Have we said recently how much we love Jerad Formby's 'Hey, Star Trek!' blog?  Oh, we have?  Sorry?  Anyway, our favorite blogger is back and he's taking on stardates and outer space.  You know, no-one can hear your scream there.

40 Years of Star Trek is a lot to keep straight. I don’t envy a single writer involved. I probably feel worst for the especially nerdy writers like Ronald D. Moore and Manny Coto.

I certainly don’t envy Micheal Okuda –the man in charge of keeping it all-straight and publishing his findings for all nerds to consume.

It’s messy. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

There are a number of things that are inconsistent in the Star Trek universe and Hey Star Trek!’s always thought that it was possible all fans could see, excuse, or make excuses for all of them. There are some issues that most will take issue with. One of my favorites is the Stardate.

“Captain’s log, Stardate” – something awesomely and so specifically Star Trek. This was invented, obviously to fill in certain plot points or gaps in the storyline in a quick and non-expensive way. It’s also become almost as iconic as a Klingon or a phaser.

The numbers that follow those immortal words are nearly impossible to nail down, but we know a little bit about it and thought it might be time to share (and if not, explain just how it is that these numbers are so inconsistent). Also a brief utterance about why the heck we need Stardates anyway. (source Trekcast.com)

Read the full article here.