llap meaning star trek

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Star Trek terminology: A beginner’s guide to acronyms

December 15, 2021 by Philip Bates Leave a Comment

One of the first things you need to know about Star Trek terminology is that there are a lot of acronyms. A lot. And they’re not all simple. Doctor Who is easy: “TARDIS” stands for “Time And Relative Dimension In Space.” No, Star Trek has complex engineering and story-specific abbreviations like “M/ARA”, which means “Matter/ Antimatter Reaction Assembly.”

It can all be a bit intimidating, especially if you’re new to the worlds of Trek and don’t know your TNG from your LLAP. Fortunately, you don’t need to know them all. In fact, your enjoyment shouldn’t be inhibited whatsoever. But if you’re invested in Trek , you deserve an easy way into this sometimes-scary encyclopaedia of terms.

So here’s a brief beginner’s guide to acronyms and abbreviations commonly used by the Star Trek fandom.

What does Star Trek: TOS mean?

Here’s the perfect place to begin.

The ingenuous thing about Trek is that it spans the generations – and in doing so, spans numerous incarnations too. That results in a vast number of ideas, but it can cause a problem because fans need to quickly refer to specific TV shows. Hence “ST: TOS.”

“ST” obviously means Star Trek , and “TOS” simply means “ The Original Series, ” i.e. the three-season show that ran from 1966 to 1969, and starred William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy , DeForest Kelley, and more.

This was even referenced in Star Trek: Lower Decks . Commander Jack Ransom mentions the “TOS” era, and when questioned over its meaning, he slyly says the acronym stands for “Those Old Scientists.” Nicely done, Trek writers!

What does Star Trek: TNG mean?

“TNG” is one of the most famous pieces of Star Trek terminology – and stands for one of its best-loved shows too: The Next Generation , which featured Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard at the helm of the USS Enterprise between 1987 and 1994.

What does Star Trek: DS9 mean?

TNG proved so popular that another Trek series came about in 1993 and ran until 1999: Deep Space Nine , commonly referred to as “DS9” in Star Trek terminology.

Unlike previous iterations of Star Trek , this series was named after the space station that served as the main setting for the programme. From Deep Space Nine, Starfleet could explore the Gamma Quadrant via the Bajoran wormhole located nearby, thus giving viewers wider horizons than the premise might otherwise hint at.

What does Star Trek: VOY mean?

“VOY” means “ Voyager ,” the successful series that ran from 1995, following the cancellation of The Next Generation , and so proved an accompaniment to Deep Space Nine .

What does Star Trek: ENT mean?

You’ll probably have already worked out, based on the standard abbreviations formula within Star Trek terminology (and with some knowledge of Star Trek ‘s most famous ship) that “ENT” is short for “ Enterprise .”

ENT was a prequel to TOS and ran from 2001 (the year Voyager concluded) to 2005.

What is the acronym for Star Trek: Discovery?

In Star Trek terminology, the acronyms apply to all series and even movies, so yes, Star Trek: Discovery (2017 – present) has its own abbreviations. In fact, all the latest crop of Trek incarnations do: Lower Decks is “LD”; Picard is “PIC”; and Prodigy is “PROD”.

And Discovery is “DSC.” However, if you’re talking about it, it’s probably easiest to just call it “DISCO,” same as it is referring to Voyager by its name. These abbreviations are typically used in Star Trek terminology when discussing the wider universe of adventures. Let’s say you’re talking about how the Enterprise appears across different programmes: cite mentions as “(TOS),” “(ENT),” or “(DSC)” – and yes, you generally do so using brackets.

What does LLAP mean in Star Trek terminology?

But obviously, acronyms aren’t just useful when talking about TV series and movies. So “LLAP,” which you might’ve seen emblazoned on posters, clothing, stationery, and more Star Trek products doesn’t actually mention a particular show at all.

In Star Trek terminology, “LLAP” means “Live Long And Prosper,” Spock’s famous saying from TOS. It’s more often than not accompanied by the Vulcan salute; that is, a “V” shape formed using your fingers. You know the one.

It’s a phrase we love so much, we put it on an exclusively-designed knitted scarf – the full “Live Long And Prosper,” not the “LLAP” version, because we want to spread that inclusive message beyond even the massive Trek fandom.

What does IDIC mean in Star Trek terminology?

Here’s another piece of Star Trek terminology we thought was iconic enough to grace our Trek line of products , although you might not know it from the acronym “IDIC,” or even from the full, uncondensed version: “Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations”.

No, you’ll recognise it as the symbol that looks like a silver or grey pyramid pointing into a circle.

It’s known in the Vulcan language as Kol-Ut-Shan. Its philosophical meaning translates across all linguistic boundaries. In ‘Is There in Truth no Beauty?’ (TOS), Miranda and Spock say that “the glory of creation is in its infinite diversity,” and “the ways our differences combine to create meaning and beauty.”

What does GNDN mean in Star Trek terminology?

There are loads of acronyms to learn – perhaps too many. This is only the start of a Trek voyage, and there’s always time to find out more. And so, for now, we’ve saved the best to last.

You might have spotted the “GNDN” label on pipes throughout the original USS Enterprise in TOS. Pipes running through the walls had set colour combinations and coding designations, which helped build up the intricate depth of details put into the ships. And while many did have actual meanings, “GNDN” is really an in-joke. In the TOS Season 2 DVD special feature, Designing the Final Frontier , set designer John Jefferies, finally revealed what this acronym means.

“GNDN” simply means “Goes Nowhere, Does Nothing.”

It’s a brilliant gag, and so unlikely for a show whose horizons stretch out, “to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations – to boldly go where no man has gone before!”

What is your favourite piece of Star Trek terminology? Are there any fun in-jokes that always crack you up? Let us know in the comments section and on social media!

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What does LLAP stand for?

Live long and prosper

If you’re chatting with a Star Trek fan and they end the conversation with LLAP , it means they’re wishing you to “live long and prosper.” This abbreviation is a shortened form of the well-known catchphrase of Spock, a popular character from Star Trek.

The phrase “live long and prosper” is often accompanied by a specific hand gesture in person, known as the Vulcan salute. This special hand sign has become synonymous with the Star Trek franchise and its fans, also known as Trekkies.

When used in text messages or online, the abbreviation LLAP might be followed by an emoji that mimics the Vulcan salute. If you see LLAP followed by a hand emoji, you can be sure that it stands for “live long and prosper”.

Example for using ‘LLAP’ in a conversation

Hey, did you catch the latest Star Trek episode?

Of course! LLAP 🖖

Related Slang Words You Might Be Interested In

On this page, we explain what LLAP means. We also show you how to use it with some examples. It’s a small part of the big world of slang, and now you know a bit more about it.

If you find any inaccuracy in the meaning/explanation, please do not hesitate to let us know . Let's make the web better for everyone - one slang at a time. 🙂

What Is #LLAP, Other Than The Saddest Hashtag Ever?

