Ars Technica
Physicist does the math on Star Trek’s “Picard maneuver”
Thursday, September 10, 2026
A physicist analyzed the tactical maneuver from Star Trek: The Next Generation in which Captain Jean-Luc Picard rapidly closes distance to an opponent's vessel at high speed, then decelerates sharply to position his ship behind the enemy. The analysis concluded the maneuver would function as depicted in the show's physics framework.
