the bonded male has the option of rejecting his intended bride and choosing another. It is acceptable for a male to "release" his mate from marriage (effectively the same as a divorce ). It is not established whether females have the same option, and T'Pring stated in " Amok Time " that a koon-ut-kal-if-fee challenge was the only way she could legally divorce Spock . [3]

Template:Unreferenced section It is customary for Vulcan children to undertake an initiation ordeal known as the Kahs-wan (sometimes spelled Kaswahn ), in which they are left to fend for themselves in the desert for a specific period of time. Not all children survive this rite of passage. T'Pol underwent the ritual, while Tuvok experienced a variation known as the tal'oth . The Kahs-wan was first introduced in the Star Trek: The Animated Series episode " Yesteryear ", in which Spock's experience as a child was detailed.

Contrary to the Vulcan image of expressing no emotion, family bonds can be strong and affectionate just as they are for Humans . Tuvok expressed his love for his wife on a few occasions (without actually using the term), Sarek openly expressed affection for both his Human wives, and a clear bond of love existed between T'Pol and her mother, T'Les.

Fighting and self defense [ ]

Template:Unreferenced section Although generally adhering to a philosophy of non-violence, Vulcans have developed martial arts and techniques of hand to hand combat . Vulcan martial arts are highly ritualistic and based on philosophy, similar to Human counterparts such as karate and Silat . The most extreme example is the koon-ut-kal-if-fee , or fight to the death, described earlier, though one particular discipline is known as Suss Mahn (named for Star Trek: Enterprise producer Mike Sussman ).

Many Vulcans are skilled in a self-defense technique known as the " Vulcan nerve pinch " or "neck pinch", which targets a precise location on the neck, rendering the victim unconscious (sometimes instantly, sometimes after a short delay depending on the subject). The mechanics of the pinch have never been explained in on-screen canon. While practiced mainly by Vulcans, it is not exclusive to their race; for example, Jonathan Archer and Jean-Luc Picard are depicted as having mastered the technique after each became involved in a Vulcan telepathic ritual (Archer holding the katra of Surak ; Picard having undergone a mind-meld with Sarek ). The android Data also displayed this ability, though none of the three characters were depicted using the skill regularly. Leonard McCoy attempted to use the "neck pinch" while carrying Spock 's katra in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock , but was unsuccessful for reasons unknown. In " Whom Gods Destroy ", Garth of Izar performs the neck pinch on a Tellarite guard while masquerading as Spock, using his shape-shifting ability. However, the Tellarite was one of Garth's minions, and the neck pinch may have been a ruse to convince Kirk that Garth really was Spock. Tongo Rad, a Catuallan, employed a similar technique to render a Starfleet officer unconscious by driving his thumbs suddenly and firmly into the sides of the officer's neck in the original-series episode " The Way to Eden ".

"Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations" [ ]

Template:Unreferenced section

Vulcan IDIC Symbol

The phrase "Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations" (IDIC) refers to the infinite variables (or forms of intelligence) in the universe and the infinite ways in which they may beneficially combine. IDIC is often seen as an underlying philosophy of the Vulcans. Template:Citation needed The theme is symbolized by the Vulcans in a Kol-Ut-Shan, [4] represented as a pendant of yellow and white gold with a circle and triangle resting upon each other, and adorned with a white jewel in the center.

Spock wore the symbol during important gatherings and ceremonies as part of his dress uniform . It appeared for the first time in the Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS) episode " Is There in Truth No Beauty? " It also appeared in Spock's quarters in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , Star Trek III: The Search for Spock , and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country . In the series Star Trek: Enterprise , T'Pol is given, through her in-name-only husband Koss , an IDIC pendant from her mother T'Les which projects a holographic relief, enabling T'Pol and Captain Archer to find the location where T'Les and the Syrrannites are hiding. Also in Star Trek: Enterprise, T'Pol, the science officer, holds an IDIC pendant in Terra Prime while she is in mourning for her dying cloned child Elizabeth, named in honor of Charles "Trip" Tucker 's deceased sister. In the series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode " Take Me Out to the Holosuite ", Captain Solok, an Academy classmate and longtime rival of Benjamin Sisko , challenges Sisko and other DS9 personnel to a baseball game against his Vulcan team, the Logicians. The IDIC symbol appears on the Vulcans's ballcaps.

The Vulcan IDIC pendant was designed by Gene Roddenberry as a marketing premium long before the third season. As early as the end of the first season, fans of the show had begun writing in asking for copies of the scripts, film clip frames, etc., and these were soon sold through Roddenberry's "Lincoln Enterprises", run by Majel Barrett . As evidenced in some of his letters and memos, Roddenberry was fond of circle-and-triangle designs and had wanted to use them for purposes of theatrical unity as early as the first season's " The Return of the Archons ". As reported by editor Ruth Berman (issue #1, Inside Star Trek , July 1968, pp. 15–16), "ardent rock hound and amateur lapidary" Roddenberry came up with the Vulcan philosophy after he presented Leonard Nimoy with a unique "hand-crafted piece of jewelry," a "pendent" (sic) of polished yellow gold (circle) and florentined white gold (triangle), with a stone of brilliant white fabulite—an artificial gem "developed by the laser industry and used in space mechanisms for its optical qualities," and thus well-suited as a gift for an actor in a science fiction show. Readers were encouraged to submit their interest in such a product to the then-Star Trek Enterprises mail order firm. It was noted that "less expensive materials" would keep costs down.

According to William Shatner in Star Trek Memories, the book about TOS he dictated to Chris Kreski , IDIC was only worked into the episode " Is There in Truth No Beauty? " as an afterthought. The actors all knew it was a mere advertising toy. Reportedly, Leonard Nimoy was asked to wear it and refused, so it was passed on to Shatner; when he also refused, Nimoy reluctantly agreed to wear it. At the last minute, Roddenberry sent down several pages of new script for the dinner scene, in which Spock was to give a long-winded explanation of the philosophy. The actors refused to film it until Roddenberry cut it down.

Homeworld [ ]

Comparison of the habitable zone of 40 Eridani with the habitable zone in our solar system.

The Vulcan homeworld is also named Vulcan , a reddish Minshara-Class planet orbiting the star 40 Eridani A , 16 light years from Earth . Its inhabitants were originally called Vulcanians; the latter name was used by Spock in the Original Series episode " A Taste of Armageddon ", and by Federation colonists in " This Side of Paradise ".

Much of its surface consists of deserts and mountain ranges, and large areas are set aside as wilderness preserves. It is much hotter, it has a stronger surface gravity , and its atmosphere is thinner than that of Earth. As a result of these factors, humans tend to tire out more quickly than native Vulcans.

In the alternate timeline of the 2009 film the planet was destroyed by Nero who created a black hole in the center of Vulcan. The planet imploded, leaving an estimated 10,000 survivors out of a population of 6 billion, including Spock and some of the Elders.

Fictional history [ ]

Template:Unreferenced section Template:Very long In the episode " Return to Tomorrow ", Spock theorized that the Vulcans might be the descendants of a colony from Sargon 's planet.

It is speculated on the official website startrek.com that a species that was known on Earth as the gods of ancient Rome or the gods of ancient Greece traveled to ancient Vulcan (named by Star Trek creators to refer to the Roman god of fire ), thus influencing both those that would later become Romulans as well as those who remained on Vulcan. Template:Citation needed Vulcans subsequently practiced a form of paganism ; this can be seen in gods of war , peace, and death depicted on the Stone of Gol , as well as the celebration of Rumarie. The DVD commentary for " Amok Time " says that TOS writer D. C. Fontana named the Vulcan god of death "Shariel", a bust of whom is seen in Spock's quarters.

In about the 4th century AD , Vulcans emerged from their violent tendencies and civil wars under a philosopher named Surak , who advocated the suppressing of emotion in favor of logic . This period was known as the Great Awakening, and much of present-day Vulcan philosophy emerged from this period. According to the Star Trek: New Frontier book series (like all novels, many of which are not considered canon), the Great Awakening caused many wars and conflicts to occur amongst various Vulcan tribes; those who supported Surak's cause would become separated from friends and even close family members who did not. For cases in which parents were separated by this, a ritual was created called the ku'nit ka'fa'ar , a battle to determine which parent would maintain their child. Despite the acceptance of Surak's teachings, generations of imperfect copies of his writings, combined with changes in the Vulcan language over time, resulted in a diluted form of the culture he instituted.

Surak 's views and lifestyle were not universally accepted by Vulcan society. One particular group of Vulcans who called themselves "those who march beneath the Raptor's wings" were so adamant in their opposition against Surak that it resulted in a nuclear war , of which Surak himself became a victim. After time the portion of Vulcan society who rejected Surak's teachings left the planet for the stars. This migration of Vulcan separatists would eventually become known as the Romulans . Knowledge of the common ancestry of Romulans and Vulcans would obscure into myth over the millenniums, and while some Vulcans had direct dealings with Romulans in the 22nd century, the common ancestry would not become widely known until the mid-23rd century.