#LLAP is something you’re probably seeing a lot of today if you’ve logged on to Twitter in the last few hours.

While the people who are sharing this now-trending hashtag know what’s up, you may be racking your brain trying to figure out what it could mean.

Well, other than being, on this day, one of the saddest hashtag trends ever, it stands for “Live Long and Prosper,” and it’s how the now late Leonard Nimoy used to sign off on every one of his tweets.

Nimoy died on Friday at the age of 83 . Reports like this one from the New York Times indicate that the cause of death was COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The disease is characterized by poor airflow and typically gets worse over time. According to Nimoy’s Twitter feed, he quit smoking 30 years ago, but it was “too late.”

(Tobacco smoking is the primary cause of COPD, according to the COPD website .)

As for #LLAP, pretty much anyone who’d ever watched and fallen in love with Star Trek: The Original Series , were using it to express their grief at the passing of Nimoy.

At the forefront of these expressions of grief is Dani, Leonard’s grandchild, who posted the following to Nimoy’s Twitter feed.

“Hi all, as you all know, my Grandpa passed away this morning at 8:40 from end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He was an extraordinary man, husband, grandfather, brother, actor, author-the list goes on- and friend. Thank you for the warm condolences. May you all LLAP. – Dani P.s. I will be putting special shirts up on our site, SHOPLLAP.com, where all of the proceeds will go to the COPD Foundation. I hope to hear from you all.”

Others followed suit.

@TheRealNimoy I’m very sorry for your loss, Dani! I felt honoured to be one of his honorary grandchildren. He’ll always be remembered! LLAP — Ghost 7 (@Ghost_7) February 27, 2015

@TheRealNimoy you shall be not forgotten #RIP #LLAP — Christian Bartusch (@x3opyo) February 27, 2015

@TheRealNimoy A true legend died today, He will always be in our hearts, my condolences to you and the rest of your family :'( #LLAP — Niall Hope (@fester112) February 27, 2015

So that’s the story on what #LLAP is, for those of you who hit the search engines looking. On behalf of the Inquisitr , Live Long And Prosper, Mr. Nimoy, you are already missed.

What was your favorite Leonard Nimoy moment? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

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Vulcan salute

• View history

A Vulcan salute ( Star Trek: First Contact )

The Vulcan salute was a hand gesture used by Vulcans . It involved holding the palm of one hand outwards while placing the fingers in a "V" shaped by separating the middle and ring fingers, while keeping the others together, with the thumb extended.

• 2.1 Appearances
• 2.2.1 Origins
• 2.2.2 Serialization
• 2.2.3 Influence and other usage
• 2.3 External links

A statuette of Surak performing a version of the Vulcan salute

The salute was part of both Vulcan greetings and farewells. The formal phrase associated with the salute in both cases was " Live long and prosper. " ( Star Trek: First Contact ; TOS : " Amok Time ")

When parties took their leave of each other, one party could use the phrase " Peace and long life " and would receive " Live long and prosper " as a reply. ( TOS : " Is There in Truth No Beauty? ", " The Savage Curtain "; Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home ; TNG : " Sarek ", " Unification I "; Star Trek Beyond ) Alternately, each party could simply state to the other " Live long and prosper, (name). " ( TOS : " Amok Time "; Star Trek: Voyager various episodes)

In the Vulcan language , " Live long and prosper " was pronounced " Dif-tor heh smusma. " ( Star Trek: The Motion Picture )

In diplomatic situations, the greeting used was " I/We (depending on situation) come to serve, " possibly prefaced by the statement of the initiators' name. The response was " Your service honors us. " ( TOS : " Journey to Babel "; TNG : " Data's Day ", " Sarek ", " Unification I ")

In 2151 , a statuette of Surak performing the Vulcan salute with both hands was displayed aboard the Vahklas , a Vulcan ship. Unlike other Vulcan salutes, Surak's hands were not held upright. ( ENT : " Fusion ")

In February 2152 , Vulcan Ambassador V'Lar wished Sub-Commander T'Pol goodbye with the phrase " Live long and prosper. " T'Pol, however, bowed in response. ( ENT : " Fallen Hero ")

Spock shows McCoy how to do the salute

Several Humans greeted Vulcans with the hand gesture, including Captain Jonathan Archer in 2154 ( ENT : " Kir'Shara ") and Captain Jean-Luc Picard in 2368 . ( TNG : " Unification I ") T'Pol taught Trip Tucker the salute when she took him to Vulcan to meet her mother , T'Les . ( ENT : " Home ") Zefram Cochrane tried and failed to perform it in 2063 , during First Contact ; he settled on a handshake instead. ( Star Trek: First Contact ) Michael Burnham learned the salute from her brother, Spock, as a child. ( DIS : " Perpetual Infinity ") When Leonard McCoy attempted to perform the salute, he said it hurt worse than having to wear his dress uniform . ( TOS : " Journey to Babel ") The saying was quite well-known among those in Starfleet – in 2375 , trapped in the Delta Flyer under layers of rock, two minutes before the air would run out, Tuvok told Tom Paris , " In accepting the inevitable, one finds peace, " to which Paris responded that, if this was another Vulcan axiom, he would stick to " Live long and prosper. " Fortunately, Paris had barely finished the sentence when he was interrupted by the sound of USS Voyager 's phaser drills breaking through the rock , and those on board the Delta Flyer were safely beamed back to the ship. ( VOY : " Once Upon a Time ")

As a practical joke , Tom Paris and Harry Kim once reprogrammed Tuvok's security console so that it said, " Live long and prosper " whenever he accessed the internal sensors . They also reprogrammed his replicator the same way. ( VOY : " Revulsion ")

Ensigns Beckett Mariner and Brad Boimler occasionally used the gesture as a sarcastic jest with each other, or with other people. This is done by performing the gesture, then swinging that arm up and down by the elbow. ( LD : " Moist Vessel ", " Terminal Provocations ")

In 2383 , Dal R'El mistook the gesure for a high five when a hologram of Spock saluted him after he took Kobayashi Maru test multiple times. ( PRO : " Kobayashi ")

In 2384 , the crew of the USS Protostar encountered the Enderprizians : a species whose knowledge of Starfleet was outdated, incomplete, and often incorrect. They performed an erroneous interpretation of the Vulcan salute, which was made by separating the pinky and pointer fingers from the middle amd ring fingers – the latter two being kept together – and saying "Live logs and proper." Upon seeing Dal perform the correct gesture, however, Huur'A followed suit. ( PRO : " All the World's a Stage ")

In 2258 , in the alternate reality brought about by Nero 's incursion, Ambassador Spock , after speaking with a younger version of himself , made the hand gesture but said, " Good luck, " as he felt it would be "oddly self-serving" to say the usual phrase to his younger counterpart. ( Star Trek )

In 2263 of the alternate reality, the Vulcan salute was exchanged between the Spock who was indigenous to that universe and a pair of Vulcan messengers who had brought him news that Ambassador Spock was dead . Spock used the salute to bid farewell to the Vulcan pair on Starbase Yorktown , both Spock and his Vulcan visitors saying " Live long and prosper " to each other before the messengers walked away. ( Star Trek Beyond )

In the mirror universe , the first Vulcan to step on Terran soil used the traditional greeting before being shot by Zefram Cochrane , after he failed to duplicate the gesture. ( ENT : " In a Mirror, Darkly ") Thereafter, in the mirror universe, it was not safe, even behind closed doors , for Vulcans to perform the Vulcan salute, for fear that they might be seen by a Terran . ( ENT : " In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II ")

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ].

