The Burn is recalled as a catastrophe in Star Trek: Discovery in which a child's psychic disturbance spreads through dilithium across the galaxy. The account describes operating ships losing warp-core containment and their antimatter reactors exploding. Ships that were not powered at the time are identified as exceptions. The panel is uncertain about parts of the fictional mechanism, but the explanation centres on many ships sharing the same propulsion vulnerability.
Notable Point · 2:23:29-2:24:28
The Burn and a shared failure across Star Trek's fleets
The explanation of Discovery's Burn concerns a common propulsion failure that destroys operating ships while sparing those left unpowered.