How Star Trek Phasers Actually Work

The "Star Trek" franchise contains a lot of devices and jargon that are easy to take for granted, but have a ton of meaning behind them. For instance, the "Star Trek" stardates actually work by deliberately obscuring the actual time the events take place in. Meanwhile, the way the franchise's complex transporters work is so scary that even some characters are incredibly wary of them. Just like these concepts, phasers – the all-purpose weapons Starfleet personnel carry and often use during their adventures — are more than meets the eye. 

As sci-fi weapons go, the "Star Trek" phaser is nearly up there with the competing franchise's lightsabers, and similar to how the damage a "Star Wars" lightsaber would do to your body wouldn't be particularly gory, a phaser is visually just about as family-friendly as a handheld weapon can be ... usually, at least. In fact, "phaser" is actually a catch-all name for various devices that emit different particle (or sometimes plasma) beams. 

The one that's probably most famous is the aforementioned handheld phaser the crew of the USS Enterprise uses. It has several settings that vary in intensity and purpose. On normal beam settings, the device's nadion particle stream can stun, heat, cut, kill, or even vaporize its target. A wider beam can be used to search the area, and it may also be possible to fire several beams or charged bolts. On top of all that, phasers are highly modifiable and can be equipped with all sorts of effects. 

While phasers are often weaponized, it's better to think of them as a type of beam technology that can be used for all sorts of sci-fi shenanigans. Apart from the sheer versatility of the handheld phaser the Starfleet uses, several species from the "Star Trek" universe use their own variations of the theme. Phasers can also be far larger than small handheld devices, from rifles to drills and massive mounted artillery. As an example, the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" version of the USS Enterprise has several sets of phaser arrays in its offensive arsenal, along with other armaments like photon torpedoes and antimatter mines. 

So many "Star Trek" stories are actually horrifying that it's no wonder the franchise is so good at conveying the experience of operating in the unmeasurable vastness of space. As such, it's somewhat surprising to find out that while the franchise's most iconic weapon is unnervingly powerful, it also has several non-lethal uses.