Vulcan

From Memory Alpha, the free Star Trek reference

Vulcan
Sarek, a male Vulcan (2293)
T'Pau, a female Vulcan and Syrrannite (2154)

This article is about the Vulcan species. For information about the planet Vulcan, see Vulcan (planet).

History and politics

See also: Vulcan history

Commander Spock once theorized that Sargon's people may have colonized Vulcan some six million years ago. Sargon believed that Humans and Vulcans might even be descendants of their early travelers. (TOS: "Return to Tomorrow")

With the discovery of ancient humanoid progenitors in the 24th century, most humanoid lifeforms in the known galaxy were found to have a "seed" genetic code guiding their evolution to the humanoid form. (TNG: "The Chase")

Commander T'Pol revealed, regarding Vulcans and the planet Vulcan, that her "species evolved on this planet." (ENT: "The Forge")

Culturally one of the most fascinating species in the Federation, the Vulcans were once an extremely violent and emotional people (even by Earth standards) who waged almost constant warfare on one another. (TOS: "Balance of Terror") They believed in a variety of gods, such as war, peace and death. (TNG: "Gambit, Part II") As their level of technology improved, the Vulcans eventually reached a point where their violent nature threatened species extinction. (ENT: "Awakening")

Surak, father of Vulcan logic

In an effort to avoid this fate, a Vulcan named Surak developed a new philosophy thereby igniting the Time of Awakening. Surak maintained that the root cause of all the problems on Vulcan lay in the uncontrolled outpouring of the people's emotions. His followers swore to live their lives by an ethical system devised by Surak and based purely on logical principles. Emotions were to be controlled and repressed. (TAS: "Yesteryear")

Although this new philosophy spread rapidly across Vulcan, a minority, many of whom were known as "those who march beneath the Raptor's wings", rejected Surak's ideals. A destructive war began including the use of atomic bombs and among the victims was Surak himself. (ENT: "The Forge", "Awakening")

Eventually, however, those who opposed logic left Vulcan and founded colonies elsewhere (TNG: "Gambit, Part I", "Gambit, Part II") – most notably on the planet Romulus, where they founded what eventually became the Romulan Star Empire. (TOS: "Balance of Terror", "The Enterprise Incident"; TNG: "Unification I", "Unification II") At some point in history, the Romulans and the Vulcans engaged in a hundred-year long war against one another. The war was instigated by the actions of a member of the Q Continuum. (VOY: "Death Wish")

Another group that rejected Surak's philosophy was known as the "V'tosh ka'tur" or "Vulcans without logic". The V'tosh ka'tur believed in controlling emotions by allowing themselves to actively experience them rather than suppressing them. Many of these also left Vulcan, and took up a nomadic existence. (ENT: "Fusion")

First contact with Humans (2063)

The Vulcans were one of the first of the current powers to develop warp drive, though a century would pass between the first warp flight and the breaking of the warp 2 barrier. (ENT: "First Flight") The Vulcans conducted a series of survey missions to the Sol system, as early as 1957. (ENT: "Carbon Creek"). T'Pol told Archer that Vulcans "don't share" Humans' "enthusiasm for space exploration," but a Syrranite on Vulcan advised Archer that this may not be true. (ENT: "Fight or Flight", "The Forge")

The official first contact between Vulcans and Humans came on April 5, 2063 when a Vulcan survey ship detected the warp flight of Zefram Cochrane's Phoenix. The Vulcans met with Cochrane at his launch site on the day following the flight. (Star Trek: First Contact)

The Vulcans eventually became Earth's "big brother" in a way, advising Earth officials on how to proceed into the galaxy. The Vulcan High Command considered Humans volatile and similar to Vulcans before the Time of Awakening, and so attempted to slow down Humanity's move into the galaxy until the time was right. (ENT: "Broken Bow", "The Forge")

By the 21st and 22nd centuries, the Vulcans would have also made contact with the Cardassians, Trill, Tholians, Klingons, and scores of other races. (DS9: "Destiny"; ENT: "Broken Bow", "Future Tense")