A great deal of Star Trek spin-off fiction , in particular the novel The Romulan Way by Diane Duane and Peter Morwood , has stated that the leader of the Vulcan-Romulan migration was a close follower of Surak's named S'Task. S'Task would see the founding of the Romulan Empire , but was killed by political factions shortly thereafter.

Vulcans did recover from the effects of barbarism and turn much of their attention to space travel for 1,500 years. What would later become known as the Vulcan High Command was initially formed to orchestrate space exploration, but it ended up seizing control of Vulcan government.

The Vulcans fought a hundred-year war with the Romulans starting circa 1944.

Spock was one of three Starfleet officers from the 23rd century who travel in time to 1930s New York City , in the original series episode " The City on the Edge of Forever ". He would also briefly travel to Earth in 1968 on a mission, in the episode " Assignment: Earth ;" accidentally in 1969, in " Tomorrow Is Yesterday ;" and again in 1986, in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home . (Technically speaking, these three events occurred after the founding of the Federation , but are included here as they constitute pre- First Contact encounters with contemporary Humans .)

First contact between Vulcans and the Andorians was promising, but relations soured in time. The threat of mutual annihilation existed as early as the 1950s. Template:Citation needed

In 1957, the launch of Sputnik I , Earth's first artificial satellite , was observed by a Vulcan vessel that subsequently crashed on the planet, marooning several crew members for a number of months in Carbon Creek , Pennsylvania ; this constituted the first true contact between Humans and Vulcans, but it was never recorded as such as the Humans were unaware of the alien nature of their guests. One Vulcan, Mestral, was so fascinated by humanity that he chose to stay on Earth: his fate has yet to be revealed. Template:Citation needed

In 2044, the Romulans and the Vulcans suspended hostilities in their hundred-year war. It is unclear whether the two groups knew they were fighting their kinsmen. Template:Citation needed

On April 5, 2063, Vulcans and Humans made official first contact following the successful test of Earth's first warp-powered starship, as depicted in Star Trek: First Contact .

In 2097, the Vulcans annexed the Andorian planetoid Weytahn and renamed it Pan Mokar.

In 2105, the Vulcans and the Andorians agreed to a compromise over Weytahn/Pan Mokar. Still, tensions continued due to the threat of mutual annihilation.

In 2151, Sub-Commander T'Pol joined the crew of the Earth Starfleet vessel Enterprise (NX-01) , within a couple of weeks setting a Vulcan endurance record for serving aboard a human vessel. In 2154, T'Pol became a commissioned officer with Starfleet.

In May of 2154, the Vulcan High Command considered a proposal for Vulcans and Humans to conduct joint space exploration missions. V'Las, the head of the High Command and undercover agent for the Romulans , bombed the United Earth embassy on Vulcan and attempted an invasion of Andoria . He was foiled by the crew of the Enterprise . During these events, the Kir'Shara , a device containing the original writings of Surak , was discovered by Jonathan Archer . This led to the prompt dissolution of the High Command and a reevaluation of traditional values . It also resulted in Vulcan agreeing to stop "looking over Earth 's shoulder" in space exploration matters.

On August 12, 2161, Vulcan became one of the founding members of the United Federation of Planets .

In the time of Star Trek: Enterprise , Vulcans are often seen to be rather arrogant and cold in their behavior towards Humans . It is explained that after first contact, Vulcan shared technology with Earth , but many Humans, such as Jonathan Archer , greatly resented the fact that Vulcans seemed to be holding back humanity's efforts at space travel. Soval , Vulcan's ambassador to Earth, appeared particularly distrustful of humans, and was often at odds with Archer and his crew. Soval later justified this behavior in the fourth season episode " The Forge ":

Soval also explained that, since Earth recovered from World War III far quicker than Vulcan did from its equivalent (in " The Forge " and its sequel episodes, it is said that Vulcans took almost a thousand years to rebuild their society after their last catastrophic war), it alarmed many Vulcans, who were confused as to how to deal with a rapidly growing and emotional society such as Earth's.

After the overthrow of the corrupt Vulcan High Command and the death of Admiral Maxwell Forrest , who sacrificed his life to save Soval from a terrorist attack, the attitudes of Soval, and Vulcan society in general, became more cordial and accepting towards humanity.

Vulcan High Command [ ]

In the 22nd century of the fictional Star Trek universe, the Vulcan High Command is apparently a form of military government which controls both the Vulcan space fleet and most of the planet itself. Most of the Vulcans, including T'Pol , from Star Trek: Enterprise served the High Command. It is dissolved in the early fourth season of Star Trek: Enterprise.

Throughout much of the show's run, Captain Jonathan Archer frequently had run-ins with the High Command - even after Archer proved conclusively, several times, that he was able to travel through time, the High Command stubbornly refused to acknowledge the possibility that time travel could ever be possible (although T'Pol tried to keep an open mind). The High Command, on at least one occasion, sent Vulcan starships to actively spy on the Enterprise and report on the ship's activities (see episode Breaking the Ice ), an act which infuriated Archer to no end.

However, this was not the end of the High Command's questionable activities. They appeared to participate in open acts of persecution towards other Vulcans, such as isolating and quarantining victims of Pa'nar Syndrome rather than treating them; prejudicial acts against any Vulcan proven to have committed a mind meld ; and hunting down and capturing, even often killing, members of the underground group, the Syrranites. With the help of Archer, it was discovered that the High Command's illogical and often emotionally based actions were, in reality, the result of covert Romulan influence. After the High Command's administrator, V'Las, was revealed to be a Romulan agent, the High Command was disbanded, and a more traditional and human-friendly Vulcan government was formed.

After the dissolution of the High Command, the Vulcan space fleet experienced a serious shortage of personnel, many of whom were still sympathetic to the old guard. Administrator T'Pau , who now oversaw Vulcan's fleet operations, attempted to rebuild the fleet.

Star Trek (2009) alternate timeline [ ]

In the alternate reality presented by the 2009 film Star Trek , the planet Vulcan is destroyed in the year 2258 by an artificial black hole created by the Narada, a Romulan mining vessel from the future, killing most of its six billion inhabitants. Its captain, Nero, holds Spock personally responsible for a disaster involving Romulus more than a century later. Spock estimates that no more than 10,000 Vulcans escaped the planet and survived the genocide (which may possibly include Vulcans that were on the original series). However, the film's writers have stated that this does not include Vulcans who were living off planet at the time. [5]

Character development [ ]

Blessing gesture that was the inspiration for the Vulcan salute

Leonard Nimoy discussed the origin of the Vulcan salute in his autobiography " I Am Spock ". [6] As a bit of stage "business" in the episode " Amok Time ", he invented the famous "Live long and prosper" Vulcan salute based on the hand symbol used by Jewish priests ( kohanim ) during the Priestly Blessing in the synagogue. The gesture actually emulates the initial Shin of the Shema (Nimoy has also commented that the "sh" could also indicate Shaddai , or the Almighty; more recently, on William Shatner 's Raw Nerve , he associated it with Shekhinah .) On numerous occasions, for example in the 1983 TV special Star Trek Memories (which is often syndicated along with The Original Series ), Nimoy recounts how as a child, he peeked during the blessing and witnessed the gesture, although the congregation are supposed to put hands over eyes or turn away at this moment in acknowledgement of the presence of the Almighty.

The Vulcan nerve pinch was created for the episode " The Enemy Within ". The original script called for Spock to knock the "evil" Kirk unconscious with the butt of a phaser . Leonard Nimoy felt that the act was too reminiscent of a TV western , and thus introduced the famous non-lethal maneuver.

In other media [ ]

An issue of DC Comics ' Green Lantern series, features a Green Lantern Corps member with pointed ears. He behaves 'logically' and has a brief conversation with Hal Jordan (the titular superhero) which ended with a "live long and prosper" and the famous hand gesture. Template:Citation needed

In the Disney Channel Original Movie The Luck of the Irish (2001 film) Kyle makes a reference to the Vulcan's when he learns he has pointed ears.

Dr Addy is referred to as a Vulcan by Dr Hodgins in the TV series "Bones" when he admits to find anger to be a useless emotions that he does not feel.

• ↑ Edward Gross, Mark E. Altman, Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages, Little Brown & Co, 1995. p. 53
• ↑ Whitfield, Stephen E. and Gene Roddenberry. The Making of Star Trek . New York: Ballantine, 1968. p.274. SBN 345-23401-4-150
• ↑ 3.0 3.1 Vulcan Mating Rituals documentary,Star Trek paradocumentary published by www.startrek.com
• ↑ Template:Cite video
• ↑ http://trekmovie.com/2009/05/22/orci-and-kurtzman-reveal-star-trek-details-in-trekmovie-fan-qa/
• ↑ "I am Spock" by Leonard Nimoy (Hyperion)
• 1 USS Enterprise
• 2 Star Trek (2009)
• 3 James Horner

Star Trek: Every Vulcan Ability You Need To Know

Star Trek's iconic emotionless aliens have more powers than you'd think.

The Vulcans are perhaps the most beloved aliens in Star Trek. They were the first alien species created by Gene Roddenberry for The Original Series and instantly became a Trek staple.

