The real science behind Star Trek: Lower Decks 'quantum reality drive'

The reality-bending two-part series finale of Star Trek: Lower Decks was a joyous, exhilarating, and surprisingly science-heavy romp through the multiverse. Building off an idea from Star Trek: The Next Generation—that the Federation fans know and love is but one of an endless number of possible permutations—"Fissure Quest" and "The New Next Generation" reveal a rich tapestry of alternate realities where characters live and die differently, rank up or remain ensigns, and in some cases, exist only as holograms.

In addition to firmly canonizing the idea that Star Trek is set in a quantum multiverse, we learn there is at least one alternate reality where Starfleet's mission is to explore alternate dimensions, using a warp drive cousin called the quantum reality drive. And just as there's a real scientific foundation for warp drive, the quantum reality drive was inspired by actual concepts from the realms of particle physics, quantum mechanics, and cosmology.

"We think of our universe as a sheet of space-time that we live within," astrophysicist Erin MacDonald told The Science of Fiction. "The multiverse drive would allow you to basically pop out of that sheet."