In contrast to their tradition of peaceful exploration, the Vulcans have also had a long history of border skirmishes with the neighboring Andorians. The Humans helped negotiate a peace between the two over the disputed Class D planetoid, known to the Vulcans as Paan Mokar. (ENT: "Cease Fire")

In the 22nd century, the Vulcan High Command, once in charge only of space exploration and planetary defense, gained much more control over civilian affairs. Under the High Command's leadership, Vulcan policy toward other planets became more aggressive and interventionist, using the ancient monastery at P'Jem to spy on Andorian activities. (ENT: "The Andorian Incident")

Vulcan also became less tolerant of political and philosophical challenges towards the High Command's operations, notably engaging in purges of the Syrrannite group, who claimed that Vulcan society was no longer following the teachings of Surak. These tensions came to a head in the crisis called the Vulcan Reformation, which resulted in the overthrow of the High Command (and its leader, V'Las, who was secretly allied with the Romulans) and a restructuring of the Vulcan government under the leadership of Kuvak and T'Pau. One of the first acts of the new government was to end the policy of holding back Human expansion into the galaxy. (ENT: "The Forge", "Awakening", "Kir'Shara")

As of the 23rd century, Vulcan had never been conquered in its collective memory. That memory goes so far back that Vulcans cannot conceive of a conqueror. (TOS: "The Immunity Syndrome")

Today, Vulcan remains one of the principal Federation members, and is deeply involved in all levels of that society. Their tradition of exploration has continued; in the 24th century, a Vulcan ship was the first to make formal contact with a Gamma Quadrant civilization, upon encountering the Wadi. (DS9: "Move Along Home") They were at the forefront of exploration in the Gamma Quadrant, encountering the Rakhari and finding the remains of the Hur'q civilization. (DS9: "Vortex", "The Sword of Kahless")

Despite the enmity between the Federation and the Romulan Star Empire, some Vulcans have been attempting to forge a more cordial relationship with their cousins, ultimately hoping to reunify the two cultures. So far these efforts have met with little success. (TNG: "Unification I", "Unification II") In the wake of the Reman uprising, as well as the improved relations between the Romulans and the Federation after the Dominion War, it is unclear what the current status of this movement is.

In the 24th century, the Vulcan ministry of security was known as the V'Shar. (TNG: "Gambit, Part II")

Mirror universe

History turned out much differently for the Vulcans of the mirror universe. When the Vulcans made first contact with Earth of this universe in 2063, Zefram Cochrane shot the first Vulcan to publicly set foot on Terran soil, believing his vessel to be the vanguard of an intended invasion. The Terrans stormed the T'Plana-Hath and studied Vulcan technology. Eventually, the Terran Empire was able to conquer the Vulcans. (ENT: "In a Mirror, Darkly")

By the 2150s, Vulcans were considered slaves to Humans and not treated as equals. A number of Vulcans and Vulcan ships rebelled against the Terran Empire, but by 2267, their attempts seem to have been unsuccessful. By that time, however, it appeared that Vulcans, such as Spock, were treated with more respect and feared by some Terrans. (ENT: "In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II"; TOS: "Mirror, Mirror")

In the 2370s, the Vulcans served as slaves to the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance. Several were seen fanning the Intendant aboard Terok Nor. (DS9: "Crossover")

Some Vulcans, such as Tuvok, joined the Terran Rebellion. (DS9: "Through the Looking Glass")

Physiology

Scan of a Vulcan's DNA

Genetically, Vulcans and Humans are similar enough that they can produce offspring without any problems. (ENT: "Terra Prime")

Externally, Vulcans are generally similar to Humans, the chief exceptions being the Vulcans' notably arched and upswept eyebrows and distinguished external ear structure, the top of which tapers into a clearly defined point.

Most Vulcans have straight, glossy dark brown or, more commonly, black hair and pale skin with a very subtle greenish tinge, much as the skin of Humans of European descent has a very subtle reddish or pinkish tinge. However, some Vulcans, including Tuvok, have brown skin, tightly coiled black hair, and physiognomic features similar to those found in Humans of African descent.