Vulcan history is incredibly detailed. Following a long history of violence and war that nearly devastated their species, the Vulcans chose to follow the philosopher, Surak, by suppressing all emotion and embracing logic. The followers of Surak engaged in countless rituals and meditations to completely purge themselves of all emotion, as they saw it as the only way to prevent the extinction of the Vulcan race. Some Vulcans rejected Surak's teachings, though most of these detractors eventually left the planet Vulcan and became the Romulan Star Empire.

However, Vulcans are not only renowned for their strict adherence to logic, but also for their many almost supernatural abilities. Vulcans possess a number of unique physical and mental powers, and this list will be counting down and describing all of them.

As always, live long and prosper.

8. Controlling Emotions

As mentioned earlier, when the philosopher, Surak, introduced the Vulcan society to his belief system of logic and emotional suppression, the species saw it as the only way to save the Vulcan people from themselves.

Naturally, Vulcans have much more intense emotions than most humanoid species. Their violent nature combined with their impressive physical and mental abilities led to a great many wars that devastated the planet for generations. So, although Vulcans may seem completely robotic, this is all just a façade that they maintain to avoid allowing their emotions to control them.

Vulcans work their whole lives to eradicate their emotions, though subtle hints of them remain deep in their minds. Without completing the Vulcan ritual known as Kolinahr, which Spock was never able to do, a Vulcan is still capable of emotional outbursts when dealing with extreme stress.

There have, however, been some Vulcans who've embraced their emotions fully, rejecting the Vulcan way of life, such as Spock's half-brother, Sybok.

Marcia Fry is a writer for WhatCulture and an amateur filmmaker.

Star Trek: The History Of The Vulcans, Explained

The history of this classic Star Trek race is wrought with unexpected violence and emotion.

Out of the many races and cultures present within the Star Trek universe, one of the most stable and memorable has to be the Vulcans. Sure, the hive-minded Borg and the honor-bound, forehead ridged Klingons play important roles throughout the franchise, but it is the steady guiding hands of the Vulcans who seem to always have humanity's back. Despite the strict adherence to logic that defines much of their culture and nature, their history has been turbulent, especially when taking into account their sister species the Romulans .

Unlike the Klingons, who have changed appearance several times over the course of the franchise's TV shows and films, the physical appearance of the Vulcans has more or less stayed the same since Gene Roddenberry’s pioneering, space faring vision: The Original Series . Their pointed ears and stylish, upwards-veering eyebrows have continued as a staple through the show, despite being originally designed to avoid costly prosthetics and make up. Like most life in the universe, the Vulcans are also humanoid in appearance .

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When exploring Vulcan history, it’s important to include the Romulans. These two species are incredibly different in nature, but share a striking resemblance to one another physically. During The Original Series, audiences discover, alongside the crew of the enterprise, that Vulcans and Romulans really are not too dissimilar at all, as they are both descended from the same ancient ancestors. Their divergence took place before the Vulcans adopted their characteristic obsession with logic and reason.

The ancient Vulcans were an emotionally charged, warlike species, who desired to conquer the stars. They were a barbaric race, who was starting to buckle under its own weight. Through their unquenchable passion and emotion, they were on a slippery slope to extinction. This was until the 3rd millennium BC, when a few ancient Vulcans began to try and suppress their emotion. However, they were still in the minority, seen more as a religious cult rather than people to be taken seriously. The majority of Vulcans still were fueled by emotion, violence, and passion. By the 9th Century BC, Vulcans had discovered warp capabilities, but due to their technological advancements being so far ahead of the rest of the galaxy, they were mostly alone — which, due to their colonization habits, was probably a good thing.

Everything changed, however, during what is known as the “Time of Awakening,” which occurred during the 4th Century. At this time, the planet Vulcan was being torn apart by its inhabitants, who were constantly at war with one another. They had begun to drop nuclear bombs , as well as using a device called the Stone of Gul, which would amplify the target's violent emotions to the point where they would see red, and go on a blind rampage. Out of all this bloodshed, however, there appeared a Vulcan philosopher called Surak, who had adopted a lifestyle led by logic over emotion, teaching his followers around Vulcan his philosophy. He grew more and more popular, until his observations and teachings were recorded in what equates to the Vulcan holy book: the Kir’Shara.

Despite all the odds, Surak’s teachings mostly stuck, and swept across their home world until order had been restored once more to the Vulcan people. No longer driven by emotion, they lost interest in conquering and destroying one another, indeed looking both to the stars and within themselves for enlightenment. As Spock himself states , “Only the discipline of logic saved my planet from extinction.”

Not everyone adopted Surak's views, however. The minority who refused to forsake their emotions for logic fought hard to keep their barbaric way of life, until they were eventually forced out from their home world. These outcasts were the ancestors of the Romulans, who carried on their violent ways.

After the destruction and near annihilation of their home, it took the Vulcans a long time to rebuild. They focused on healing their planet and developing further their quest for reason, but after approximately 1500, years they returned to the skies. After all this time, there was a lot more happening among the stars. Cultures on other planets had developed and evolved enough to make things interesting for the space-faring Vulcans. They aligned with the Andorians, and the Tellarites, and eventually, on April 5th 2063, they made first contact with humans. The Federation and Starfleet were born soon afterward, and the rest is history.

Vulcan history is being added to in vast quantities as more and more iterations into the franchise appear, but this is the streamlined version of what brought the Vulcans from a warmongering race to the oddly lovable stoic figures seen today. Through Spock, they made their way into audiences' hearts, epitomizing the notion of a hard exterior with a soft core.

MORE: Star Trek: Things You Didn’t Know About Deanna Troi

Creating Planet Vulcan

Spock’s popularity had made Star Trek fans eager to catch a glimpse of his home world. When the Enterprise finally visited Vulcan in “Amok Time”, NBC executive Stan Robertson said the episode should reveal as much of the planet as possible:

[Vulcan has] been built as such a mystery throughout our series that unless we establish more of the planet than is outlined here […] we will indeed be “cheating” our viewers.

Unfortunately, the show didn’t have the budget to meet Robertson’s requirement. Writer Dorothy C. Fontana told Star Trek: The Magazine in an interview that was published in July 1999 that they could only give viewers “a flavor, a feeling” of the planet.

In “Amok Time”, Spock must return to Vulcan to cope with the onset of pon farr .

The script describes Vulcan as “a landscape of drifting sand stretching away to a distant saw-toothed line of mountains jutting up at the edge of the far horizon.” In one scene, Dr McCoy remarks that he now understands the phrase “hot as Vulcan.” The sky is shown to be red.

The only set the show could afford to build was a ceremonial temple-like area, where Spock would be forced to battle Kirk to the death. Writer Theodore Sturgeon came up with a way to make it relatively inexpensive to build while still looking alien: Vulcan culture, he argued, was highly advanced but had retained an appreciation for craftsmanship. The grounds could therefore look primitive:

A fairly level arena area. Rocks around the edges give a half-natural, half-artifact aspect, as if the wind or rain had curved something like a Stonehenge, or reduced a Stonehenge to something like this. Within this rock area is a Vulcan-made “open temple.” In history, perhaps it was once a shrine. There are two high arches of stone, a level stone floor an open fire-pit toward the “rear” as we look at it.

When time came to remaster “Amok Time” in 2007, Visual Effects Producer Dave Rossi initially struggled to find a way to make the scenes more interesting.

“I soon realized that the number of times we see the red sky behind the actors was going to make it impossible to treat it in any way,” he told Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection in 2016.

As I was flying back to Los Angeles, it dawned on me that maybe the reason we only see red sky is because the ancient ceremonial grounds were high up in the sky, like on a mountain. I had a friend sketch the idea that this arena of rock had two natural stone bridges that connected it to mountain chains on each side.

This was inspired by the look of Mount Seleya in Star Trek III . A matte painting of a Vulcan city in the far distance was also added.

The Motion Picture

Vulcan didn’t appear during the rest of The Original Series . It might have featured in the aborted Star Trek movie Planet of the Titans . Ralph McQuarrie, of Star Wars fame, produced several concept arts showing Vulcan as a desert planet where the population lived underground.

When Planet of the Titans became Star Trek: Phase II , Vulcan was written out of the script for the pilot “ In Thy Image ” because Leonard Nimoy wouldn’t return as Spock. When Phase II became The Motion Picture , and Nimoy was persuaded to return, Vulcan was written back in.

Director Robert Wise and Production Illustrator Maurice Zuberano looked to various places on Earth for inspiration, including Afghanistan, Tibet and Turkey. At one point, they considered shooting the scene on location in Turkey, but this was too expensive. Instead, part of the scene was shot in Yellowstone National Park, part on the Paramount lot, and the rest filled in by Matthew Yuricich’s matte painting.

Robert T. McCall provided a concept of a Vulcan temple that wasn’t used. Mike Minor drew the storyboards.

The scene was redone for the 2001 Director’s Edition . We get a better view of the enormous statues behind the actors and the sky was changed from a starry black to orange, corresponding with the look that was established in Star Trek III .

The Director’s Edition also fixed one of Star Trek ’s most infamous errors. In “The Man Trap”, Spock clearly tells Uhura that Vulcan has no moon, yet two celestial bodies appear in the sky in the theatrical cut of The Motion Picture . These were removed.

