AboutDeran McKean Expertise I am a 35 year fan of all the incarnations of Star Trek from the original show to the newer incarnations, to the books, comics and toys. I can answer most questions regarding the storylines and characters including their non-screen histories.
Experience Thirty-five years of collecting Star Trek merchandise, pouring over the books, comics and attending a number of conventions
Education/Credentials I have a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology and an MBA
Question QUESTION: Rank the following lesser-known races in order from most powerful to least powerful:
A) Armus
B) Paxans
C) Tamarians
D) Aldeans
E) Sheliak
Rank them in order from most well-known (by the Federation)to least known.
Rank the following in terms of pure intelligence:
A) Think Tank
B) Augments from DS9
C) Data
D) Borg
(I did not include Cytherians as I assume they would be number 1 in this list.)
In Best of Both Worlds, the Enterprise fires an antimatter spread at the Borg Cube. Yet apparently there's no damage. Why?
What happens when changelings die? Do they 'melt away' or do they just remain in their bodily form?
ANSWER: Hi John -
I am not too familiar with the Paxans and their capabilities, but here goes.
Armus - Paxans - Sheliak - Aldeans - Tamarians
Pure Intelligence:
Borg - Think Tank - Data - Augments
The Borg question is an excellent one. Typically when matter meets anti-matter the two mutually annihilate one another. I suppose the Borg could have incorporated some type of energy shield (or the equivalent of the Enterprise's navigational deflectors) into the cube's design that shields it from particle attacks. In that case the shield would deflect or diffuse the anti-matter spread.
When Changelings die they do just 'melt away', their body fades somehow and nothing is left behind.
Hope that helps
D. -
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: I work nights. I get home around 6 (EST). That time you saw must have been from the West Coast.
Since matter and antimatter destroy each other in equivalent amounts, then how can a superior ship destroy a smaller ship with one shot?
I'm assuming this is because the initial destruction causes a chain reaction of sorts (like falling dominoes) through the smaller ship. Is this correct?
Batman and Spiderman vs. Superman
Batman and Spiderman vs. Flash
Can the Vorta hear as well as Data? Do the Vorta hear better or worse than Vulcans?
Answer Yuck! Hang in there I worked nights myself for many years! I feel your pain!
Okay - Your statement about matter and anti-matter is exactly correct, so, therefore, the superior ship would have to unleash enough anti-matter equivalent to, or in excess of the amount of matter in the target ship to destroy it.
It's possible that an anti-matter weapon (like a photon torpedo) could destroy a key area of a smaller starship (like the warp core) and cause secondary explosions that accelerate the damage, but to utterly destroy every atom of the target ship, the anti-matter would have to be equal or greater.
Your assumption about ancillary damage is right on the money!
Batman and Spiderman vs. Superman -
Again, in Batman #612 and 613 Batman was able to essentially defeat Superman on his own. Given that, I would say that he and Spidey would stand a better than average chance of taking down the Man-of-Steel.
Batman and Spiderman vs. Flash -
Given Flash's incredible speed he should theoretically be able to defeat both the other heroes in seconds. However, I still bet Batman could come up with something to even the odds as he did when he took on Superman.
I am guessing that the Vorta hear pretty well and navigate using some innate type of 'ground penetrating radar' or equivalent. I liken them to the moles of this planet, who don't see very well at all, but who can hear and smell to fantastic extents. Given that I would guess that the Vorta do hear better than the Vulcans and have auditory capabilities that allow them to pick up differing sounds all along the auditory range.
As for the Vorta vs. Data's hearing, that's a tough one.
Though Data's hearing is no doubt exceptional, I would guess that his auditory apparatus is ideally suited to hearing sounds in Class M atmospheres. I am guessing that the Vorta's 'ears' are designed to hear through solid rock, magma, dirt, foundations etc.
In this case I don't think it’s a matter of who can hear better since both beings are designed to pick up certain sounds in differing environments. It's kinda like saying which is faster, a crocodile or a bird?
Both are ideally suited to traveling through their native environments and sure, a definitive measure of miles per hour vs. knots per hour could be made, but such a comparison is so full of exeptions that it’s often hard to positively define.