Others share physiognomic features similar to those found in Humans of East Asian descent. However, most Vulcans have a vaguely Eurasian appearance. (Star Trek: The Original Series; Star Trek III: The Search for Spock; Star Trek: Voyager)

Vulcans have body hair similar to Humans, and some males can be very hirsute. Vulcan males are also capable of growing facial hair (as evidenced by Sybok and both Spock and Soval in the mirror universe), but rarely do so. (TOS: "Mirror, Mirror"; Star Trek V: The Final Frontier; VOY: "Gravity"; ENT: "In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II"; Star Trek)

Vulcans possess teeth that Humans do not have. These include anterior tricuspids, the presence of which implies that Vulcans also have posterior tricuspids. Vulcan teeth may be chemically capped, as Human teeth may be since the 20th century, in order to prevent decay. (ENT: "Dear Doctor")

In contrast to their external similarities, Vulcan internal anatomy differs radically from that of Humans. For instance, their heart is where a Human's liver would normally be, (TOS: "Mudd's Women", "A Private Little War") and beats several hundred times per minute. (TOS: "The Naked Time", "Journey to Babel") They also have no appendix. (TOS: "Operation -- Annihilate!")

Vulcan blood is copper-based and is copper- or rust-colored when deoxygenated in the veins and green when oxygenated in the arteries (although it is unclear if this transport mechanism is a hemocyanin as in Earth molluscs). Bruises and dermal abrasions therefore take on a green color. (TOS: "The Naked Time", "Patterns of Force"; DS9: "Field of Fire"; VOY: "Repression"; ENT: "In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II"); (see also hemocyanin at Wikipedia)

Vulcan body chemistry uses little, if any, sodium chloride compared to that of Humans. (TOS: "The Man Trap")

Vulcans possess a highly efficient respiratory system to extract the oxygen they need from Vulcan's thin atmosphere. They are most comfortable in high temperatures, which is natural given the hot, arid climate of their homeworld. (TOS: "The Deadly Years"; ENT: "The Forge")

The Vulcan digestive tract is highly adaptable. Although alien foods, notably Human food, will occasionally disagree with a Vulcan, given time, their body will eventually adapt to the alien food. (ENT: "Unexpected")

Vulcan hearing is very sensitive. (TOS: "Return to Tomorrow" ENT: "Singularity") Vulcan females possess a heightened sense of smell. (ENT: "Broken Bow", "The Andorian Incident")

Having evolved on a planet which is mostly desert, Vulcans have developed ways of surviving in desert conditions. For example, they can survive for several days without water and have inner eyelids which protect their eyes. (TOS: "Operation -- Annihilate!"; ENT: "Strange New World", "The Forge")

Vulcans have a superior metabolism to Humans. Caffeine and sapotoxins have little effect on them. (ENT: "Breaking the Ice") They are also capable of surviving for long durations without food or sleep. Under stress, Vulcans can do without sleep for weeks. (TOS: "The Paradise Syndrome") Tuvok once claimed that as a Vulcan he was capable of going without sleep for two weeks (VOY: "Muse"), although shortly after making this claim he was observed to fall asleep in the command chair after having gone a little over 10 days without sleep.

Vulcans are on average three times physically stronger than Humans, and have considerably faster reflexes. This also means that Vulcan are somewhat stronger than Human males on average. (DS9: "Take Me Out to the Holosuite")

Vulcans are very sensitive to nitrous oxide gas, which rapidly renders them unconscious. (TAS: "The Practical Joker")

Vulcans typically have a lifespan of two hundred years or more. (TNG: "Sarek")

The Vulcan chest

The Vulcan posterior

The Vulcan spinal cord

T'Pol, a female Vulcan (2161)

Spock, a Vulcan/Human hybrid (2267)

Tuvok, a Vulcan male (2377)

Add an image to this gallery

The brain

A medical scan of a Vulcan brain

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the Vulcan physiology is the brain. The Vulcan brain has been described as "a puzzle, wrapped inside an enigma, housed inside a cranium." (VOY: "Riddles") This has some basis in fact, as the Vulcan brain is composed of many layers.