The 2022 4K cut of The Director’s Edition made the scene brighter. Producer David C. Fein told StarTrek.com , “This certainly makes sense, since you can see [Spock] block sunlight from his eyes in a previous shot.”

The Search for Spock

Producer Harve Bennett and Director Leonard Nimoy agreed that Star Trek III called for a grander scale than Vulcan’s previous appearances. Charles Correll, the film’s director of photography, argued for shooting scenes in Nevada to avoid a “phony” look. He was also careful to make sure the planet would appear with an orange sky.

The Bird of Prey landing site was ultimately filmed on location at Occidental College in Los Angeles. Other scenes combined live-action footage with matte paintings.

Visual Effects Supervisor Ken Ralston was happy with the result, telling Cinefex magazine in 1984 that the Vulcan scenes had a “dreamlike” quality to them.

[T]he continuity of the sets and the effects and the color work very well together — it fools you into believing it’s much more real than it would have been if they had shot it in the Mojave Desert and then we’d have cut to a painting with a whole different set of values.

Nimoy, too, was pleased with the opportunity to depict the planet on such a grand scale.

To the director, the delight of the visuals of the Vulcan scene, especially by a Vulcan director.

Industrial Light and Magic provided artwork for a scene that was filmed but ultimately cut from the movie in which Spock’s body was carried in a procession up to a Hall of Ancient Thought before being brought out for the ceremony in which his katra was reunited with his body.

George Takei told Starlog in 1986 he was “absolutely aghast” when the scene was cut:

We shot three nights, very expensive, with hundreds of extras on location at Occidental College. After the Bird of Prey lands, the crew comes down the ramp bearing Spock’s body. Then there’s a fleeting glimpse of all the Vulcans. The next scene shows us entering the temple with Dame Judith Anderson. This was a sequence of pageantry, of spectacle, of color, and an opportunity to present this awesome society we call the Vulcan civilization – the religious hierarchy, the aristocrats, the merchant classes, all the gold and silver vestal virgins.

But Visual Effects Art Director Nilo Rodis-Jamero told Star Trek: The Magazine years later that the scene didn’t live up to the concept art:

There was just too much detail, and that took away from the meaning of the scene.

Nimoy and the producers agreed and cut it from the movie.

The Voyage Home

The Voyage Home recycled the Mount Seleya shots from The Search for Spock . The scene in which the Enterprise crew leave Vulcan in their stolen Klingon Bird of Prey was shot on the Paramount parking lot.

Nimoy, who also directed Star Trek IV , recalled in the audio commentary for the 2009 Blu-ray release of the movie that they had searched high and low for a better location but all had shortcomings:

We looked at various canyons, we looked at desert. And there were always problems. Either the look wasn’t right, or it was too far out of town or whatever. And we ended up shooting it on the Paramount lot. And the set construction people and design people did a great job of camouflaging whatever we didn’t want to see. They did it with smoke or a piece of a set, or a flat or some painted canvas or something to hide the background, to hide the buildings that [were] within 30 feet of us.

Tons of reddish dirt and sand were brought in to represent Vulcan’s soil. Writer Howard Weinstein told Star Trek Magazine in 2011 that he half-seriously contemplated scooping up some red dirt in order to sell it as “real Vulcan sand” at a Star Trek convention.

Stock footage from The Voyage Home was used in the Star Trek: Voyager episode “Persistence of Vision,” in which Tuvok hallucinates that he is back on Vulcan.

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Vulcan (planet)

• View history

Vulcan (also known as Vulcan / Vulcanis A II , Nevasa II or 40 Eridani A II ) is a planet , the second planet in the 40 Eridani star system , in orbit of the star 40 Eridani A . A class M desert planet, Vulcan is inhabited by the Vulcan civilization , who refer to their world as T'Khasi , Minshara or Ti-Valka'ain .

• 1.1 Astrometrics
• 1.2 Environment
• 1.3 History
• 1.4.1 Continents and provinces
• 1.4.2 Bodies of water
• 1.4.3 Mountains and volcanos
• 1.4.4 Other regions
• 1.4.5.1 Cities
• 1.4.5.2 Other locations
• 1.5.1 Flora
• 1.5.2 Fauna
• 1.6 Alternate realities
• 2.1 Connections
• 2.2.1 Appearances
• 2.2.2 References
• 2.3 External links

History and specifics [ ]

As the Vulcan homeworld , Vulcan was the capital planet of the Confederacy of Vulcan , and a founding world in both the Coalition of Planets and United Federation of Planets . ( Last Unicorn RPG modules : The Way of Kolinahr , Planets of the UFP ; Decipher RPG module : Aliens ; ST references : Star Charts , The Worlds of the Federation ; ENT novel : Kobayashi Maru )

Following the Romulan Supernova of 2387 and prior to the 32nd century , Romulans settled on the planet after the successul Reunification . The joined inhabitants renamed their world to Ni'Var . ( DSC episode : " Unification III ")

This world is known as vulqan to speakers of Klingonese . ( ST reference : The Klingon Dictionary )

Astrometrics [ ]

The Vulcan star system .

Vulcan orbits 40 Eridani A , known as Nevasa to the Vulcans, the primary orange K class star in the trinary Vulcan system . The other two stars in the system, 40 Eridani B and C , blue and red dwarfs respectively, co-orbited the A star at some distance and were not immediately visible in the Vulcan sky. ( ST references : The Worlds of the Federation , Star Charts ; TOS - Vulcan's Soul novel : Exodus ; Decipher RPG module : Aliens )

Vulcan's orbital period (year) is 203 days long. [ citation needed ] According to another source, Vulcan has an orbital radius of 0.56 AU , giving it a period of 177.6 standard days. However, the Vulcan calendar has set the Vulcan year to be about 1.5 times that, or 266.4 standard days. ( DTI novel : Watching the Clock )

Vulcan vicinity.

Vulcan has no moon, but did have a number of nearby planets, most notably T'Khut , with which it shares an orbit around a common center of gravity; the two worlds were a mere 149,895.3579 kilometers apart, and T'Khut would fill the sky of the single hemisphere of Vulcan it was visible from due to the planets being tidally locked. ( TOS episode : " The Man Trap "; ST reference : The Worlds of the Federation ; TOS novel : Sarek )

T'Khut itself does have a moon, called T'Rukhemai , home of the Vulcanis Lunar Colony . ( TOS novel : Sarek ; VOY episode : " Unimatrix Zero "; VOY novel : Pathways )

Also passing near enough in its orbit that Vulcan can be clearly seen in the sky was the icy planet Delta Vega . ( TOS movie : Star Trek ; TOS comic : " Nero, Number Four ")

Vulcan on the explored galaxy map.

Vulcan was noted on star charts of the galaxy 's explored regions in the 23rd and 24th centuries , in an area of the projection also containing Sirius , Altair VI and Aldeberan . ( TOS movie : The Undiscovered Country , TNG episodes : " Conspiracy ", " The Measure of a Man ", " The Emissary ", " The Mind's Eye ", " The Game ", DS9 episodes : " In the Hands of the Prophets ", " Cardassians ")

Environment [ ]

Vulcan's Forge , circa 2137 .

Vulcan is a harsh, desert planet with barely a quarter of its surface area containing water. It possesses a thin atmosphere and high gravity (1.4 G). ( Decipher RPG module : Aliens ) Furthermore, solar radiation is noted to be much higher when compared to other M-class planets such as Earth. ( TOS novel : Captain's Glory )

Vulcan has three primary continents called Na'nam , Han-shir and Xir'tan . The first are enormous land masses that were divided into various provinces while the third was an island somewhat larger than the Earth continent of Australia . ( Last Unicorn RPG module : The Way of Kolinahr: The Vulcans ) Due to the strong tidal forces brought about by the planet's interaction with T'Khut Vulcan was highly volcanically active. This generates a number of impressive lava spectacles, such as the Fire Plains . ( ST - New Worlds, New Civilizations short story : " Tempered by the Forge "; ENT episode : " Home ") Around four to five billion years ago, Vulcan was a highly geologically active environment. ( TOS novel : Firestorm )

Furthermore, there are frequent energy discharges in the air that shimmered in the red sky in a region near the Gateway where there was an area that had a distorted magnetic field as a result of Vulcan's ancient atomic wars. This serves as a form of third magnetic pole that disrupted most electrical as well as transtator currents in the region that are instead absorbed energy leak out into the wind. This is responsible for creating the spectacular lightning displays that are often seen in the clouds of sand. ( TOS novel : Captain's Glory )

Vulcan's geology and desert environment produce starkly up-thrust craggy and inhospitable mountains, with jagged and steep formations cut out by wind swept sand. ( Decipher RPG modules : Aliens , Worlds )

Vulcan maintains the oxygen in its atmosphere by deriving phytoplankton from its oceans, which existed as microscopic organisms that make up 90% of all planetary oxygenation processes, including those of Earth . Despite being a desert planet and not having a suitable source of oxygen in viable plant-life throughout most of their year, there is a sufficient amount of oxygenation occurring within the environment from the microbic water. [ citation needed ]

History [ ]

Vulcan's surface.

