Vulcan nerve pinch

In the Star Trek fictional universe, the Vulcan nerve pinch is a technique used by Vulcans to render a humanoid unconscious by pinching the base of the victim's neck with all four fingers opposing the thumb.

Related Topics:
Star Trek - Fictional universe - Vulcans - Humanoid - Neck

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Leonard Nimoy conceived the maneuver in the early days of '. At least one early script called for Mr. Spock to pistol whip another character, but some felt that such an action would contravene Spock's nature (or indeed the nature of Vulcans); Nimoy, therefore, invented an alternative.

Related Topics:
Leonard Nimoy - Mr. Spock - Pistol whip

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As the series progressed, the technique was seen to be widely-known among Vulcans. It appears to be less known among non-Vulcans: in the episode "The Omega Glory", Spock comments that he has tried and failed to teach it to James T. Kirk.

Related Topics:
The Omega Glory - James T. Kirk

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It has never been explained in on-screen canon exactly how the pinch works. Over the years fans, as well as writers in the Star Trek Expanded Universe have made a number of suggestions as to how it works.

Related Topics:
Canon - Star Trek Expanded Universe

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One conjecture is that, due to the telepathic nature of Vulcans, as well as their incredible control over their own bodies, they are able to send a burst of neural energy into another being and overload its nervous system, rendering it unconscious, although the pinch does not work on all species. This explanation was rendered moot by the fact that Commander Data, an android, as well as humans Jean-Luc Picard and Jonathan Archer have also been shown doing the neck pinch.

Related Topics:
Conjecture - Telepathic - Nervous system - Commander Data - Android - Human - Jean-Luc Picard - Jonathan Archer

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An alternate conjecture is that it can be done by applying pressure over baroreceptors of the carotid sinus at the base of the humanoid neck.

Related Topics:
Baroreceptor - Carotid sinus

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The book The Making of Star Trek by Stephen E. Whitfield and Gene Roddenberry offers a simpler explanation: the pinch simply blocks blood and nerve responses from reaching the brain. In this earliest of Star Trek reference books, the pinch is referred to as the Spock Pinch.

Related Topics:
Gene Roddenberry - Blood - Nerve - Brain

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The ' episode "The Enterprise Incident" makes reference to a Vulcan "Death" Grip, which is supposedly a more powerful, and usually lethal version of the nerve pinch. Spock pretends to use it on Captain Kirk in order to complete a mission, but the episode never makes clear whether the "Death Grip" is real or just a fabrication.

Related Topics:
The Enterprise Incident - Captain Kirk

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In the stage direction in Star Trek scripts, this action is referred to as FSNP, for Famous Spock Nerve Pinch.

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