Why the bloody hell does the Enterprise have a decompression chamber?

[LeftyMom]

Other than "to create a dramatic scene in Space Seed" I mean.

Any guesses?

[mainegreen]

1. Why, to shoot baddies out of silly.

It's part of the defense system.

[QueenOfCalifornia]

2. Haven't you ever heard of

the deadly space bends?

Ow! They really hurt.

[Fire Walk With Me]

3. What's worse. Television that doesn't make sense

or us trying to wish it into making sense?

[edbermac]

4. Yeah, a decompression chamber and not a goddamn bathroom in sight!

:wtf:

[MilesColtrane]

5. ...To study alien fauna that might wilt under higher pressure?

Either that, or McCoy needed it to conduct his evil, Mengele-type experiments in his quest to create a love slave.

[Gold Metal Flake]

6. They used it twice.

'Member that little twirling light reflection that made people's voices sound funny and it got into this female crew member that Scotty was pervin' all over for and they had to stuff her into the the chamber and pressurise it and something happened and then she was OK?

[Deja Q]

9. 'The Lights of Zetar' - season 3, co-written by Shari Lewis

Yes, THAT Shari Lewis.

It's got a few quibbles, but it's overall a strong story with some nice emotive set-pieces.

Mind you, to pressurize her after a certain point would crush her, and even that big pointy bra couldn't keep everything that far out...

[Gold Metal Flake]

10. Yes, I was just at Memory Alpha looking it up.

http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/The_Lights_of_Zetar

I had a major crush on Jan Shutan for a while there in my youth.



sigh

[Deja Q]

7. For various medical treatments not yet discovered?

Or if they have someone scuba diving on an oceanic world and come up too quickly, they can prevent the bends...

More likely the former, the original Trek (as with many elements of TNG) were foretelling...

[DS1]

8. It's Kirk's penis pump

[MilesColtrane]

11. Ooooooh Yeah

[Hand]

12. Insh'Allah. nt

[DarkTirade]

13. Why not?

They're encountering alien planets, many of which might have different atmospheric pressures. And they might want to do scientific experiments in zero-g, but with different atmospheric pressures.

Makes sense to have one about, even if it isn't used often.

[jmowreader]

14. They had to do SOMETHING to justify all the cost overruns

You don't think the government contractors who built the Enterprise were any different from the ones who built the C-17, now do you?

[struggle4progress]

15. They have a decompression chamber? Why am I always the last to know these things?

[evlbstrd]

16. Resale value?

[RushIsRot]

17. Those damned Halliburton No-Bid Contracts! Padded bills.