Though a dry desert occupied 96% of the planet's surface by the 23rd century , fossil records indicated that early Vulcan possessed 90% water along with a few islands with nothing but a hot sea present on the planet. Thousands of years later, when the proto-Vulcans developed and began to form tribes, 40 Eridani A erupted a massive solar flare that scorched the planet's surface; resulting in many native creatures dying, those which survived taking shelter in caves or other safe places on the opposite end of the planet. ( TOS novel : Spock's World )

Early in the Dominion War , Benjamin Sisko expressed his concerns to Admiral Zach Warner that the Dominion would eventually be able to invade Vulcan if Starfleet kept up its defense posture. The routes between Vulcan and Earth and Alpha Centauri were critical to the Federation. ( DS9 novelizations : Call to Arms... , ...Sacrifice of Angels ) The concerns for Vulcan lasted throughout the year, with fighting near the Vulcan border. Later, the fall of Betazed made the possibility of an invasion of Vulcan very likely. ( DS9 episodes : " Favor the Bold ", " In the Pale Moonlight ", " The Reckoning ")

During the Borg Invasion of 2381 , several Borg cubes moved to attack Vulcan. They managed to begin an orbital bombardment which inflicted severe damage to notable locations on the planet, including the Vulcan's Forge. However, the planet was saved from destruction when former Earth Captain Erika Hernandez managed to influence the collective to attack itself, severely damaging the cubes attacking Vulcan, which were later destroyed by a Starfleet task force including the USS Atlas and USS Prometheus . ( ST - Destiny novel : Lost Souls )

In 2468 of a timeline where the Federation chose not to intervene in the fight between the Borg and Cybermen , the Cybermen invaded Vulcan. Using his TARDIS , The Doctor and Jean-Luc Picard from 2368 witnessed these events. ( TNG comic : " Assimilation², Issue 5 ")

Eventually, the Vulcans allowed the Romulans to return to their ancestral home. Eventually, they were able to share their planet and eventually rename it Ni'Var. ( DSC episode : " Unification III ")

Destruction of Vulcan.

Geography [ ]

Continents and provinces [ ]

• Kel Province
• Gol • Khomi • Kir • Raal • Shi'al • Tat'Sahr

Bodies of water [ ]

Mountains and volcanos [ ], other regions [ ], vulcan settlements [ ].

Typically, there are no lost civilizations on the planet as new cities were always integrated into the older ones which meant that ruins remained. In addition, the planet's manufacturing and heavy industry has, for centuries, been conducted in the asteroid belt within the system. The only industry that was allowed on the surface were those that neither despoiled the environment nor disturbed its tranquility such as music crafting. ( TOS novel : Dwellers in the Crucible )

The Vulcan population was approximately 4.9 billion in the year 2378 . ( ST reference : Star Charts )

Other locations [ ]

Natural history [ ].

The heat of Vulcan's summer often kills off most vegetation, with plant life only flourishing once the rains come. In times of drought, out in the desert carnivorous plants are able to survive by catching any animal weakened by thirst. ( TOS novel : The Vulcan Academy Murders )

Alternate realities [ ]

In an alternate timeline in which Khan Noonien Singh won the Eugenics Wars and Humanity underwent genetic engineering en masse, the Khanate of Earth conquered Vulcan during the 21st century . The Vulcan government's unconditional surrender was presented to Khan in the rubble of the temple atop of Mount Seleya . The Vulcans remained helots of Humans well into the 24th century . ( DS9 - Myriad Universes novel : Seeds of Dissent )

In the alternate timeline created by Nero 's temporal incursion , Vulcan was destroyed in the year 2258 . The planet was obliterated by an artificial singularity created when Nero launched a red matter device into the planet's core. Of a population of 6 billion, approximately ten thousand escaped the devastation, and though their cultural legacy would survive, the Vulcan people became an endangered species. ( TOS movie & novelization : Star Trek )

Appendices [ ]

Connections [ ], appearances and references [ ], appearances [ ], references [ ].

• Last Unicorn RPG module : Raiders, Renegades & Rogues
• FASA RPG module : Trader Captains and Merchant Princes, 1st edition
• ST video game : Klingon Academy
• ST video game : Infinite

External links [ ]

• Vulcan (planet) article at Memory Alpha , the wiki for canon Star Trek .
• Vulcan (planet) article at STO Wiki , the FANDOM wiki for Star Trek Online .
• 1 The Chase
• 2 Preserver (race)
• 3 Totality (Andromeda)

Feature | July 19, 2016

Vulcan may not be real, but spock's home system is.

By Arielle Samuelson, NASA's Exoplanet Exploration Program

It takes a little imagination to wish some favorite fictional universes into existence. But, for legions of "Star Trek" fans, they don’t have to wish: one star system really exists in our Milky Way galaxy. In Star Trek lore, Vulcan is the home of logic, learning and the deeply beloved first officer Mr. Spock. While Vulcan is fictional, the star system it belongs to–40 Eridani–is very real. It’s located only 16.5 light-years away from Earth and its primary star can be spotted with the naked eye. So how much is science fiction and how much is science fact?

“Could there be an Earth-like planet in this system? We have no way of knowing that now,” said Karl Stapelfeldt, chief scientist of NASA’s Exoplanet Exploration Program. So while Vulcan (as far as we know) doesn’t exist, a fascinating triple sunset would occur on any rocky planet in the system, because 40 Eridani has three stars that circle each other.

See more: Interactive planets

The most massive is 40 Eridani A, a dwarf star that is the mythical Vulcan’s sun. The other two are a pair, orbiting each other at a distance from 40 Eridani A. This binary pair contains a red dwarf (40 Eridani C)­ and a white dwarf star (40 Eridani B). From the surface of Vulcan, “they would gleam brilliantly in the Vulcan sky,” according to Rodenberry in his 1991 letter to Sky & Telescope magazine.

If you believe in science fiction, Mr. Spock’s dreamt-up world lives in the habitable zone of the largest star, 40 Eridani A. The habitable zone, shown as the area in blue-green, is the distance from a star where liquid water is said to exist. Too far away from its sun and Vulcan would freeze like Pluto; too close and it would sizzle like Mercury. Vulcan is perched on the inner edge, lending the world its imagined desert-like quality (at least, in a timeline where the planet remains undestroyed).

But if there were a planet like Vulcan in the 40 Eridani system, would we be able to see it? Not yet. “We don’t yet have a way to detect it, but NASA is working on the technology to make it possible,” Stapelfeldt said.

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Published Jul 1, 2021

The Spirit of Star Trek is Alive and Well in Small-Town Alberta

Getting to know this little slice of Canadian Star Trek paradise.

StarTrek.com

This article was originally published on March 9, 2021.

There are two ways to enter Vulcan.

You can take Highway 534 through rolling fields that stretch horizon-to-horizon. Drive past the golf course and the unserviced airport, and as you enter town, you’ll see a brown sign on the left that reads “Vulcan” on the corner of Elizabeth and Centre Street.

It will look and feel like most other rural communities in the area.

Or, you can take the second route. Cruise down Highway 23 and you’ll see the same open fields and expansive sky that southern Albertans are accustomed to, but you’ll probably miss the stone grey unassuming “Welcome to Vulcan” sign as you find yourself stare at the Vulcan community Starship FX6-1995-A that’s parked in the grass across the street from the local UFA.

Nestled in the Western Canadian prairies of southern Alberta, Vulcan is a rural town boasting a population hovering somewhere under 2,000 people. But unlike most of the towns in the areas, this one’s a hit with Trekkies around the world.

Vulcan, Found

Contrary to what you might be thinking, the town of Vulcan was not named after Spock’s home planet.

The village that was originally incorporated in 1912 and later became a town in 1921, was named after the Roman god of fire by a Canadian Pacific Railway surveyor who was particularly fond of the classical world.

But that doesn’t mean they haven’t embraced the association over the years.

It’s a little bit of a chicken-and-the-egg scenario when it comes to how exactly the town became associated with Star Trek . Pat Wisener, who was part of the initial push to officially associate the town with the Star Trek franchise, said that sometime in the 1970s a concrete “Welcome to Vulcan” sign was put up at the edge of the town. While that sign meant little to the people who resided there, fans of Star Trek would stop in on their way by and take a photo so they could tell people they’d “been to Vulcan.”

At the same time, the Government of Alberta was trying to encourage community engagement through a rural initiatives program and the town of Vulcan wasn’t doing so hot — they needed something that would draw people in. Admittedly, the association with Star Trek wasn’t universally loved, but the fans were already coming, so why not embrace it?

So, Wisener and other members of the community formed the Vulcan Association for Science and Trek (or VAST). And in the 1990s, the association with the Star Trek franchise started taking shape with the Vulcan Starship landing just outside of the town in 1995.

Trekkies Unite

Curious-by-nature travelers who happen upon this sight make a turn into Centre Street and find themselves pulling into a parking lot at the Vulcan Tourism and Trek Station (“ Trek Station”), where in October 1998, a starship landed on top of the building and never left.

