A - F | G - P | Q - Z
Quadrotriticale
Artificially generated by crew. A "supervariant" of the hybrid grain known as triticale. Triticale is naturally occurring.
- TOS: The Trouble With Tribbles - Kirk and crew were charged with protecting a shipment of quadrotriticale against Klingon sabotage. Matters were made worse when the tribbles found their way into the grain stores.
- DS9: Trials and Tribble-ations - Same.
Quantum Filament
Naturally occuring. An elongated subatomic object, hundreds of meters long, but possessing almost no mass.
- TNG: Disaster - Caused damage to the ship. Troi asked O'Brien if a quantum filament was a kind of cosmic string; O'Brien said it was something completely different.
Retinox
Artificially generated by crew. Used to improve eyesight.
- Movie: The Wrath of Khan - In the beginning of the movie, McCoy gives Kirk a set of bifocals for his birthday since Kirk is allergic to retinox 5.
Riboviroxicnucleic Acid
Naturally occuring. Like DNA, except the number of riboviroxicnucleic acid structures increase as the biological organism ages. In other words, without these structures, we wouldn't be able to "grow up."
- TNG: Rascals - Beverly noticed that several riboviroxicnucleic acid structures were missing in Picard, Ro, Guinan, and Keiko. Their original structures were taken from past physical exams and loaded into the Transporter Buffer to allow the four to regain their "adult" age.
Ritalin
Naturally occuring. A mineral.
- TOS: Requiem for Methesulah - The crew needed it to combat an epidemic on another planet.
Roginium
Naturally occuring. Hardest substance known to science.
- TOS: Balance of Terror - Found in the debris of Earth Outpost 4, after it was destroyed by the Romulans.
Rubindium
Origin unknown. A nontoxic crystalline substance.
- TOS: Patterns Of Force - Rubindium crystals are component elements of Starfleet subcutaneous transponders. Kirk and Spock have these monitoring devices inserted into them, but upon capture they use the crystals to generate a primitive laser.
Salskinum
Origin unknown. Can alter molecular structure when it comes into contact with glass and exist in a nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere.-
- TNG: Hollow Pursuits - Salskinum was not the particle that caused the malfunctions aboard the enterprise. LaForge said: "...yeah, we'd all be dead by now. That leaves Salskinum and Invidium"
Sarium
Origin unknown. Can store large amounts of energy.
- TNG: In Theory - Sarium was mentioned as being vital to the engines of Federation shuttlecraft.
Scalosian Water
Naturally occuring. Causes metabolic acceleration, such that anyone who drinks it begins moving extremely quickly.
- TOS: Wink of an Eye - Deela placed the Scalosian water in Kirk's coffee, so as to accelerate him to her "level."
Selanogen
Naturally occuring. A substance, as carbon is, upon which a form of life is based.
- TNG: Schisms - Trans-dimensional creatures who were abducting members of the crew for medical experimentation were thought by Commander Data to be "selanogen based" and had to create "pockets" in our universe upon which to survive for short periods of time. These pockets can be detected by their emissions of tetryon particles.
Selgnineam
Origin unknown. Highly toxic; can alter molecular structure when it comes in contact with glass and exists in a nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere. (Try spelling it backwards! This was confirmed by one of the writers at a con.)
- TNG: Hollow Pursuits - It was ruled out as the reason that the injectors were locked. LaForge said, "... yeah, we'd all be dead by now. That leaves Salskinum and Invidium."
Serotonin
Naturally occuring. A neurotransmitter. In real life, helps the human brain maintain mental equilibrium.
- Voyager: The Gift - An increased level of serotonin in Kes' brain leads to her psychokinetic abilities.
Soliton Wave
In real life, a wave whose energy doesn't diminish. (More complicated than that, but that's the basic idea.) In Star Trek, an artificially generated subspace effect capable of propelling vessels at warp speeds.
- TNG: New Ground - Enterprise participates in a test of their use as a propulsion system.
Sorium
Origin unknown. An explosive compound.
