User:Bp/Because it's a TV show

The real answer to all those questions.

Collectively:
 * 1) It is made up; not an actual series of events, or system, or technology
 * 2) It is not actually the future, it is the 20th century pretending to be the future
 * 3) Large numbers of people are involved in production and any of them could change something
 * 4) Cost
 * 5) Objective is to entertain/tell a story/relate an idea
 * 6) Times and attitudes change
 * 7) Real technology changes
 * 8) Real events happen in the time after production but before the 22nd century

Examples

 * Why do they all speak English and look human?
 * Do you want to read all the alien dialog in subtitles?


 * Why does that ship look exactly like the ship from accross the galaxy? Or, that alien looks just like an alien from across the galaxy?
 * TV has a relatively limited budget and models are too expensive to only use once.


 * In, when Geordi is missing, why don't thy turn off the simulation instead of searching the holo-forest?
 * It is a more dramatic reveal of the missing object.


 * Why are characters constantly explaining simple things to each other?
 * They are actually explaining to the viewers.


 * In, why does the future interactive network use channel numbers instead of URLs? Didn't the producers know about the internet?
 * Yes, they knew, but many viewers didn't. They chose a more widely known system to relate to more viewers.


 * How does Bashir,O'Brien,Sisko,etc. pay Quark if the Federation has no money?
 * Like most any ideology taken to the extreme, the pure Humanism of the early TNG years didn't work. So, they changed things. Don't over think it.


 * Why didn't the Borg assimilate Vulcan instead of Earth in ? Why didn't they travel back in time before crossing the Galaxy so the Federation wouldn't know they were coming? Why didn't they just send more than one cube and do it the old fashioned non-time-travel way?
 * Ok, First Contact was a senseless movie, but Roger Ebert gave it two thumbs way up and said it was exciting adventure. So thats why.

More examples
The answers can be found at the top of this page.


 * In, why is ground combat low tech? Where are the power suits, or at least more practical uniforms? In , why does an orbital bombardment of giant green blobs do so little damage on the ground in Montana? Why do they often fight with swords in Star Trek?


 * Why don't they ever have to wait for the elevator?


 * Why do they beam people directly to the bridge? Why don't they beam people directly to wherever more often?


 * How do the communicators know who someone wants to talk to before they say the person's name? If it functions like a radio channel, why don't we ever hear traffic that isn't directed at someone on screen?