Two Spock image stickers grace the front doors — one of Leonard Nimoy and the other of Zachary Quinto, the former of whom graced the town with his presence in 2010. It was the year that “Spock came home” Bonny Ellis wrote when she forwarded the images of Leonard Nimoy making an appearance.

Ellis works for the Planet of Vulcan Authority — or, more accurately, she’s the Community Services Manager for the town and oversees tourism. It’s been a tough year for them, but despite everything that’s happened they’ve still managed to welcome over 9,400 tourists.

Due to COVID, the Trek Station was closed in early 2020 with plans to reopen again during their high season — from April to September 2021. It’s then that masked Trekkies will be able to, once again, get their photo taken on the bridge of a star ship. They’ll also have the opportunity to see over 800 pieces of Star Trek memorabilia and even get themselves a pair of the Vulcan Ears that the town is famous for.

Outside of the Trek Station, you’ll find a Gene Roddenberry Memorial Plaque which was unveiled in June of 2008, when his son Eugene “Rod” Roddenberry Jr. visited the town. But that’s not the only Trek -themed item you’ll find around town.

Everything from the painted crosswalks to the light poles that decorate Centre Street have an air of Star Trek about them. There’s the Transporter tucked between two shops where you can stop to snap a photo, the handprint of Garrett Wang that’s encased in the sidewalk and the bust of Leonard Nimoy on the corner of second avenue.

You can learn about the town and all of its hidden Trek spots on the official Star Trek Walking Tour that’s offered when the Trek Station is up and running.

But it’s not just the official stops you can make either, the spirit of Star Trek is ingrained in the very town with businesses like Latinum Loonie, Starfleet Supplies (Wolfe’s Hardware), Big Sky Liquor where you can get brandy but not necessarily the Vulcan kind and a consignment store called Quark’s that my mother frequents all too often.

Vul-Con: a Star Trek Celebration

Most days the streets of Vulcan are brimming with your typical rural activity, with locals pulling up in their trucks and running into the bank or dashing into the pharmacy while running errands. But a few times each year the town gets a little livelier when Trekkies descend on it to celebrate their favorite science fiction universe.

Vulcan cherishes its connection to the Star Trek universe and, in the past, has celebrated it with Vul-Con. Ellis describes it as a “mini Comic Con” that sees around 200 out-of-town visitors from places as close as Lethbridge and Calgary to overseas visitors from Europe and Australia.

There is a pancake breakfast, a parade, and vendors.

Attendees get a chance to get up-close-and-personal with the cast and creators of the franchise, including a special dinner with special guests. Leonard Nimoy’s appearance in 2010 marked one of the convention’s greatest successes.

Unfortunately, Vul-Con, like many other conventions, didn’t happen this year.

The cancellation of Vul-Con was a hit to the tourism income for the town and it caused the town Council to review how it does similar events in the future. Ellis says there is a lot of time, effort and money that goes into the annual event and next year, instead of the traditional weekend-long conference, the town is looking into holding several smaller events to celebrate it’s Star Trek history.

There are also Spock Days which give attendees a “taste of Vulcan.” There’s a parade, a baseball tournament, a display of local-area vendors and family-oriented events. Ellis says that the coming year’s Spock Day events will take on a little more of a Star Trek theme to carry some of the Vul-Con torch as the town modifies the events to meet current restraints.

Getting in on the Action

In 2010, Vulcan was recognized as the “Official Star Trek Capital of Canada” making the work that Wisener and the VAST team put in all those years back a true success. This quirky little town somehow manages to marry the laid-back rural life with the fun and spirit of a sci-fi world that many know and love.

The truth is, neither of the highways — the 534 or the 23 — are major thoroughfares, so a trip to Vulcan has to be planned. But for the Trekkie in all of us, it’s well worth it.

If you’re planning on heading out this way (post COVID, of course), it would be well advised to check the website , Facebook page or send them an email to see what they have coming up for events. Who knows, you might have an opportunity to run into your favorite Star Trek character on your visit to Vulcan.

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• View history

New Vulcan was an alternate reality Vulcan colony founded by Spock Prime as a home for the estimated ten thousand survivors of the destruction of Vulcan perpetrated by Nero in 2258 .

The Spock of this timeline thought that, logically, he should resign his commission in Starfleet to help restore Vulcan civilization, but his "older self" urged him to remain, so as not to be denied the potential accomplishments made with his friendships with the crew of the USS Enterprise , specifically James T. Kirk . ( Star Trek )

Within a year, New Vulcan had become the capital of the Confederacy of Surak . In 2259 , the Enterprise contacted this planet, where Spock Prime revealed the true nature of Khan Noonien Singh to the crew. ( Star Trek Into Darkness )

In 2263 , Spock Prime passed away on New Vulcan. The younger Spock again considered resigning his commission and returning to New Vulcan to help rebuild the Vulcan race, but after defeating Krall at Starbase Yorktown , decided to remain in Starfleet and accompanied the others when the USS Enterprise -A was launched. ( Star Trek Beyond )

• 1.1 Appearances
• 1.2 References
• 1.3 Background information
• 1.4 Apocrypha
• 1.5 External link

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ].

• Star Trek Into Darkness (First appearance)

References [ ]

• Star Trek Beyond

Background information [ ]

New Vulcan was classified as a class M planet by the Star Trek Encyclopedia  (4th ed., vol. 2, p. 162).

Apocrypha [ ]

New Vulcan is one of the settings of the 2013 Star Trek video game, set between the events of Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness . In the game, it is invaded by the Gorn , leading to the destruction of infrastructure and loss of life.

According to the " Legacy of Spock " arc of the Star Trek: Ongoing series, more than twenty-seven million Vulcans survived the destruction of Vulcan and planned on relocating to Ceti Alpha V . It wasn't until Ambassador Spock initiated a mind meld with the Vulcan elders that the Vulcans learned of Ceti Alpha V's eventual fate, and decided to settle on the second planet of the Simon-316 system instead. Spock Prime has a monument made there in his likeness that is still standing three thousand years later .

External link [ ]

• New Vulcan at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• 1 Abdullah bin al-Hussein

10 Vulcan Proverbs From Star Trek

• Vulcans prioritize a commitment to logic, valuing reason over emotion.
• Vulcan proverbs and customs highlight diversity, logic, and peaceful coexistence.
• Vulcan philosophy emphasizes unity, the acceptance of change, and the wisdom found in balancing logic and emotion.

Introduced as Earth's closest, first, and greatest interstellar allies, Star Trek ' s Vulcans are known for their advanced technology, logical mindset, and seemingly emotionless demeanor. Vulcan culture values intelligence and rationality, leading them to prioritize exploration and political success. Despite a stoic exterior, Vulcans form deep connections with others, placing great value on privacy and private contemplation. Vulcan's strong and co-founding presence in the United Federation of Planets highlights a respected standing in the galaxy. The Vulcan relationship with Earth is challenging, beneficial, and instructive, revealing a collection of wise insights and philosophical ideals .

The Vulcan proverbs from Star Trek's series and movies offer a glimpse into the values and beliefs that shape this enigmatic alien race. With their extraordinary abilities like touch-telepathy, exceptional hearing, and impeccable logic, Vulcans navigate the universe with a perspective far removed from humans. The contrast between Vulcan's emphasis on reason and Earth's curious impulsiveness creates an enjoyable and intriguing dynamic. Delving into the essence of Vulcan culture reveals a complex society that seeks to balance tradition with progress, making them a fascinating and essential part of the Star Trek universe.

Every Upcoming Star Trek Movie & TV Show

"live long and prosper", star trek: the original series season 2, episode 5 - "amok time".

The iconic Vulcan saying " Live long and prosper " was first uttered in Star Trek: The Original Series but frequently repeated in the franchise's later series and movies. This traditional farewell greeting is often accompanied by a one-handed gesture dubbed the Vulcan salute. The farewell was first spoken by Spock (Leonard Nimoy) in the TOS season 2 episode, "Amok Time," following the kal-if-fee (challenge) fight with Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner). Believing that he has killed Kirk, Spock addresses the Vulcan Priestess T'Pau (Celia Lovsky) and tells her that he " shall do neither " when she responds with the phrase in kind.

Leonard Nimoy based the famous Vulcan hand salute on a Jewish priestly blessing.

"Amok Time" is an important Star Trek episode offering a rare insight into Vulcan customs, culture, and tradition. It also reflects on the power of strong emotions as Spock experiences a charged combination of fear, anger, lust, and grief as events unfold. The phrase " Live long and prosper " has evolved into a timeless symbol of hope and goodwill , resonating throughout the Star Trek franchise and capturing the essence of Vulcan philosophy.

"Infinite Diversity In Infinite Combinations"

Star trek: the original series season 3, episode 7 - "is there no truth in beauty".

The Vulcan IDIC, which stands for " Infinite diversity in infinite combinations ," is a fundamental concept in Vulcan philosophy. Introduced in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode " Is There In Truth No Beauty? ", this emblem symbolizes the importance of diversity. The episode delves into themes such as the perception of beauty, tolerance, prejudice, self-worth, and telepathic ability, making the exploration of this core Vulcan value significant and impactful. The IDIC symbol, represented by a triangle over a circle, has become a recurring symbol throughout the Star Trek franchise , appearing in various episodes and even influencing the design of the Prime Timeline Spock 's Jellyfish ship in Star Trek (2009).