• " Amok Time "
• " Journey to Babel " (only gestured)
• " Assignment: Earth " (only said)
• " The Enterprise Incident " (only gestured)
• " Is There in Truth No Beauty? "
• " The Savage Curtain "
• TAS : " Yesteryear "
• Star Trek: The Motion Picture
• Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
• Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
• Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
• Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (only gestured)
• Star Trek: First Contact
• Star Trek Into Darkness (only gestured)
• Star Trek Beyond
• " Conspiracy " (only gestured)
• " Data's Day " (only gestured)
• " Unification I "
• " Unification II "
• " Revulsion "
• " Year of Hell, Part II "
• " In the Flesh "
• " Once Upon a Time " (only said)
• " Counterpoint "
• " Gravity "
• " Riddles " (only said)
• " Live Fast and Prosper "
• " Shattered "
• " Homestead "
• " Fallen Hero " (only said)
• " Home " (only gestured)
• " The Forge "
• " Kir'Shara "
• " In a Mirror, Darkly "
• " In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II " (only gestured)
• " Battle at the Binary Stars "
• " The War Without, The War Within " (only gestured)
• " Light and Shadows " (only gestured)
• " If Memory Serves " (only gestured)
• " Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2 " (only gestured)
• " Unification III "
• " Terra Firma, Part 2 " (only gestured)
• " Choose to Live "
• ST : " Ephraim and Dot "
• " Moist Vessel "
• " Terminal Provocations " (only gestured)
• " Much Ado About Boimler " (only gestured)
• " wej Duj "
• " Trusted Sources " (only gestured)
• " The Stars At Night " (only gestured)
• " Kobayashi "
• " All the World's a Stage " (only gestured)
• " Spock Amok " (only gestured)
• " All Those Who Wander "
• " Those Old Scientists "

Background information [ ]

Origins [ ].

The Vulcan salute was devised by Leonard Nimoy , based on a gesture made by various Jewish denominations, including Orthodox and Conservative. In TV Land's The 100 Greatest TV Quotes & Catchphrases , William Shatner described the salute as a benediction, comparing it to the Sign of the Cross . The gesture actually forms the Hebrew letter "Shin" and represents the honorific title "Shaddai", which means "Almighty (God)." The hand gesture is traditionally used by the Kohanim (Hebrew "priests"), Jews of priestly descent, during a blessing ceremony performed during the prayer service of certain Jewish holy days. The Jewish blessing is done with both hands, with arms extended upward at roughly a forty-five-degree angle, rather than one hand held upright as in the Vulcan salute. Nimoy learned the gesture, which takes practice to do, from visiting his grandfather's synagogue as a child. In the video William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy: The Twenty-Five Year Mission , Nimoy stated, " It took me years of diligent practice and self-denial to be able to do that. " [1]

The Vulcan salute wasn't originally in the script of " Amok Time ", which called for Spock to walk up to T'Pau followed by them simply exchanging brief greetings. Leonard Nimoy thought this might be a good chance to bring something unique to the Vulcan people. When he spoke to the episode's director, Nimoy suggested – citing examples of other gestures conveying greetings, such as handshakes, salutes, and bows – that perhaps Vulcans would greet each other with the Jewish gesture he remembered from his childhood, and the director agreed to try it. However, the actress playing T'Pau, Celia Lovsky , initially couldn't perform the salute, presenting a problem for the production personnel. They solved it by using a simple camera trick where her hands were below camera frame while she used one of her hands to get the other hand in the proper position. The salute was established from then on. According to an interview with Leonard Nimoy, the line " live long and prosper " was written by Theodore Sturgeon (the author of "Amok Time"). [2]

Serialization [ ]

William Shatner was unable to do the Vulcan salute. When Kirk (as played by Shatner) performs the salute in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock , it appears that fishing line holds two of his fingers together. In the video William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy: The Twenty-Five Year Mission , Shatner joked that the reason he couldn't do it was because, in Leonard Nimoy's words, it took "years of diligent practice and self-denial." During a June 2009 appearance on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien , Shatner demonstrated his inability to perform the salute, to which O'Brien responded with a perfect salute of his own.

A sign of the M-9 language

As an in-joke , one of the gestures of the M-9 sign language is similar to the Vulcan salute. ( Star Trek Encyclopedia )

The first Vulcan to fail to perform the salute on screen was Sarek in TNG : " Unification I ", being terminally ill.

In the writers' second draft script of ENT : " Breaking the Ice ", Sub-Commander T'Pol and Captain Vanik exchanged Vulcan salutes, unaccompanied by any of the traditional Vulcan greetings. However, they don't exchange the salute (and their initial meeting is not shown) in the final version of that episode.

In the script of the 2009 film Star Trek , the Vulcan salute was described as "legendary". [3]

Influence and other usage [ ]

Armin Shimerman devised a Ferengi gesture inspired by the Vulcan hand salute. " I know that the Vulcan hand sign is universally recognized, " he commented. " I thought, 'Let's see if we can find something like that to do.' " ( Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion  (p. 647))

Molly Hagan developed a Vorta greeting for Eris that was ultimately not used. She commented: " I immediately began working on a physical gesture that would indicate when I was using my telekinesis . I thought it could become the defining gesture of my people, like the Vulcan 'Live Long and proper' hand gesture . So, I came up with a motion where both my hands looked like they were taking energy in from my body before I pulsed it back out through my hands. It reminded me of something I saw Bruce Lee do. It never got used because a) they had great special effects and didn’t need me to do any gestures to sell 'my powers' and b) they were concerned that any future Vorta may not be able to replicate it. I was beyond disappointed ." [4]

The Filipino greeting "Mabuhay" can also be roughly translated as "live long and prosper" (it literally means "Live", but the expression is meant to convey a wish for someone to have a long and prosperous life in order to truly "live"). [5]

In Act 5, Scene 3, line 42, of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet , Romeo says to Balthasar, " Live, and be prosperous, and farwell good fellow. " [6]

It was proposed, accepted, and published in Version 7 of the Unicode Standard as Unicode Character U+1F596 (🖖 "RAISED HAND WITH PART BETWEEN MIDDLE AND RING FINGERS"). [7] [8]