It is in direct control of most of the bodily functions, acting as a control unit for many organs. Despite this, a Vulcan body from which the brain has been removed is capable of functioning and even walking around (albeit in a zombie-like state) with a portable life support system. (TOS: "Spock's Brain")

Unlike most humanoid species, traumatic memories are not only psychologically disturbing to Vulcans, but have physical consequences as well. The Vulcan brain, in reordering neural pathways, can literally lobotomize itself. (VOY: "Flashback")

Vulcans have learned to gain conscious control of many of these functions, allowing them to regulate their bodies to a high degree by simple will power. When injured a Vulcan can go into a trance-like state, using this ability to concentrate all of his or her energy onto repairing the injury. (TOS: "A Private Little War")

This trance can be self-induced and give the physical appearance of near-death. It is similar, in principle, to Vulcan neuropressure techniques which can be used to relax the mind and body. (TOS: "By Any Other Name"; VOY: "Riddles"; ENT: "The Xindi")

The substance trellium-D acts as a neurotoxin to Vulcans, destroying the neural pathways which control their emotions. Treatment must be provided quickly after exposure, otherwise the damage is irreversible. (ENT: "Impulse")

The most famous aspect of the Vulcan brain is the inherent telepathic abilities, such as the Vulcan mind meld. Vulcans are natural touch-telepaths. Though considerable training is required to utilize this ability to the fullest (this would be performing the fal-tor-pan), simpler contacts do not require any concentration, training or even conscious knowledge of the act. (VOY: "Blood Fever")

Stronger minds are capable of non-contact telepathic projection and scanning, usually over short distances, (TOS: "The Devil in the Dark", "The Omega Glory"; VOY: "Random Thoughts", "Prey") but sometimes even over interstellar distances. (TOS: "The Immunity Syndrome"; Star Trek: The Motion Picture)

Another psionic ability of the Vulcan race is the telepathic suggestion/compulsion, consciously performed by Spock, (TOS: "A Taste of Armageddon", "The Omega Glory") Sybok, (Star Trek V: The Final Frontier) Tuvok, (VOY: "Repression") and T'Pol, (ENT: "In a Mirror, Darkly") and unconsciously performed by Sarek. (TNG: "Sarek")

Although Vulcans do not, typically, allow themselves to experience uncontrolled strong emotions, they may sense them in others. (ENT: "Fallen Hero")

Besides the Trill, who achieve this through the zhian'tara ritual, Vulcans are the only other known humanoid race capable of performing a synaptic pattern displacement, or the transfer of one individual's consciousness into another. Similar feats were also performed by the people of Sargon's planet, Janice Lester, Dr. Ira Graves, Rao Vantika and Tieran, though they used technology instead of psionic abilities to achieve it. (TOS: "Return to Tomorrow", "Turnabout Intruder"; Star Trek III: The Search for Spock; TNG: "The Schizoid Man"; VOY: "Warlord"; DS9: "The Passenger", "Facets")

Some Vulcans have also demonstrated the ability known as telekinesis. (Star Trek III: The Search for Spock)

The psycho-suppression system responsible for the Vulcan suppression of emotions is located in the mesiofrontal cortex. (VOY: "Meld")

Approximately every seven years, adult Vulcans must endure pon farr, the Vulcan mating period. It is marked by intense emotions and primal urges (known as plak tow, or "blood fever") that can kill the Vulcan if not satisfied. Physiological symptoms include elevated dopamine levels and fever. For such an orderly society of quiet sobriety, the madness which accompanies the outbreak of pon farr is an unavoidable evil. (ENT: "Bounty", "In a Mirror, Darkly"; TOS: "Amok Time"; VOY: "Blood Fever")

Background Information

Average Anatomy:

Males height = 2.0 meters (6’6”) Males weight = 70kg (154.3 lbs) Females height = 1.7 meters (5’6”) Females weight = 50kg (110.2 lbs) Body temperature = 32.78C (91F) Heart rate = 242 bpm Blood pressure = 80/40

Body Temperature:

Medical conditions

There are several diseases that the Vulcan species suffers from which include:

• Pa'nar Syndrome
• Tuvan Syndrome
• Bendii Syndrome
• Choriocytosis

Society

Six different Vulcan scripts

The government on Vulcan is a representative democracy. Individual political advancement is based on meritocratic principles. (ENT: "Awakening")

For an intensely logical race, the Vulcans do have spiritual beliefs. Though little is known about the details, their religious system is polytheistic. They also believe in the katra, the soul and consciousness of a person, which can be transferred psionically prior to death. (TAS: "Yesteryear"; Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan; Star Trek III: The Search for Spock; TNG: "Gambit, Part I"; ENT: "The Forge", "Awakening")

Vulcans are generally non-violent, but logic dictates that combat is sometimes necessary. Vulcans can and do use weapons and practice martial arts called "tal-shaya", and "Suus Mahna". Most modern Vulcans are vegetarians. (TOS: "Journey to Babel")

Vulcans are known for their high degree of honesty. They are extremely reluctant to tell a lie, and indeed it is said that "Vulcans cannot lie". However, they will do so for what they perceive as logical reasons, though they rarely refer to their dishonesty as "lying." (TOS: "The Enterprise Incident"; Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan; Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country) On at least one occasion, Spock lies without any apparent logical reason (and, in fact, for a reason apparently consisting of nothing more than humor), when he claims to not have seen Kirk's last orders to himself and Doctor McCoy (TOS: "The Tholian Web"). However, this may, in fact, be a result of those orders themselves, as Kirk had, in the orders, instructed Spock to follow McCoy's lead on intuitive and emotional matters, and McCoy had just refused to admit to seeing the orders.

Development of a Vulcan's life of logic begins at a young age. Vulcan parents will utilize learning tools, such as pleenoks, to train their infants in primary logic. (VOY: "Human Error") Vulcan children will then learn to detach themselves from their emotions at an early age.

Despite this early training in logic, Vulcan children in nursery school are allowed to dance. These dances are reminiscent of the dances of the Orion slave girl, just not as well coordinated. (TOS: "Whom Gods Destroy")

As parents, Vulcans never shield their children from the truth. Doing so would only hinder their ability to cope with inevitable difficulties. A Vulcan parent's attachment to their children cannot be described as an emotion. They are part of the parent's identity and the parent is incomplete without them. (VOY: "Innocence")

Vulcan wedding ceremony

Vulcan ceremonial wedding grounds, ca 2260s

Vulcan wedding ceremony, ca 2260s

Vulcans sometimes have mates chosen for them by their parents at the age of seven. The mates are joined in a ceremony that links them telepathically that is "less than a marriage, more than a betrothal". When the two come of age and undergo the pon farr, the link compels them to follow through with full marital rituals, which cement their relationship. (TOS: "Amok Time"; ENT: "Breaking the Ice")

If, for whatever reason, the female does not wish to go through with the marriage, then the ceremony of koon-ut-kal-if-fee ("marriage or challenge") is invoked. The male must fight for the right to keep his mate against a challenger of her choosing. The female becomes the property of the male who wins the contest, unless he chooses to release her. The koon-ut-kal-if-fee is a fight to the death. (TOS: "Amok Time")

Contrary to stereotype, Vulcans do possess emotions; indeed, Vulcan emotions are far more intense, violent and passionate than those of many other species, including even Humans. (TNG: "Sarek") It was this passionate, explosive emotionality that Vulcans blamed for the vicious cycle of wars which nearly devastated their planet. As such, they have focused their mental energies on mastering them.

The essence of their logical society is in arriving at the truth through logical process. Emotions are illogical, thus making them impure, and deterrent to truth. Vulcans are born with the same emotions that afflicted their violent ancestors, but continual mental conditioning generally gives them the impassivity they seek. (TAS: "Yesteryear")

Though not all can arrive at the ultimate pure logical state, the exacting process of mental control gives Vulcans enough to conform to the ideals of Vulcan society. The ultimate level of logical thought is achieved through the attainment of kolinahr, which is said to purge them of all remaining emotions. (Star Trek: The Motion Picture)

Vulcans believe knowledge to be the best defense against unknown dangers, and pursue them with the intellect and logic that makes them some of the finest scholars in the Federation.