The IDIC serves as a reminder of the value of diversity and acceptance, reflecting the ideals upheld by the Vulcan civilization. Its presence in multiple Star Trek iterations demonstrates its enduring relevance and influence on the series' overarching themes. From its introduction as a key component of Vulcan philosophy to its portrayal in various forms throughout the franchise, the IDIC continues to serve as a symbol of unity and appreciation for differences across the galaxy.

“I am pleased to see that we have differences. May we together become greater than the sum of both of us.” - Surak"

Star trek: the original series season 3, episode 22 - "the savage curtain".

In the iconic Star Trek: The Original Series episode "The Savage Curtain," Captain Kirk and Spock become engaged in a study of good and evil. Upon their first encounter with the historical icon Surak (Barry Atwater), the Vulcan philosopher and scientist utters the profound phrase, " I am pleased to see that we are different. May we together be more than the sum of our parts ."

Promoting diversity, inclusion, and peace, the phrase celebrates differences and friendship.

This Vulcan quote encapsulates the core value of diversity and unity within the Star Trek universe , echoing the qualities of IDIC . Promoting diversity, inclusion, and peace, the phrase celebrates differences and friendship and rejects prejudice as petty, illogical, and small-minded. The sentiment is a fitting lesson from the 'father of modern Vulcan civilization,' operating to inspire and remind us of the endless possibilities that can arise when working harmoniously with others.

"In accepting the inevitable, one finds peace." - Tuvok

Star trek: voyager season 5, episode 5 - "once upon a time".

When an ion storm causes Star Trek: Voyager 's Delta Flyer shuttle to crash on a class M planet, leaving the away team stranded, the situation quickly escalates as the craft becomes submerged 3km below ground with the rocky chamber around them filled with toxic gas. With life support failing, Tuvok (Tim Russ) tries to comfort the critically injured away team member as the survivors' air supply dwindles. Lt. Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill) expresses disbelief at their predicament, musing that he never expected to be buried alive on an unknown planet. Meaning well, Tuvok suggests that "In accepting the inevitable, one finds peace," but the sentiment does little to ease the team's anxiety.

It reflects the logical and tranquil characteristics of Vulcan philosophy.

While Paris jests about preferring the familiar Vulcan saying " Live Long and Prosper ," Tuvok's attempt at solace underscores his stoic nature. Although the comment may fall short of providing immediate comfort, it reflects the logical and tranquil characteristics of Vulcan philosophy in challenging situations. Outside the dire circumstances they face, Tuvok's words hold a deeper wisdom that resonates with the composed demeanor of his species.

"Nothing Unreal Exists"

Star trek iv: the voyage home.

Shortly after Spock's resurrection on Vulcan , he undertakes an educational memory test and is presented with questions on various topics, including science, maths, and philosophy. When asked, " What is Kiri-kin-tha's first law ?" Spock correctly answers, " Nothing unreal exists. " This law, stemming from Surak's teachings, showcases the Vulcans' logical and analytical thinking, offering a simplified insight into the complex topic of metaphysics. It provides a foundation for understanding philosophical meaning and existence and showcases the impressive depth of Vulcan knowledge, wisdom, and reasoning.

The significance of Kiri-kin-tha's first law is revisited in Star Trek: Enterprise , season four episode "The Forge," where Arev (Michael Nouri) questions Archer about these guiding principles in the Vulcan desert. This retconned narrative twist in the franchise's timeline allows the prequel series to delve deeper into Vulcan cultural themes and build on the concepts introduced in previous iterations of the Star Trek universe.

"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few (or the one)." - Spock & Kirk k

Star trek ii: the wrath of khan and star trek iii: the search for spock.

One of the most iconic quotes from Star Trek , this phrase is closely tied to the heartbreaking scenes of Mr. Spock's death in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan . While it is synonymous with this moment, the phrase also appears in several of the franchise's other films. In this second movie, Spock sacrifices himself to repair the ship and save the crew from ongoing attack , ultimately succumbing to radiation poisoning. His final words to Kirk, emphasizing the logic behind his actions, set the stage for a recurring theme that extends into the next film, Star Trek III: The Search For Spock .

After Spock's resurrection, Kirk offers a different perspective on the phrase. When Spock asks Kirk why he sacrificed so much to help him, Kirk inverts the sentiment by stating that "the needs of the one outweighed the needs of the many." This quote reversal speaks to the ongoing struggle between logic and emotion seen throughout the franchise's various shows, particularly in Star Trek: The Original Series .

"One man can summon the future." - T'Pol / "One man cannot summon the future." - Spock

Star trek: enterprise season 4, episode 13 - "united" & star trek: the original series season 2, episode 10 - "mirror, mirror".

In a crucial moment to protect an operational alliance, Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) arranges to take the place of a Tellerite dignitary in a fight to the death with the Andorian Commander, Thy'lek Shran (Jeffrey Combs). First Officer T'Pol (Jolene Blalock) expresses concern for Archer's safety , but he argues that - of the three parties negotiating - his death is the only one that would not endanger the alliance. This fourth season episode of Star Trek: Enterprise hints at the early steps towards forming the United Federation of Planets .

Both instances exemplify the power of individuals in pivotal moments.

The sentiment is inverted in an episode from Star Trek: The Original Series , where Captain James T. Kirk attempts to convince the ruthless Mirror universe Spock of the futility of an illogical universe. Spock is dismissive, stating that " one man cannot summon the future, " but Kirk underscores the significance of individual actions in shaping the present. Both instances exemplify the power of individuals in pivotal moments within the Star Trek universe, reinforcing the idea that personal choices can greatly impact the course of events.

"Change is the essential process of all existence." - Spock

Star trek: the original series season 3, episode 15 - "let that be your last battlefield".

Captain Kirk and the USS Enterprise crew are inadvertently involved in a long-standing conflict between Lokai (Lou Antonio) and Commissioner Bele (Frank Gorshin) , a fugitive and his pursuer from the planet Cheron. This allegorical episode explores themes of racism and prejudice, revenge, hatred, and obsession - the two guest alien characters are too stubbornly caught up in their vendetta to notice the obliteration of their planet. Highlighting this idea and observing their driven visitors' intractable views and behavior, Spock remarks to Bele that " change is the essential process of all existence ." Bele is too focused on his task to capture Lokai, and the lesson goes unheeded.

With change comes progress.

It's an important observation of life , however, subtly acknowledging that with change comes progress. Though the sentiment seems at odds with the slow, stuffy perception of Vulcan tradition, it provides a clear perspective when considering the development and evolution of Vulcan culture and history in shows such as Star Trek: The Original Series and Enterprise .

"Without followers, evil cannot spread." - Spock

Star trek: the original series season 3, episode 5 - "and the children shall lead".

Captain James T. Kirk and the USS Enterprise crew face a formidable enemy that preys on their deepest fears to take over the ship and control their minds. With the help of a group of impressionable young children who follow the "Friendly Angel" known simply as Gorgon (Melvin Belli), a non-corporeal being from the Triacus, Kirk and Spock find themselves isolated and outnumbered on their own ship.

Realizing the children's pivotal role in the enemy's plans, Spock reminds Kirk that evil thrives only with the support of followers . It's a dark moment that highlights the predation of evil on innocents. This insight prompts them to strategize how to reclaim the Enterprise and defeat the Gorgon. The allegorical message of how evil spreads through cooperation, manipulation, and ignorance is a timeless and historically significant lesson that gains new perspective in light of the evolving Vulcan history depicted in later series.

"Logic is the beginning of wisdom, not the end." - Spock

Star trek vi: the undiscovered country.

In the 1991 movie Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country , Spock is confronted with the reality that his protégé, Lt. Valeris (Kim Cattrell) , is conspiring against the Federation to sabotage diplomatic negotiations and assassinate the Klingon Chancellor. Spock's statement that " Logic is the beginning of wisdom, Valeris, not the end " is a profound message that reflects the idea that knowledge and understanding go beyond mere logic. Spock's own diverse experiences and interactions with a mostly Human crew and multiple other alien species undoubtedly shape his perspective, offering an informed insight that wisdom involves more than analysis and reasoning.

Spock's unique background as a Vulcan-human hybrid has given him a deeper understanding of the complexities of wisdom. Despite the long-standing internal struggle between his logical and emotional sides, Spock recognizes the importance of embracing both aspects to achieve true knowledge. Themes of unity and diversity resonate throughout the Star Trek universe , emphasizing the value of different perspectives in finding solutions and ultimately achieving peace.

All Star Trek series (except Star Trek: Prodigy) are available to stream on Paramount+.

Star Trek I-X (movies) are available to stream on Max.

Star Trek: The Original Series

Star trek: voyager, star trek: enterprise, star trek: discovery.

Star Trek: Discovery Gives a Classic Planet a Whole New Name

The latest episode of Star Trek: Discovery, "Unification III," reveals that a classic planet from the franchise has a new name in the 32nd century.

WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Star Trek: Discovery Season 3, Episode 7, "Unification III," now streaming on CBS All Access.

In the third season of Star Trek: Discovery , the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery is discovering a whole new universe after being transported to the 32nd century. In their short time there so far, they've already learned of a few drastic changes: the Burn took out all dilithium-powered spaceships , the Federation is now only a fraction of its former self and life among the stars has become lawless in certain places. And  in the series' latest episode , the surprises keep coming. Indeed, as Burnham goes on a mission to collect more data to help her solve the mystery of the Burn, it's revealed Vulcan has a new name.

RELATED: Star Trek: Burnham Finally Takes Command Of The Discovery

After discovering that the Burn might not have been a simultaneous event as previously believed, Michael needs the data from an experimental technology that is currently out of the Federation's hands. The data belongs to the Romulans and the Vulcans, two alien races with common ancestry that have now been unified. Having the Vulcans and the Romulans make peace was one of Ambassador Spock's dream , and it's now a reality in the 32nd century. However, this unification has lead to some unexpected changes. With the two alien races now one, the planet Vulcan became Ni'Var. What's more, Ni'Var is, like Earth , no longer a part of the Federation.

Ni'Var stands apart from the Federation, and it's at odds with the space-faring organization. Michael spends most of "Unification III" trying to convince the people of Ni'Var to once again trust in the Federation so as to complete her brother's dream. When the episode comes to a close, Ni'Var may not be part of the Federation once more, but at least it's open to the idea, and the future looks bright for a new alliance.

RELATED: Star Trek: Discovery - Burnham May Have Just Made A Dangerous New Enemy

As Spock's home world, Vulcan has long been part of the Star Trek franchise and is one of the most popular and well-known alien planets. These changes in name, population and attachment to the Federation are all major, showing how much things have changed in the future for both better and worse.

Streaming on CBS All Access, Star Trek: Discovery stars Sonequa Martin-Green as Commander Michael Burnham, Doug Jones as Commander Saru, Anthony Rapp as Lt. Commander Paul Stamets, Mary Wiseman as Ensign Sylvia Tilly, Wilson Cruz as Dr. Hugh Culber, David Ajala as Cleveland "Book" Booker, Blu del Barrio as Adira, Ian Alexander as Gray, Tig Notaro as Chief Engineer Reno and Michelle Yeoh as Philippa Georgiou. New episodes of Season 3 air on Thursdays.

KEEP READING: Star Trek: Discovery Drops Another Major Clue About The Burn

"Star Trek: Discovery" makes a case for Michael Burnham as the last great Starfleet captain

Our "discovery" protagonist was never going to have it easy. the start of her last run solidifies her greatness, by melanie mcfarland.

Michael Burnham's " Star Trek " journey was destined to be among the franchise's toughest and most complex. Some of us knew this from the moment Sonequa Martin-Green was cast to play her, especially Black women who are sci-fi geeks. We have never been few, but until recently, we were far less visible than we are now.

To some, this visibility symbolizes everything that has supposedly gone wrong with this franchise and others. The reach of " Star Trek: Discovery " goes even further by assembling a truly inclusive cast that blew apart the original series' longstanding heteronormativity.

All this further angered culture war trolls and self-appointed arbiters of what is so-called "real" "Star Trek." These people have a vested interest in downvoting any such divergences from what has gone before.

Mainly it was — as it continues to be — the purists who wrote off "Discovery" as "not Trek" during  its first season in 2017 . Looking back from its final season — and from the perspective of Burnham's 900-year journey — we can say that despite how its thematic shading looked to us then , "Discovery" never abandoned Gene Roddenberry's optimism . It has simply evolved its interpretation.

In the first season, not even Burnham would believe this to hold true. A human raised on Vulcan by Spock's  father, Sarek, and as his sister, Burnham earns her first officer role through superior conduct and logic, divorcing herself from sentiment.

Burnham's smug sense of rectitude gets her superior officer killed. She is charged with mutiny, stripped of her rank and sentenced to life in prison.

From there, she stops a rogue galactic A.I. from annihilating the Federation and leaps nine centuries into the future (thereby largely freeing herself and the show from restrictive canon) to find a universe where Starfleet as it used to be is a dream, and the Federation and its ideals are broken.

"Discovery's" swansong season finds Burnham in the year 3191, with enough of the Federation's trust to take on a highly classified mission alongside Captain Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie), who has already earned the same commendations as Kirk and Picard. His reputation precedes him, in other words. Their quest relates to a Picard-era discovery that Starfleet fears can be used to eradicate all humanoid life in the universe.

"Discovery" never abandoned Gene Roddenberry's optimism. It has simply evolved its interpretation. 

Their success should place her on par with the greats, an honor that showrunner Michelle Paradise and the show's co-creator Alex Kurtzman have been driving toward all this time.

Some indicators of that goal aren't as obvious as others, like the sequence in which Rayner defies Burnham during an away mission, trusting in his overconfidence instead of her strategic acumen. His snap judgment endangers a planet's civilian population, leaving her to fix the crisis he has created.

Women watching this — especially Black women, I would wager — might have experienced a slight rage triggering in their soul that was mollified by Burnham pulling the very Obama-esque move of asking Rayner to replace her trusted friend Saru (Doug Jones) as her first officer. (The job was coming open, anyway; Saru is shifting into diplomacy mode and getting married.)

This is the move of a great leader. Then again, like Kate Mulgrew's long underappreciated Captain Janeway, it may not be appreciated by the fandom for many, many years.

Burnham's arc contradicts what we know about the great Starfleet captains profiled in this franchise, most of whom are white and male.

Burnham's arc contradicts what we know about the great Starfleet captains profiled in this franchise, most of whom are white and male, though if that were the extent of what differentiates her from the rest, it would barely be worth mentioning.

Records of their histories come to us as snippets of dialogue from secondary characters or contextualizing conversations from what the official logs have to say about past missions. We hear about who served under whom, granting legitimacy to the likes of, say, Christopher Pike to claim the captain's chair long before Anson Mount made us ecstatic to see that happen.

Burnham's path to the helm's command begins with what should be a life- and career-ending mistake. It's constantly defined by humility and doubt. No one is harder on Burnham than she is on herself — and nobody takes as many risks with their career or reputation to keep their crew alive. Her optimism is one guided by the hope that all obstacles can be overcome and all outcomes are possible, including for herself.

Despite all of this, it will take a lot of convincing for some people to consider Burnham among the top ranks of Starfleet captains in those occasional fan polls that tend to place Jean-Luc Picard or James T. Kirk in the top positions, though Captain Pike has offered stiff competition since "Strange New Worlds" first aired.

But our relatively newfound love of Pike and that show wouldn't be possible without "Discovery" venturing into the unmapped asteroid field that is the public's willingness to boldly go back to a dormant franchise in a wildly disunified era.

This doesn't merely refer to the role of "Discovery" introducing Mount's Pike, in addition to launching every other new "Trek" spinoff along with the streaming service currently known as Paramount+ . It did all this along with shouldering the more precarious mission of serving as the franchise's vanguard in a cynical age.

If you love "Lower Decks" and "Strange New Worlds," this is in part due to the producers' listening to the fandom's programming desires accordingly. Notice, for example, how unlike the first season of "Picard"  is from the third . Initially, "Picard" tried to do something different with the beloved character. It ended his adventures by reassembling the band for the spectacular last ride their films denied them. The new "Star Trek" series have a goal of delivering something for everyone, including kids. "Discovery" helped its custodians figure that out.

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And if you love "Discovery," its devotion to showcasing those who long felt unseen in this franchise may kindle that affection. "Discovery" gave us an Asian woman as a Starship captain in Michelle Yeoh's Philippa Georgiou and a happily married duo to root for in Wilson Cruz's Dr. Hugh Culber in Anthony Rapp's Paul Stamets.

It introduced Tig Notaro in its second season as Jett Reno, a decision for which everyone should be grateful. The third gave us the franchise's first transgender and non-binary characters in Ian Alexander's Trill Gray and Blu del Barrio's Adira Tal.

Through it all, we have also entirely fallen for Mary Wiseman's Sylvia Tilly, a woman who also knew a few things about self-doubt and, therefore, values being understood.

What some would cite as humanizing traits, others might write off as maudlin, along with the fact that Burnham was able to experience a fully realized love affair that began with a partnership of equals with a courier named Booker (David Ajala).

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It's only one of the many ways that "Discovery" is consciously disparate from "Star Trek" as we have long known it, daring to change everything from the look of the Klingons to its star character's role in igniting a war between them and the United Federation of Planets.

That was then. Hundreds of years after that moment, Captain Burnham has figured herself out, proving to the many who doubted her that she deserves to be there.

She has traveled the longest road through imposter syndrome of any Starfleet captain — most of a millennium, actually — and we have witnessed every major moment that forged her. Burnham may never win the major "Star Trek" popularity contests for favorite captains, but without a doubt, she's the last great one we may ride with in this universe.

New episodes of "Star Trek: Discovery" stream Thursdays on Paramount +.

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Melanie McFarland is Salon's award-winning senior culture critic. Follow her on Twitter: @McTelevision

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