A physician addressed a closed-door meeting of the US House Democratic caucus on 10 March 2020 where he "lightheartedly suggested" that people could employ the "live long and prosper sign" as a way to forgo handshakes and other physical forms of greeting during the outbreak of COVID-19. [9] [10]

On a 2022 episode of Who Do You Think You Are? , Zachary Quinto was surprised to see that his maternal great-grandfather P.J. McArdle had used the phrase May it live long and prosper in a letter published in the Official Organ of the Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel and Tin Workers in 1899 . [11]

External links [ ]

• Vulcan salute at Wikipedia
• Vulcan salute at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• The Jewish Origin of the Vulcan salute – a page by Rabbi Yonassan Gershom, with photos and diagrams of how the salute forms the Hebrew letter Shin, the use of the Blessing Hands gesture on Jewish gravestones and jewelry, etc.
• Names of God in Judaism at Wikipedia shows a clear illustration of the Judaic origin of the Vulcan salute
• 3 Ancient humanoid

Live long and prosper

Trekkies may end a conversation by telling you to LLAP, which stands for "live long and prosper." This acronym is a condensed version of Star Trek character Spock's famous salute.

In real life, Trekkies often pair "live long and prosper" with a hand gesture known as the Vulcan salute (shown below). In text, you may see LLAP accompanied by a hand emoji that replicates the Vulcan salute. If so, you can be certain that LLAP stands for "live long and prosper."

Related Slang

Llap definition by slang.net.

This page explains what the acronym "LLAP" means. The definition, example, and related terms listed above have been written and compiled by the Slang.net team.

We are constantly updating our database with new slang terms, acronyms, and abbreviations. If you would like to suggest a term or an update to an existing one, please let us know !

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Leonard Nimoy’s Daughter Offering LLAP Pendant That Went Into Space For Memorial Fundraiser

| February 27, 2022 | By: Anthony Pascale 2 comments so far

Today is the seventh anniversary of the passing of Star Trek legend Leonard Nimoy, and his daughter Julie is now sharing a way for fans to honor his memory.

Honoring Nimoy with memorial at Boston Science Museum

Last year, the Boston Museum of Science announced an effort to build a special memorial to Leonard Nimoy . A statue featuring his signature Vulcan salute has been designed and donations are being sought to fund the project. Nimoy’s family is fully supporting the project, which they see as a “beautiful tribute to Leonard’s life and legacy.”

So far, the project has raised around $30,000, far off its goal. While the family and museum are seeking large and corporate donors, they are also hoping to get support from the fan community for this memorial.

Artist rendering of Nimoy monument at Boston’s Science Museum

In an email to TrekMovie, Leonard’s daughter Julie spoke about her late father and the statue project:

“Seven years ago today, my wonderful dad passed away. You are greatly missed, especially your warm and loving hugs. Dad, you would be so honored knowing that the Museum of Science will be the permanent home to your memorial. The sculpture not only depicts one of the world’s most recognized and loved gestures for peace, tolerance, and diversity, but it will also be a beautiful tribute to your life and legacy.” “Your memory lives on – always and forever”

Julie Nimoy with her father

Pendant from space

Today, the family announced a special gift will be given away to one lucky donor to the memorial project. The gift would be the actual LLAP pendant that was sent into space on a Blue Origin rocket last December. This pendant originated from Julie’s personal collection.

Today, a one-of-a-kind pendant paying tribute to Star Trek legend Leonard Nimoy will be on board. It represents a message he strongly believed in, that each of us lives a long and healthy life, with a vision of the future for peace, tolerance and unity. pic.twitter.com/NCEcCsFETY — Blue Origin (@blueorigin) December 11, 2021

Along with LLAP pendant, they will include the “Certificate of Flight” along with a copy of the documentary Remembering Leonard Nimoy signed by Julie.

Certificate of flight

The minimum donation would be $5.00 and will be randomly selected by the staff at the Museum of Science in Boston. The drawing will begin on Leonard’s birthday, March 26, and it will run throughout 2022. Any donations made on or following March 26 will automatically be entered to win. The winner will be announced in early 2023. Rules and prizes will be announced and posted on the museum’s website by March 26.

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Positive thoughts to the family, it doesn’t seem like seven years.

Donation made.

I still miss Leonard, and I’m just a fan; I can’t imagine how much Julie must miss him.

I’ll donate for sure, though it looks as if I should wait until March 26th…

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The Two-Way

#llap: tributes flow for leonard nimoy.

Krishnadev Calamur

The death today of actor Leonard Nimoy, best known for his role as the half-Vulcan, half-human Mr. Spock in Star Trek, at age 83 prompted an outpouring of grief on social media.

Many people pointed to his own final tweet, which at the time of writing has been retweeted more than 120,000 times.

The "LLAP" in the tweet refers to "Live long and prosper," the line Mr. Spock is arguably most associated with (from the Vulcan "Dif-tor heh smusma").

A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP — Leonard Nimoy (@TheRealNimoy) February 23, 2015

Here are some reactions to his death.

President Obama, in a statement, also paid tribute:

"Long before being nerdy was cool, there was Leonard Nimoy. Leonard was a lifelong lover of the arts and humanities, a supporter of the sciences, generous with his talent and his time. And of course, Leonard was Spock. Cool, logical, big-eared and level-headed, the center of Star Trek's optimistic, inclusive vision of humanity's future. "I loved Spock. "In 2007, I had the chance to meet Leonard in person. It was only logical to greet him with the Vulcan salute, the universal sign for 'Live long and prosper.' And after 83 years on this planet — and on his visits to many others — it's clear Leonard Nimoy did just that. Michelle and I join his family, friends, and countless fans who miss him so dearly today. "

Many of the tributes online came in the form of this line — or a variation of it from The Wrath of Khan, the second Star Trek movie .

NPR's Neda Ulaby is remembering Nimoy and his legacy on tonight's All Things Considered . She says:

"As Dr. McCoy says in a scene after Spock's death in Star Trek II: 'He's not really dead as long as we remember him.' And as Mr. Spock, Leonard Nimoy said goodbye to us so many times: 'Live long and prosper.' "

• leonard nimoy

Unlocking the Mystery of “llap” – How It’s Changing Social Media

The meaning of ‘llap’ in Social Media is ‘live long and prosper’ .

Meaning of ‘llap’

In today’s culture, social media has become a powerful tool for both communication and self-expression. With so many different platforms, users have come up with unique takes on language to express themselves. One of these is the phrase “LLAP”, which stands for “Live Long and Prosper”.

The concept of LLAP originates from the popular sci-fi TV series Star Trek, where it was used by members of the Vulcan race to say goodbye or wish good luck. It has since been adopted in both fandom and everyday life as a sign of admiration and respect. The phrase has become particularly popular among Trekkies (Star Trek fans) who use it as an expression of solidarity and camaraderie for fellow fans.