Vulcans consider death to be the completion of a journey. Therefore, they do not fear it happening, however the loss of one's katra is to be avoided if possible, since the katra lives on beyond the physical death. (Star Trek III: The Search for Spock)

Culture and tradition

Vulcan wedding ceremony, ca 2260s

• Vulcans were fermenting wines, notably Vulcan port, during the 21st century. (DS9: "The Maquis, Part I")

• Although it has not always been so, most Vulcans are vegetarians. They also do not touch food with their hands, (ENT: "Broken Bow") unless wearing special gloves. (ENT: "Home")
• Guests in a Vulcan household are expected to rise before sunrise to prepare the morning meal. (ENT: "Home") Plomeek broth is considered a traditional Vulcan breakfast. (ENT: "Unexpected")
• Vulcans play a game known as kal-toh. (VOY: "The Omega Directive")
• What little is known about Vulcan religious beliefs indicates that beginning prior to the "Time of the Awakening" they were polytheistic. Surak's teachings became the primary focus of Vulcan spirituality/mysticism, but as late as the 23rd century it was still not unheard of to find Vulcans honoring the traditional gods. There are, however, no demons in Vulcan literature. (TAS: "Yesteryear"; TNG: "Gambit, Part I"; VOY: "Heroes and Demons")
• Many Vulcan females have names beginning with T' (T'Pol, T'Pring, T'Pau, T'Pel, T'Pan), but not all (Valeris, Sakonna, Saavik, Selar); many males have names beginning with S (Spock, Sarek, Sybok, Surak, Stonn, Soval), but not all (Tuvok, Lojal, Vorik, Taurik, Koss)

Holidays

• Kal Rekk
• Rumarie
• Tal-Shanar

See also:

• Vulcan history
• Vulcan philosophy
• Vulcan language
• Vulcan salute
• Vulcan mating rituals
• Vulcan mythology

People

Vulcans do possess family names, although they are pronounceable by Humans only after many years of practice. (TOS: "Journey to Babel")

• List of Vulcans
• List of unnamed Vulcans

Science and technology

• Vulcan starships
• Vulcan starship classes

Alternate reality

In an alternate reality, the planet Vulcan was destroyed by the Romulan Nero in 2258. Over six billion Vulcans were killed, with an estimated 10,000 survivors. After witnessing the atrocity, Spock noted in his log that the Vulcan species had become endangered. (Star Trek)

Appendices

Appearances

Background

^ The term "Vulcanian" has been described as an "Obsolete term meaning a native of the planet Vulcan. The term "Vulcan" has come to mean both the planet and the native of same." (Star Trek Concordance, pg. 248) The origin of the term from a production standpoint dates to 1966, when NBC prepared a 12-page booklet, entitled "Advance Information on 1966-67 Programming: Star Trek," which described the series' regular crewmembers. The description of Mr. Spock mentions that his father was a native of "Vulcanis," and his people were known as the "Vulcanians." (The Star Trek Compendium, pg. 25) As a result of early "growing pains" in the writing staff, the term "Vulcanian" would be used sporadically (and sometimes interchangeably) during the first season, where it was heard in "Mudd's Women", "Court Martial", "A Taste of Armageddon", "This Side of Paradise", and "Errand of Mercy". The Bajorans suffered similar "growing pains" when they were briefly known as the "Bajora" during their early appearances. The name "Vulcan" itself, in reference to the people, was first heard in "The Naked Time". Also see: Vulcanian expedition and Vulcanian Scientific Legion of Honor.

In a story idea that the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine writers had that eventually became the two-parter "Homefront" and "Paradise Lost", the Vulcans were to withdraw from the Federation. The cause of this schism was to be their concern that the Federation was becoming too concerned of the Changeling infiltration at the cost of civil liberties. Starfleet was to assume incorrectly that the Founders had infiltrated Vulcan society. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)

In the unproduced animated series Star Trek: Final Frontier, set in the far future, the Vulcans left the Federation at some point in the 25th century to discuss reunification with the Romulans.