- DS9: The Nagus - Used in Ferengi locator bomb intended to kill Quark.
Sporocystain
Naturally occuring. The Caretaker and his race were sporocystain based lifeforms.
- Voyager: Cold Fire - Janeway and the crew tracked down the Caretaker's mate by detecting the sporocystain energy matrix the mate was composed of.
Static Warp Bubble
Artificially generated by crew. An anomaly which creates a new universe whose nature can be affected by the individual trapped inside.
- TNG: Remember Me - Beverly was stuck in one and Wesley and the Traveler had to get her out.
Steelplast
Artificially generated by aliens. A construction material.
- TNG: Too Short a Season - In the tunnels of Mordan IV, the away team ran into a dead end, where a tunnel used to be. Geordi's visor indicated the sealant as steelplast, which was recently installed.
Styrolite
Artificially generated by crew. A non-opaque particle used in packaging. It is biologically sterile and can be used to package potentionaly biologically hazardous substances.
- TNG: Unnatural Selection - To contain a person in suspended animation for medical examination without threat of contagion.
Synthehol
Artificially generated by aliens. An alcohol substitute invented by the Ferengi that permits one to enjoy the intoxicating effects of alcoholic beverages without the deleterious effects.
- TNG: Relics - Mr. Scott found syntheholic scotch a poor substitute for the real thing.
Tachyon
Artificially generated by crew. A FTL (or subspace) particle. (Postulated by some real physics theories.)
- TNG: Redemption, Part II - To detect cloaked Romulan ships.
- TNG: All Good Things - An "inverse tachyon beam" was used to probe a space-time anomaly, and ultimately resulted in its creation.
- TNG: Face of the Enemy - When told by a disguised Troi to cross the Neutral Zone, Commander Toreth opposed by speculating that the Federation may have set up a tachyon net (similar to the one used in Redemption, Part II) to detect Romulan ships crossing the neutral zone.
- DS9: Explorers - Naturally occurring eddies of them propelled Sisko's Bajoran sailing ship into warp.
Talgonite
Artificially generated by aliens. A ceramic substance.
- TNG: The Inner Light - Used in the construction of the Kataan probe.
Tantalus Field
Artificially generated by aliens. Causes disruption of matter, like a phaser, but can be formed at a distance. In Greek mythology, Tantalus was a king who served the flesh of his son to the gods; he was punished with eternal thirst and hunger.
- TOS: Mirror, Mirror - The anti-Kirk had a Tantalus field generator in his quarters, and used it to eliminate his rivals without revealing that he was behind their disappearance.
Tellerium
Origin unknown. Crystal used to stabilize the harmonic reactions inside the dilithium chamber of Voyager's matter/antimatter power reactor.
- Voyager: Resistance - Janeway is wounded while Tuvok and Torres are taken prisoners by the Mokra, a tyrannical military regime, during a desperate expedition to find tellerium.
Temporal Wake
Artificially generated by aliens. Side effect of time travel; can cause nearby objects to shift in time along with the ship that's generating a temporal distortion. Objects in a temporal wake exist outside a linear timeline.
- Movie: First Contact - The Enterprise rode the Borg sphere's temporal wake into the past to keep them from destroying Earth's future. The wake also prevented the Enterprise from ceasing to exist due to the Borg's attack on the Phoenix.
Terminium
Origin unknown. A metal alloy.
- Movie: The Search for Spock - Used in casing of photon torpedoes.
Terracon
Artificially generated by aliens. Nature unknown.
- TNG: Gambit - Whilst searching through the stolen artifacts, Captain Picard used the decay profile of terracon particles in the pieces to search for the Stone of Gol.
Terrion
Artificially generated by aliens.
- TNG: Tapestry - A compressed terrion beam "mortally" wounded Picard at the beginning of the episode.
Tetralubisol
Origin unknown. Highly volatile lubricant used on starships.
- TOS: The Conscience of the King - Lenore Karidian attempted to kill Kevin Riley by poisoning his milk with tetralubisol.