It is also often used outside of this context in social media, especially Twitter. Here it can be used in response to posts that show support or appreciation for someone else’s accomplishment or success. It is meant to be a way of wishing someone well in their pursuits and expressing admiration for their achievements.

The phrase LLAP also carries with it a deeper meaning beyond just congratulating others on their successes or wishing them luck; it is a reminder that life is precious and should be savored. It is an acknowledgement that we are all connected in some way and should strive to treat each other with kindness and respect while we are here on Earth together.

This sentiment can be seen reflected in some of the hashtags associated with LLAP on Twitter, such as #llapfamily which refers to the community of people who support each other through good times and bad. This hashtag speaks to how important it is to build relationships with one another so that we can better understand our own lives as well as those around us.

In summary, the phrase “LLAP” has become an integral part of modern day culture due its widespread usage on social media platforms like Twitter; where it serves as both an expression of congratulations or admiration but also a reminder that we should take time out from our busy schedules to appreciate life’s precious moments and build meaningful relationships with others around us wherever possible.

Queries Covered Related to “llap”

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Johnetta Belfield is a professional writer and editor for AcronymExplorer.com, an online platform dedicated to providing comprehensive coverage of the world of acronyms, full forms, and the meanings behind the latest social media slang.

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Terminology, glossary of stfc terminology.

In your travels throughout the galaxy, you have surely encountered terminology that is unfamiliar. This handy glossary will get you up to speed on all the key inside lingo…

AC — Short for Alliance Chat .

ALB — Short for Alliance Leaderboard . As seen in the Events panel.

AMS — Short for Alliance Milestone . As seen in the Events panel.

Auto-Bubble — Slang for the Automatic 10-minute Peace Shield that activates by default when an unshielded station is first attacked or “cracked.” See Peace Shield .

Black Fleet Memorial Forge — Specialized level 34+ material used to upgrade the Sarcophagus , an Epic Battleship used to protect Capture Nodes during Territory Capture Takeover events. Requires Sarcophagus Territory Service . Uncommon unlocks at player level 34 . Rare unlocks at level 37 . Epic at level 41 .

Bluestacks — Emulation software that enables you to play Star Trek Fleet Command and other Android mobile games on Mac and PC in fullscreen with full keyboard and mouse control. See Bluestacks .

Bubble — Slang for a Peace Shield . See Peace Shield .

Capture Nodes — During a Takeover event, each ship in the system scores 1 point per minute for its Alliance but each ship occupying a Capture Node scores 3 extra points per minute (for a total of 4 points per minute). During the final phase of a Takeover (known as Overdrive ), the rate of scoring is tripled.

Cease Fire Shield — Variant of a Peace Shield . Activated automatically, at no cost, following a maintenance window or server shutdown. Protects your station from attack for the period specified. Cease Fire Shields are distinctively golden in color and run concurrently (no added time) to any active standard Peace Shield .

Combat Triangle — The “Rock, Paper, Scissors” of space combat. See Lawful Attack .

Coords — Short for Coordinates . Used with in-game mapping system to specify the location of a station, a ship, an ally, an enemy target, or any other point of interest.

Cost to Travel — is the official name in the game for warp paths that have a cost. The currency has various names: cell, beacon, etc.

Crystal — Mined Resource used primarily to upgrade Interceptors . See Warships .

Dilithium — A crystalline mineral Resource primarily used to build ships and upgrade station buildings.

Discord — Social Media app with extended game discussion. Many Alliances require Discord for resolving conflicts and diplomatic incidents. See Official Scopely Discord .

Drop Tags — Slang for quitting and leaving an Alliance.

Faction — The galactic superpowers are divided into Factions: The Federation , The Klingon Empire , The Romulan Star Empire , The Augments , and Rogue . Align yourself with or against the Faction(s) of your choosing to build Reputation and unlock Faction Items.

Faction Lock — Once a player has achieved 10 million Reputation Points with a given Faction , that player’s standing with that Faction can no longer be diminished.

Fair Play — The cornerstone principle of RoE . See Rules of Engagement .

Floater — A ship of any class not on any Node or Station that is not moving for an extended period such that it appears abandoned by its Commander. Many Alliances regard Floaters as space junk and are only too happy to clear the way.

Gas — Mined Resource used primarily to upgrade Explorers . See Warships .

GC — Short for Galaxy Chat .

Hive — A cluster or grouping of home stations by allied players (usually members of the same alliance) seeking shared protection at a shared location. A hive can be as small as a single planet or large enough to occupy an entire system. The benefits and drawbacks of hiving together are hotly disputed.

Illegal Ship — Use of a non-mining starship in a mining zone. See Lawful Attack .

ISO — Short for Isogen . See Isogen .

Isogen — Mined Resource used and refined primarily to access Origin Sector and to engage in Territory Capture .

KOS — Kill On Sight . This dubious designation declares its recipient as a public enemy. Once you’ve been marked KOS by an Alliance , all members are authorized to attack you the moment you’re in target range, regardless of RoE , with or without provocation.

Latinum — The most valuable unit of exchange in the galaxy. Used to purchase Resources , Store Items, and to speed up job timers.

LCARS — Library Computer Access and Retrieval System . A free player-developed Discord server, named in honor of the STAR TREK ship computer system, that operates public terminals used to query a STAR TREK FLEET COMMAND knowledge base. See LCARS 2.0 on Discord .

LLAP — Short for Live Long And Prosper . A friendly and popular Vulcan salutation.

NAP — Non-Aggressive Pact . A mutual covenant between distinct non-warring Alliances wherein the parties agree not to attack one another. In some but not all cases, the parties also agree to defend and protect one another against common enemies.

Node — A mining location (different from a Capture Node ) where a Survey class ship is permitted to park for an extended period expressly to extract Resources. See Illegal Ship .

Node-Ninja — A hostile act whereby a mining Node is stolen out of turn by lying in wait. See Lawful Attack .

NooB — Slang for a new inexperienced player, derived from the term “ newbie .”

OMW — Short for On My Way . Used when communicating to other players that you are sending a ship to a requested destination, as when defending a raid, taking over a node, or joining an Armada.

OPC — Over Protected Cargo . See Protected Cargo .

OPCL — Over Protected Cargo Limit . Same as OPC . See Protected Cargo .

OPL — Over Protected Limit . Same as OPC . See Protected Cargo .

Ore — Mined Resource used primarily to upgrade Battleships . See Warships .

Origin Sector — Special region of deep space designated for Territory Capture . There is no PvP target banding between player levels in Origin Sector .

Overdrive — The final phase of a Takeover event in which all point values scored going forward are tripled. Overdrive duration is equal to one-third the total duration of the entire Takeover. 10 minutes for 30 minute Takeover, 15 minutes for a 45 minute Takeover, 20 minutes for a 1 hour Takeover.

Parsteel — Resource with immense tensile strength, primarily used to upgrade station buildings, start research, and construct ships.

