What is THE BURN? - Star Trek: Discovery Theory!

"The Burn", an event mentioned as a turning point for the galaxy before Star Trek Discovery Season 3 takes place, but what is it? Today we're diving into a Star Trek theory to explore how a long distance Voyager episode might tie into the upcoming season!

The third season of the American television series Star Trek: Discovery follows the crew of the USS Discovery as they travel to the future, over 900 years after the events of the original Star Trek series.
Fan of Star Trek and like our content? Subscribe and follow us!

▶ Website -
▶ Facebook -
▶ Twitter -
___________________________________________

Sources:
Memory Alpha
Memory Beta
CBS All Access

Video Credits:
Written by Dom Paris
Presented by Jack T


Special thanks to:
- Thanks to "Tertiary Adjunct" for creating the "Warp Drive" background.
- Thanks to "Phillip Chance" for the Discovery Intro Music (His own version)
___________________________________________
All STAR TREK® footage and its various marks are trademarks of CBS Studios Inc. 2019 © CBS Studios Inc./Paramount Pictures Corp.

[KingOfMadCows]

I don't know, there are so many different FTL technologies that the Federation has encountered, it doesn't make sense for them to still be reliant on warp so far into the future. They could have developed quantum slipstream, spatial trajectors, graviton catapults, dimensional shift, even portals like the Iconian gateways or artificial wormholes.

[CharlieTwoDelta]

I am sure, that the burn has absolutley nothing to do with Burnham... ^^

[ianmsmitchell]

I like the theory that Warp Drive is inoperable due to an Omega Particle accident, it'd tie in nicely to Voyager. The only thing that wouldn't quite stack up to this is that Calypso from Short Treks is set at some point in the future too, and Craft went to warp on a shuttle at the end. We've no idea how this will tie in of course, or where it even lies chronologically, but its the only thing that I can think that discounts the Omega theory.

[davidedens]

wouldnt they have transwarp and slipstream by now? these drive systems are not vulnerable to omega induced subspace damage. They have also learned how to close those subspace ruptures by the 25th century. This only works if starfleet forgets how to star trek

[salilbhatnagar]

I think the Temporal Cold War has something to do with it. 31st century temporal Agent Daniels told Archer that it was coming to an end and in the trailer the guy told Burnham that they're stuck in the future. Maybe the end of the war was so catostrophic that time travel tech was all destroyed and maybe the Omega had a part in it?

[JDSleeper]

The Omega effect would probably also explain why the Fed of that era can't just use time travel to fix it. It messed up subspace so much that the time travel tech they had no longer worked.

[nonamegiven]

it's what I been thinking as well, beside it just working from what we know of the setting as you covered if they want to be tackling current issues with Star Trek then having Omega be a power source who's use destroyed the environment would be a not so subtle one.

[usdrqir]

One problem with the burn. The romulans warp drives would still work, as they imploy a black hole.

[terencegibbins]

Okay, "The Burn", meaning that faster than light travel is no longer possible because Dilithium crystals are no longer useable. But the storyline continuity problem I have is this:- Zefram Cochrane, the Human scientist from the 21st century and a pivotal figure in Star Trek Human history. The eccentric genius, the inventor of warp drive on Earth who became the first recorded Human to travel faster than light. It's like this:- He didn't have access to Dilithium crystals as far as I know, so therefore faster than light travel should still be possible. Maybe not above Warp 2, but at least Warp 1. Any thoughts on this anyone? By the way I've not actually seen any Discovery episodes, but just read up on the storyline, and it does seem a very good story except for this one continuity oversight:)

[amazedsatsuma]

Yea that is the theory going around since the trailer drop and it is a solid one...time will tell if it comes to pass. Personally, if this is the case then I suspect Discovery's mission will not only to rebuild the Federation, but somehow use the mycelial network to repair subspace opening the door for exploration again after the Federation is reborn

[elledge]

Okay im calling it. The burn was caused by a massive omega bomb that wiped out the second terran empire. It was so big that the burn was a side effect of the mirror universe being wiped out.

[simonbeesley]

Dropping out of warp wouldn’t cause massive de-acceleration and the destruction of the ship... remember warp drive works by space being compressed in front of the ship and expanding behind it with the ship being stationary inside the warp bubble. If the warp bubble collapsed or was unable to be sustained space around them would stop moving, the ship itself is carrying no momentum. This is confirm in the Abrams Star Trek movie when he scotty beams onto a ship at warp saying (something along the lines of) of course it’s space moving, not the ship. Ships drop out of warp all the time. It may be more accurate to assume the omega molecules destabilising effect of sub space is what causes the destruction more like a bomb igniting the warp bubble in some way. I think the theory is a good one and the writers will
Just have to be careful how they explain it.

[simonfawley]

I still think the true meaning of the burnham paradox is yet to be fully realised especially if the endgame is to investigate and prevent the burn from ever happening however federation timeships could travel in time probably used quantum slip stream or transwarp coils. If the 31st century federation thought they could harness omega molecules to power their ships i guess thats how the burn could have happened but if subspace is gone and black alert is the only way to fly then well im looking forward to the upcoming season

[Seal]

So it's a good thing their ship runs on mushrooms, isn't it?

Lil bit Anne McCaffrey, that, bringing the solution to a present problem from the past.

[queazy]

Is it what happens when Kurtzman doesn't understand science, let alone science fiction?

[marna_li]

I don't think they will connect it to the Omega Particle. This is clearly a nod to a climate catastrophe due to the fuel - dilithium seem to be the unstable fuel that backfired. I would think they (Starfleet) would know the risks, anyway.

[jaredcolon]

**Q's like, never sleeping with Q again, I've had a great burn ever since**

[SailorDeath]

The burn plot feels much like the events that followed God Emperor of Dune with the Great Scattering. With the loss of spice mankind scattered throughout the galaxy and became isolated since space folding couldn't happen anymore, that was until they were able to synthesize spice as well as create computers that coukd take over the navigator's jobs on the ships

[GenestealerUK]

Remember when we all tried to guess whether the Red Angels were the Iconians.... and then we found out yet again that they aren't that smart over at CBS... It was Burnham!! FFS

Well here we go again.. The BURN. I mean come on this is The Burnham show.

[billwhipple]

I've loved star trek for decades. I have no idea how you stay so positive about it but I do appreciate the content