Tetryon
Artificially generated by aliens. Subspace particle; shouldn't be found in normal space. (Possibly spelled "tetrion;" I'm using the spelling Tim Lynch used in his synopses.)
- TNG: Schisms - Evidence of the alien abductions.
- DS9: Blood Oath - Klingon disruptor banks modulated to emit tetryon particles and deactivate the Albino's phasers
- DS9: Visionary - Sisko told the Romulan delegation that they had traced the tetryon emissions from an orbiting Warbird poised to attack the station.
- DS9: The Die is Cast - Commander Eddington sabotaged the tetryon compositor in the Defiant's cloaking device.
- Voyager: Caretaker - A coherent tetryon beam was used by the Caretaker to scan Voyager.
- TNG: Suspicions - Jo'Brill had been exposed to a tetryon field just before his death in the metaphasic shielded shuttle.
Thalium
Naturally occuring. Thalium compound is found in rocks. It interferes with Federation sensors.
- TNG: Who Watches the Watchers - The Enterprises sensor were unable to locate Palmer, one of the scientists that was assigned to the Mintaka III duckblind. As a result of his falling out of the duckblind due to an explosion, he could not be found. Data speculated this could be due to thalium compound in the surrounding rock face.
Thoron
Naturally occuring. Radioactive isotope by-product from the decay of thorium. Thorium is also known as radon-220.
- DS9: If Wishes Were Horses - Elevated thoron emissions accompanied the appearance of aliens in the Denorios Belt.
- DS9: The Emissary - A thoron field was used as a shield against Cardassian sensors by the crew of DS9 to hide the true strength of the station.
Titanium
Naturally occuring. Naturally occurring element, present in limited quantities on Earth. Used in alloys to strengthen metal and in the construction of the "Blackbird" spyplane.
- Movie: First Contact - Picard told Lily Sloane that the Enterprise-E was constructed primarily of titanium. Lily responded with astonishment, claiming that it had taken her months just to gather together enough titanium for a four-meter square cockpit for Zefram Cochrane's Warp Drive test ship, the Phoenix.
Total Conversion Ray
Artificially generated by aliens. When aimed at a distant point, produces an explosion comparable to a nuclear blast.
- TAS: - Part of a spy device that Sulu and party recovered in the animated series.
Transparent Aluminum
Artificially generated by crew. Just what the name implies, an invisible metal.
- Movie: The Voyage Home - Scotty showed a scientist how to make it, in exchange for a supply of plexiglas to build a whale tank.
Trianium
Artificially generated by aliens. Used in fusion-based power sources.
- Voyager: The '37s - Kim and Chakotay located the alien stasis chamber by tracking down trianium readings.
Triceron
Origin unknown. An explosive compound.
- TNG: Reunion - Used in the bomb that exploded during the Sonchi ceremony.
Tricobalt
Origin unknown. Presumably something to do with three cobalt atoms.
- Voyager: Caretaker - A tricobalt weapon was used to destroy the Caretaker's array to prevent the Kazon from getting their hands on it.
- TOS: A Taste of Armageddon - While the Enterprise was in orbit it was classified destroyed by a tricobalt satellite explosion in the war which is carried on by computers between Eminiar 7 and Vendecar.
Tricyanate
Naturally occuring. A toxic, inorganic substance which forms pink crystals. They are difficult and expensive to synthesize. Decontamination of tricyanate in a water supply requires the highly volatile hytritium.
- TNG: The Most Toys - Synthesized tricyanate crystals were used to poison the water supply at a Federation colony so that Lt. Cmdr. Data could be kidnapped by Kivas Fajo to add him to his collection of unique items.
Trigenic Vapor
Naturally occuring. Contains high levels of proteins and amino acids. It is a vital source of nutrition for specific alien species. At high levels, can cause severe humanoid skin irritation.
- Voyager: Parturition - An M class planet named "Planet Hell", whose atmosphere contains high levels of this gas, was encountered by Voyager in their search to replenish their food supplies.