PD — Short for Power Destroyed .

Peace Shield — Protects your home station against enemy attack. While active, you, in turn, cannot attack other players without first deactivating your Peace Shield .

PM — Short for Private Message .

PvE — Player vs. Environment . Describes combat of one player versus non-player characters built into the game such as mission hostiles. Armadas are generally regarded as a form of group PvE.

PvP — Player vs. Player . Describes combat of one player versus another player. See Rules of Engagement .

PvP Target — Player vs. Player Target . Each player level has its own limited range or banding from minimum to maximum power level that a given player may attack. Admiral inworlder offers a free interactive tool to determine your own PvP target range. See PVPTARGET.COM .

Reputation Lock — Faction Reputation Lock . See Faction Lock .

RevDeuce — YouTuber, gamer, and influencer offering timely advice, opinions, and entertainment to the STAR TREK FLEET COMMAND player community. See RevDeuce on YouTube .

RL — Short for Real Life or Regular Life . Refers to those people, places, and things that you see around you on those rare occasions you look up from your screen.

RoE — Rules of Engagement . See Rules of Engagement .

RoE Officer — Alliance officer with designated authority in the enforcement and diplomacy of RoE-related matters with other Alliances. See Rules of Engagement .

RSS — Slang for Resources , such as Parsteel , Tritanium , Dilithium , etc. Used primarily as an abbreviation in text chat.

Scopely — Official game developers and operators of STAR TREK FLEET COMMAND .

Service — See Territory Service .

“Shield or Share” — Expression of warning to players who fail to use their Peace Shield to protect their station. Use your Peace Shield or prepare to share your resources.

SLB — Short for Solo Leaderboard . As seen in the Events panel.

SMS — Short for Solo Milestone . As seen in the Events panel.

SPA — Short for Survey Protection Act . A key aspect of Rules of Engagement establishing specific protections for Survey class ships. See Protected Cargo .

SS — Short for Screen Shot .

STFC — Short for STAR TREK FLEET COMMAND .

Tag — The 4-letter or shorter abbreviated name that identifies members of an Alliance.

Takeover — Every Zone in Origin Space has an automatically recurring weekly event called a Takeover in which possession of that Zone is up for grabs. Each Alliance that joins a Takeover scores points by having ships present in the systems comprising the Zone in play. Point values quadruple for ships on Capture Nodes .

TC — Short for Territory Capture . See Territory Capture .

Territory Capture — The star systems within Origin Sector are grouped into territorial Zones . Alliances fight to control each Zone during a Takeover to gain Alliance-wide access to each Zone’s own features and player enhancements.

Territory Service — A key advantage to capturing territory in Origin Sector , Services boost, enhance, or unlock abilities for all members of the Alliance that owns the associated zone. Services remain active until the end of the next Takeover .

Tritanium — A Resource many times harder than diamonds, primarily used to build ship hulls and bulkheads.

UPC — Under Protected Cargo . See Protected Cargo .

UPCL — Under Protected Cargo Limit . Same as UPC . See Protected Cargo .

UPL — Under Protected Limit . Same as UPC . See Protected Cargo .

V’Ger — A massive and powerful self-evolved sentient space entity popularly known as “ The Intruder ” that absorbs anyone and anything that dares to approach.

Warships — All Non-Survey ships designated for Combat . See Warships .

Zero-Node — When a node has been mined until depleted and has 0 resources left.

Zone — See Territory Capture .

Z-Node — Same as Zero-Node . See Zero-Node .

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Blue Origin launches necklace honoring 'Star Trek' actor Leonard Nimoy into space on New Shepard

The sterling silver necklace, bearing the LLAP symbol, went aloft on a Blue Origin flight with the personal items of Laura Shepard Churchley.

When "Star Trek" captain William Shatner – James T. Kirk to we Trekkies – flew to space in October, the family of one of his co-stars played close attention.

Shatner's Oct. 13 flight on Blue Origin's New Shepard spacecraft inspired worldwide tributes and discussion about "Star Trek," a series that embedded diversity into its framework from the start. 

The family of Leonard Nimoy, who portrayed the half-Vulcan Spock, told Space.com they wished Nimoy could have flown, too. Sadly, the actor died in 2015 at age 83 of a long-term health condition called COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Incidentally, the family earlier made a documentary about the disease, too.

Related: Blue Origin launches Michael Strahan and crew on record-setting suborbital spaceflight

In 2016, daughter Julie asked an artist (the family kept that individual anonymous) to create a sterling silver necklace featuring the "LLAP" symbol – that's Live Long and Prosper, Spock's catchphrase on behalf of the Vulcan alien race that made up part of his ancestry on the show.

The necklace launched into space on Saturday (Dec. 11)  Blue Origin NS-19 mission with Laura Sh e pard Churchley , the 75-year-old daughter of  Alan Shepard . The elder Shepard lifted off on NASA's first human spaceflight on May 5, 1961.

"Like his character, Mr. Spock, my dad loved science and technology," Julie Nimoy told Space.com, adding that she is certain that her father would have joined Shatner on the latter's flight, given that the two were lifelong friends.

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"There's no question that dad was extremely proud of the fact that he inspired generations of astronauts, scientists and engineers towards careers in space technology and exploration," Nimoy added. "I'm certain he would have used this opportunity to spread an enduring message of hope and inspiration for all to Live Long and Prosper."

The necklace, featuring the iconic LLAP hand symbol famous to Trekkies, is a unique item and not available anywhere for sale. Nimoy's husband, David Knight, reached out to Blue Origin shortly after the Shatner flight with the tribute idea, and said he was honored to hear back from them within minutes.

— Michael Strahan's Blue Origin Launch on New Shepard: Mission updates — Astronaut's daughter packs father's space mementos for Blue Origin launch — New Shepard: Rocket for space tourism

"They looked at that like a no-brainer, they got back to us very fast and just said, 'Yes, yes, yes, we want to do this," Knight told Space.com. "It made us feel good, because Leonard, he loved this. LLAP was something that he was so close to. I think nowadays it even means more."

The Nimoy family said they are glad to see the image of Spock being used for such things as vaccination campaigns, and added they are thrilled with the newer versions of "Star Trek" airing these days. "Discovery", which featured a young Spock (Ethan Peck), is one of the newer family favorites, they said.

Knight added the family works to keep the space community engaged with Spock's symbol, and are excited about ongoing fundraising for a memorial to Leonard Nimoy planned to be at the Museum of Science in Boston. The sculpture will include an LLAP symbol. You can access the campaign here .

Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter  @howellspace . Follow us on Twitter  @Spacedotcom  or on  Facebook . 

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: [email protected].

