S01E02: Star Trek's Prime Directive - Eric Linus Kaplan

In the long running science fiction show Star Trek, the Federation has a guiding principle referred to as the Prime Directive which instructs federation ships with advanced technology to not interfere with primitive evolving civilisations in such a way where the intervention is detected. In a recent situation from the film ‘Into Darkness’ Captain Kirk is faced with a dilemma of violating the Prime Directive to save Spock’s life. The staff led crew comes across an alien planet with an intelligent but primitive culture facing the prospect of an imminent devastating eruption of a volcano. The local culture believes the volcanoes activities are controlled by Gods. The Starship has a simple device which can be used inside the volcano which would neutralise it, and prevent it from causing any harm. Kirk is faced with a situation. Where he will reveal the starship to the locals thus violating the Prime Directive in order to save Spock who is stuck in the volcano. Spock pleads that the good of the many outweigh the good of the few. And Kirk’s crew member reminds Kirk that if the positions were switched he would let you die. But kirk saves him anyway, much to Spock's dismay. The final shot of the sequence shows the tribe huddled praying in a circle, spared from the volcano. Worshipping a diagram of Star Trek's spaceship.

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