Trilithium
Artificially generated by aliens. An advanced form of dilithium?
- Movie: ST:Generations - Used to collapse a star by dampening the energies in its core.
- TNG: Starship Mine - Terrorists attempted to steal a canister of trilithium resin to make a weapon.
- Voyager: The Chute - Paris and Kim are accused of planting a trilithium bomb in a crowded market. In fact, the bomb was placed by a brother and sister duo belonging to the Open Sky terrorist group.
Trillium 323
Naturally occuring. A mineral substance.
- TNG: The Price - Used as a bargaining tool in the Chrysalian bid for the Bazaran Wormhole.
Trimagnesite
Naturally occuring. A substance that reacts with trevium to produce non-visible, ultra violet radiation.
- TOS: Operation -- Annihilate! - Satellites containing trimagnesite and tritium were placed in orbit over the planet Deneva to destroy creatures that had taken over the bodies of the inhabitants. The ultra-violet radiation that they produced was found to be sufficient only after Spock was blinded by the full spectrum radiation that McCoy was testing. Of course, Vulcans have an extra set of eyelids.
Trinimbic Turbulence
Naturally occuring. An atmospheric phenomenon. Disruptive to transporter technology, Federation targeting systems and apparently too "turbulent" for a shuttle. In real life, -nimbus is a meteorological suffix indicating that a cloud produces rain.
- Voyager: The '37s - Prevents beaming to site of in-stasis humans; prevents use of shuttles, so Janeway decides to land Voyager instead. Prevents Voyager from assisting in a small-arms battle by interfering with the targeting systems.
Triolic Wave
Artificially generated by aliens. Byproduct of little used Energy production method. Harmful to most life.
- TNG: Times Arrow Pt.1 - Cave walls subjected to triolic waves, eventually pointing to inhabitants of Planet Davidia II.
Triox
Artificially generated by crew. Concentrated oxygen compound.
- TOS: Amok Time - Dr. McCoy said he was going to give Kirk a shot of triox compound to make up for the low level of oxygen in Vulcan's atmosphere.
Tritanium
Origin unknown. Extremely hard substance used in construction of starship hulls. 21.4 times as hard as diamond.
- TNG: Rascals - La Forge and O'Brien determine that "something" caused the tritanium to crumble in their hands while they examined the wreckage of the shuttle from which Picard and fellow shuttlers emerge as children.
- TNG: The Arsenal of Freedom - Found on Minos, a planet of former armaments dealers throughout the galaxy, by Cmdr. Data and Lt. Yar as a heap of scrap metal amidst thick foliage on the ground.
- TOS: Obsession - Kirk, Spock, and a security team (most of which ends up dead, natch) find a large deposit of it. Spock phasers off a sample, since it is too hard to cut with tools.
Tritium
Naturally occuring. A radioactive isotope of hydrogen with atoms of three times the mass of ordinary light hydrogen atoms
- TOS: Operation -- Annihilate! - (See trimagnesite.)
- DS9: Q-Less - Used by Dax and O'Brien to trace the origins of the gravimetric disturbances.
Tryptamine
Naturally occuring. Biological result of exposure to a temporal disturbance - indicated by elevated levels in the brain.
- TNG: All Good Things - Used by Dr. Crusher to determine whether Picard had actually been leaving the Enterprise as he claimed.
Ultritium
Origin unknown. Chemical explosive almost undetectable by transporter scanners.
- TNG: Manhunt - Used by the Antidean delegates in an attempted assassination of everyone at the Pacifica Conference of 2365.
- TNG: The Enemy - Used by Romulans aboard the ship Pi to self destruct at Galorndon Core.
- DS9: A Time to Stand - Sisko and Company use 90 kilograms of Ultritium concealed in empty containers to destroy a vital ketracel white depot deep in Cardassian Space.
Venderite
Naturally occuring. An extremely valuable element or mineral to the Ferengi.