Elizabeth Howell (she/her), Ph.D., is a staff writer in the spaceflight channel since 2022 covering diversity, education and gaming as well. She was contributing writer for Space.com for 10 years before joining full-time. Elizabeth's reporting includes multiple exclusives with the White House and Office of the Vice-President of the United States, an exclusive conversation with aspiring space tourist (and NSYNC bassist) Lance Bass, speaking several times with the International Space Station, witnessing five human spaceflight launches on two continents, flying parabolic, working inside a spacesuit, and participating in a simulated Mars mission. Her latest book, " Why Am I Taller ?", is co-written with astronaut Dave Williams. Elizabeth holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Space Studies from the University of North Dakota, a Bachelor of Journalism from Canada's Carleton University and a Bachelor of History from Canada's Athabasca University. Elizabeth is also a post-secondary instructor in communications and science at several institutions since 2015; her experience includes developing and teaching an astronomy course at Canada's Algonquin College (with Indigenous content as well) to more than 1,000 students since 2020. Elizabeth first got interested in space after watching the movie Apollo 13 in 1996, and still wants to be an astronaut someday. Mastodon: https://qoto.org/@howellspace

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Star Trek's Famous Vulcan Salute Has A Deeper Meaning That Truly Pleased Leonard Nimoy

I f one visits the legendary Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, California  (now called the TCL Chinese), one can see the handprints of the cast and creator of "Star Trek." On the event of the franchise's 25th anniversary in 1991, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, William Shatner, George Takei, James Doohan, and DeForest Kelley all put their handprints on the cement next to their respective signatures. According to a story Takei told at a "Star Trek" convention (that this author personally attended), the cast were instructed to sign their names but not to put their hands in the cement. Takei, hating the restriction, plopped in his handprint anyway, and his fellow cast members immediately followed suit.

Leonard Nimoy, as visiting Trekkies will see, slapped his hand into the cement with his middle and ring fingers parted and his thumb out, arranged in the traditional Vulcan salute seen so often throughout "Star Trek."

That salute first appeared in the "Star Trek" episode "Amok Time" (September 15, 1967) and was accompanied by a notable Vulcan slogan, "Live long and prosper," initially penned by teleplay writer Theodore Sturgeon. In a 1968 interview with the New York Times , Nimoy noted that he was allowed to invent a lot of the idiosyncrasies of the Vulcan species, saying that they would be hand- and gesture-oriented. Nimoy couldn't have predicted how immensely popular "Star Trek" would become, nor that so many other actors would play Vulcans -- and adopt his salute -- in the years that followed.

An insightful 2015 article in the Washington Post  quoted Nimoy as having invented the salute as an expression of his Jewish heritage. The hand shape, he said, was meant to evoke a particular letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

Read more: The Main Star Trek Captains Ranked Worst To Best

The Divine Hug

One can see the Vulcan salute in all manner of Judaica.  The website Chabad.org explains the gesture of Priestly Blessing in detail:

"The Hebrew term for the Priestly Blessing, administered by the descendants of Aaron, is Birkat Kohanim , also known as Nesi'at Kapayim , the 'lifting of the hands,' because of the priests' uplifted hands, through which the divine blessings flow. Performed in the synagogue, the Priestly Blessing is one of the most spiritually uplifting moments in Jewish life, as the entire congregation is embraced in a 'divine hug.'"

Two open hands pushed away from the body form a diamond shape, allowing the Divine through.

In a 2013 interview, Nimoy said that his fingers, when in the Vulcan salute, resemble the letter shin, the first letter in Shalom, in Shaddai (one of the many names of God), and also in  Shekhinah , part of a kabbalistic veneration of divine feminine energies, but a word that had several meanings overall. Nimoy recalled reciting Shekhinah prayers as a child, and it was from those days in temple that he was inspired to form the Vulcan hand salute. The Post cited a StarTrek.com interview wherein Nimoy recalled its function, saying, "The light from this Deity could be very damaging. So we are told to protect ourselves by closing our eyes." He continued:

"They get their tallits over their heads, and they start this chanting. And my father said to me, 'Don't look'. At first he obliged, but what he could hear intrigued him. I thought, 'Something major is happening here.' So I peeked. And I saw them with their hands stuck out from beneath the tallit like this."

There it was.

Trek Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself

Nimoy recalled wanting to invent something notable for the scene in "Amok Time" when Spock was on screen with other Vulcans for the first time. He didn't necessarily brainstorm the above prayers but clearly took inspiration from them. It was a simple gesture he invented on set. Surprisingly, it stuck. It helped that Trekkies watching at home could recreate it in an instant. Nimoy added:

"Boy, that just took off. It just touched a magic chord. [...] [M]ost people to this day still don't know [the history] [...] People don't realize they're blessing each other with this!"

When you flash a "Live long and prosper" salute, you are actually evoking divine energies. Trekkies may be passing winking pop culture references to one another on the floor of "Star Trek" conventions, but they are also giving each other holy blessings. There's something beautiful about that. When President Obama -- a self-professed Trekkie -- met Nichelle Nichols in 2012, they posed for a picture wherein both flashed the salute. Talk about cultural penetration. As far as I have been able to determine, Obama is the only president to have given a Vulcan salute.

Of course, the salute has become so common in "Star Trek" that it can be thrown around without any sense of nobility or wonderment. In an episode of "Star Trek: Lower Decks," Ensign Becket Mariner (Tawny Newsome) waggles Vulcan salutes sarcastically around in front of her mother, being generally caustic and dismissive. Any "sacred" qualities attached to the gesture have apparently been prodded and mocked by the young hotshot.

Read the original article on /Film .

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Live Long and Prosper: LLAP Response, Meaning, in Vulcan, in Klingon

Friends Read Free

The Spock quote “Live long and proper” became quite famous, and Leonard Nimoy--who played Spock in the original Star Trek television series, took to using it and its acronym in messages to fans. 

Nimoy, a frequent user of Twitter, signed his last tweet with the message. 

“A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP,” he said on February 22. He passed away on February 27.

The phrase “Live long and prosper” started out associated with the Vulcan salute, the gesture that Spock and the Vulcans used to take leave of each other.

The formal response to the gesture and/or phrase was “Peace and long life.”

In the Vulcan language, “Live long and prosper” was pronounced “Dif tor heh smusma,” according to Star Trek: The Motion Picture. 

In the Klingon language, it would be said as, “nI‘jaj yInlIj ’ej bIchepjaj (nIdjahdj yInlIdj edge bitchehpdjahdj),” or “May your life be long and may you prosper,” according to the Answers website. 

Although the gesture was originally used by Spock, several humans began using it as well--including Captain Jonathan Archer and Captain Jean-Luc Picard. 

Nimoy created the gesture based on a blessing made by Jewish priests that he witnessed growing up while attending synagogue. 

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Published Aug 22, 2015

LLAP in Style: A Spock Car Decal Set

StarTrek.com recently previewed ThinkGeek's new TNG Aprons and Romulan Ale Pint Glasses

, and now we're happy toshare details about another fresh product, the Live Long & Prosper: Spock Car Decals. Each set includes two decals and each features the Vulcan salute and the words Live Long and Prosper.The large decal measures 6 1/4" tall and 4" wide, while the sm all one measures 2 1/4" tall by 1 1/2" wide. Each set costs $7.99. Visit ThinkGeek.com to purchase.

