At first glance, these weapons seem fairly simple in their application. They can stun an opponent in defense, or on the rare occasion, kill. However, they are interesting as they are far more multipurpose than they appear. Over the years, they have become somewhat of a Starfleet officer’s multi tool. They can not only incapacitate enemies, but the technology is also used for a variety of purposes. They are able to melt metals together, heat things up, and even create artwork: burning marks onto canvas with precision.
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In terms of their destructive power, as phasers are used mainly as weapons, they are capable of a wide variety of things. On a low setting, they can be used to stun. Depending on the exact level of power the user specifies, this can mean anything from throwing a person backwards to knocking them out completely. A mighty Klingon, for example would be able to withstand a much higher degree of power from a phaser than a human would.
The stun setting on a phaser seems to be an impressive piece of technology. Trained officers must fine tune them to create the desired effect, much like an officer of today knowing the degree of electrical charade to pulse through a taser. On a high setting, these tiny devices are capable of large scale destruction. They can be used to kill, but also completely disintegrate a person if the setting was put high enough, rendering them to Endgame style dust. In the shows, they are suggested to be able to destroy buildings. Commander Data showcases this in the Season 3 The Next Generation episode “Ensigns of Command,” where he uses a phaser to destroy an aqueduct.
In addition to their ability to vary their potential destructive capabilities, phasers can also vary their precision. These pocket-sized devices use particles instead of the more traditional energy, or ‘laser beam’ technology. As such, they rely on wavelengths to produces their desired effect. These wavelengths can be altered by the user, much like how a disruptor or works, producing a wave that can affect either a small or large area. This allows the user to aim at very specific targets without affecting anything around it. Phasers are precise enough for a protagonist to cross the line and completely disintegrate a person, without harming those standing directly next to them.
The devices were created, like many other Star Trek technologies, at last minute and with little explanation of how they worked. Rather, the technical details were added as the show developed over time. This is no criticism of The Original Series, as many other shows at the time functioned similarly due to time or budget restrains. When the creators were first fleshing out the idea, the producers had the cast carry what were essentially tranquilizer b-b guns, which would shoot small sedative pellets. This quickly proved to be a terrible idea, as the pellets were stopped by even the most primitive of armor or even clothing. They required skin contact to work (or at least make sense), so the producers chose to make them lasers.
Laser weapons were not only visually interesting, but also made sense for the these futuristic explorers. The issue, however, was that a laser was just as lethal as a gun. Roddenberry wanted the show to highlight his utopian vision of a future that favors peace over violence (despite Starfleet ultimately being the Federation’s Military). To resolve this, he created a laser that could vary its power. Like many things in Star Trek, there was no real science behind this, at least at the start. Writers later scrambled to try and explain how this could work. They came up with the idea of a particle known as a nadion, and the complex science behind the phasers was born. One technical manual within canon gives the following explanation, and even then the majority of it is technobabble with no further explanation:
Phasers have become a staple of the show ever since their introduction. They are both a device of violence, as well as a symbol of a more peaceful future for humanity. While soldiers of today are given guns whose only purpose is to kill, a phaser is a much better alternative. It is able to kill only when necessary, while also providing non-lethal means to incapacitate a foe. It is used as a form of defense, rather than offense. While the technical mechanics of the device have never been fleshed out (and seem to vary from show to show) their core message is a good one. There are always alternatives to killing, something Star Trek holds as one of its core messages.
‘The Phaser (or the Phased Energy Rectification) uses the Rapid Nadion Effect to transfer and liberate strong nuclear forces through a super-conducting crystal. After this, the energy then passes through a Kawamura-Franklin Circuit, which then monopolarically phases it.’
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