Starfleet UX designers learned that if they didn't make some bridge consoles explode, captains would ignore damage until the shields failed.
@LoganDice Whoa, whoa, waitaminnit... isn't the whole point of instrument panels and indicators to let you know about stuff like YOUR FREAKIN' SHIELDS FAILING?
But, yeah... basically, it adds to the drama in the battle scenes -- y'know, they take such a hard hit that it surges through the electrical system and blows a console spectacularly.
We ARE talking Original Series here, right?
@flugennock @LoganDice Ah, the future where nobody invented the fuse!
@drewcassidy @LoganDice Yeah, seriously... Apollo 12 took a lightning strike while launching during a thunderstorm, and all the crew had to do was basically switch the Command Module off and on again to bring the instruments back online.
@drewcassidy @LoganDice
As I recall, the exact procedure called up from MCC was "Set SEC to AUX" -- reset the panel on auxiliary power, which flushed the "ratty" data, cleared the caution/warning lights and reset the instruments. No sparks flying, no instrument panel parts blowing out.
@drewcassidy @LoganDice
Oh, man, yeah -- like a Christmas tree, as Conrad told it. Houston called up the command; Conrad and Gordon were like "wut...?" and Bean piped up "Hey! I know what that is!" and flips the switch.
@flugennock @LoganDice I mean, it DID light up every warning in the cockpit