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LLAP, Star Trek tech!

The death of leonard nimoy brings to mind how far-reaching the star trek legacy has been.

Last Friday (Feb. 27) brought the terribly sad news that Leonard Nimoy, the actor who will always be known in IT circles as Star Trek ’s Mr. Spock, had passed away. For a lot of people in IT, Star Trek was incredibly important. It’s not unusual to hear IT professionals say that Star Trek first got them interested in computers or technology. And over the past half century, much of technology was influenced by the franchise. We don’t have the big ones — we aren’t getting beamed up or traveling at warp speeds (and we don’t have flying cars either, George Jetson!). But as we remember Nimoy and what his Spock meant to us, it’s worth considering the ways in which we are living in a Star Trek universe, as well as some things that the franchise just got plain wrong.

Mobile Devices

When it comes to mobile phones, it was the aesthetics that seemed to be derived directly from starship Enterprise gear. At least this was true a dozen years ago or so, when flip phones were in the ascendant. Many of them were highly evocative of Star Trek communicators. I don’t think that was a coincidence.

When Star Trek: The Next Generation brought the franchise back to TV, the communicators had evolved from handhelds to wearables: a shirt pin that looked like a Starfleet insignia. The tech world is really into wearables right now, and I’m thinking that a lapel pin or brooch that draws on the Star Trek influence would be a more efficient model for an interface than a wristwatch (à la Dick Tracy) or eyewear.

Speaking of eyewear, there are similarities between Geordi La Forge’s VISOR ( V isual  I nstrument and  S ensory  O rgan  R eplacement) and Google Glass . Both transmitted data via the optic nerve, both were used to share far more data than would otherwise be available — and both ended up getting replaced because they were too awkward.

The input method for a shirtfront device is obvious: You would talk to it. And that brings us to …

Voice Recognition

When Enterprise crew members needed something from the computer, they asked for it. In 2015, voice recognition has made great strides, and both Google and Apple have made it possible for us to talk to our phones. Voice recognition still isn’t as seamless as it appeared to be on Star Trek , but it’s gotten good enough that we might trust it more than we should. I say this because when I dictate an email through Apple’s Siri, it gets so much of it right that I often don’t bother to proofread the message carefully. A few embarrassments have resulted.

That kind of voice recognition didn’t exist back in Spock’s day or even when TNG made its debut. I remember, back in the late 1980s, interviewing an IBM fellow who was talking about the speed of an upcoming workstation. In those days, we still used MIPS — millions of instructions per second — to describe CPU speed. And he said the next machine would top 100 MIPS. What’s the significance of that? I asked. He replied, “That’s when we’ll begin to deliver voice recognition.”

I wish we could get our phones’ attention the way the Enterprise crew could access the computer. (“Computer, calculate the trajectories of all Class M planets within 500 million kilometers.”) True, Apple has introduced a “Hey, Siri” feature — say those words and your phone responds. But it only works when the mobile device is plugged into a power supply. I understand the reasoning for this: If Siri is constantly on the alert for you to say, “Hey, Siri,” that’s a huge power drain. But I’d be happier if Apple gave users the option of enabling “Hey, Siri” whenever they wanted to. If I’m driving and my battery is 100% charged and I know I will soon be at a place where I can recharge it, I would love to be able to get my iPhone to do things without me touching it. And the fact is that when I am able to plug in my phone, I tend to be in a situation where it’s easy for me to manually summon Siri.

(If I have the attention of any Apple developers right now, let me just lodge a complaint about the home button. Sometimes, in activating my phone, I’ll unintentionally hold that button down long enough to instead activate Siri. That’s not a big deal, unless I’m in a public place with no reception. Then, I and everyone around me is greeted by a very loud “Siri is not available.” My discomfort about this might not influence you to devise a new way of summoning Siri, but maybe if I couch it in Star Trek terms, you’ll be more responsive. Suppose Spock were on an away mission, making an incognito visit to an inhabited planet that has yet to develop much beyond rudimentary technologies. He holds the home button down too long on his Starfleet iPhone, and everyone hears it say, “Siri is not available.” So much for the Prime Directive!)

The Replicator

You can do a lot with 3D printers these days, including some rather amazing medical applications . True, no one is replicating food yet, not even anything as straightforward as a raw potato. But you could easily fabricate a spare part for your spaceship.

Geolocation

With this one, IT in 2015 has gone far beyond what was envisioned for the 24 th century. Enterprise crew members used geolocation to get someone’s current location or, more rarely, to find a specific cabin on the ship. The way we’re using geolocation today, we could have authenticated aliens who back in the old series would fool the system every time.

This reminds me of instances when the Enterprise computer could have been more helpful. In the episode A Taste of Armageddon , the computer knew that there was a fake Capt. Kirk, but it didn’t volunteer that information, instead waiting until someone thought to ask. I guess you could look at this as predicting how Microsoft technology would work.

RFID/NFC Chip Injected into the Body

The show seemed to nail this one . Compare today’s reality with how the show envisioned it 47 years ago.

IT Attitudes

I can never see this scene without being impressed by how perfectly it depicts a CIO being called on the carpet for a failing IT rollout — and opting to defend the creation rather than concede the error.

One Big Goof-up

In a memorable plot point , Spock asked the computer to calculate the precise value of pi to keep busy an evil entity controlling the computer.

The problem: Why would a system that refuses to accept instructions about navigation and turbolift controls suddenly feel a need to obey a calculation function? Wouldn’t the entity be more likely to say “You and what army, Pointy Ears?”

Personally, though, it isn’t really a Star Trek technology that I want to use in my everyday life. There are times, though, when a Vulcan nerve pinch would really come in handy.

Evan Schuman has covered IT issues for a lot longer than he’ll ever admit. The founding editor of retail technology site StorefrontBacktalk, he’s been a columnist for CBSNews.com, RetailWeek and eWeek . Evan can be reached at [email protected] and he can be followed at twitter.com/eschuman . Look for his column every other Tuesday.

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Evan Schuman has covered IT issues for a lot longer than he'll ever admit. The founding editor of retail technology site StorefrontBacktalk, he's been a columnist for CBSNews.com, RetailWeek, Computerworld and eWeek and his byline has appeared in titles ranging from BusinessWeek, VentureBeat and Fortune to The New York Times, USA Today, Reuters, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Baltimore Sun, The Detroit News and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Evan can be reached at [email protected] and he can be followed at twitter.com/eschuman. Look for his blog twice a week.

The opinions expressed in this blog are those of Evan Schuman and do not necessarily represent those of IDG Communications, Inc., its parent, subsidiary or affiliated companies.

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