- TNG: Rascals - Rogue Ferengi capture a Science team and the USS Enterprise crew to use them as slave laborers to mine for venderite.
Verdion
Naturally occuring. Generated in the cores or surfaces of White Dwarfs. I really wonder if the writers even know what a white dwarf is...
- TNG: Emergence - Made Living Organisms. As mentioned earlier was needed for the Enterprise to grow.
- TNG: The Pegasus - They used a wash of Vertion particles to hide the Pegasus from a Romulan ship.
Veridium
Artificially generated by crew. Can be detected at great distances, except through a magnetic shield.
- Movie: The Undiscovered Country - Spock places a veridium patch on Kirk's shoulder so the Enterprise can find them upon emergence from the magnetic shield.
Verteron
Artificially generated by aliens. Somehow damaging to sub-space equipment (not the same as 'vertion')
- TNG: Force of Nature - A generator of these, disguised as a buoy, is used by environmentalists to incapacitate several ships, including the Enterprise.
- DS9: Playing God - Threatened to destroy the proto-universe.
- Voyager: Eye of the Needle - Captain Janeway pointed out that there were "...verteron emanations, tunneling secondary particles. It certainly looks like a wormhole..."
- DS9: In The Hands of the Prophets - Keiko was explaining to her class at the beginning of the episode that this is what the Bajoran wormhole is made out of before Vedek Winn came in to complain about the absence of "creationist" theory in the classroom.
Victurium Alloy
Artificially generated by crew. A very dense metal alloy.
- TNG: Hero Worship - Large amounts of it blocked the transporter.
Virtual
Naturally occuring.
- TNG: The Loss - Caught the Enterprise in their drift towards a "cosmic string". Deprived Counselor Troi of her empathic abilities.
Warp Particle
Artificially generated by crew. Emitted by warp engines.
- Voyager: Parallax - Evidence of the Voyager's path in the singularity.
Warp Shell
Artificially generated by crew. A field generated by the Enterprise's engines to induce warp travel.
- TNG: All Good Things - Picard used static warp shells to seal the temporal rifts in the three time instances.
Wormholes
Naturally occuring. A subspace bridge or tunnel between two points in "normal" time and space. Most wormholes are extremely unstable and their end points fluctuate widely across time and space. An improperly balanced warp drive system can create an artificial wormhole that can pose a serious danger to the ship and its crew.
- DS9 - The only known stable wormhole, leading to the Gamma Quadrant, is right next to the station, lending DS9 its strategic importance to the Federation.
- TNG: The Price - The Enterprise-D encountered one and their mission was to study it.
- Movie: The Motion Picture - The Enterprise gets caught in a wormhole due to an warp engine imbalance.
Yominium Sulfide
Origin unknown. The name is derived from "Nimoy" spelled backwards.
- Movie: The Voyage Home - Spock recalls the chemical formula for yominium sulfide [K4Ym3(SO73Es2)] during a memory test during his re-education of Vulcan. The formula is inconsistent with that of a sulfide.
Z Particle
Artificially generated by aliens; also a real type of particle. Can mess up sensor and/or visual records. In real life: today's understanding puts particles into two basic categories, matter and exchange particles. Exchange particles are thrown kind of like Frisbees between matter particles as the generators of the forces. Photons mediate the electromagnetic force, gluons mediate the strong force, the graviton is proposed (not observed) to mediate the gravitational force. The weak force is mediated by the W+, W-, and Z0 particles.
- TNG: Devil's Due - Scientist on Ventax II station detected Z-particles coming from Ardra's ship.
- TNG: Identity Crisis - LaForge initiated a scan for "Z-Particle emissions" on the video recording of the Tarchannen III mission.
Zenite
Naturally occuring. A raw mineral from which a potent compound is derived by the Federation for use in stopping botanical plagues.
- TOS: Cloud Minders - Zenite in its naturally found state causes temporary mental impairment when its dust is breathed. Such an effect had profound social implications in separating the Troglite miners from the Stratus city dwellers, an issue which the crew of the Enterprise had to deal with.
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